I thought there might be several persons on the list interested in this. Gene Rivers >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >From the Nashville Tennessean, Tuesday, November 16, 1999: Retired Brig. Gen. Austin Shofner dies Shelbyville, Tenn. (AP) -- Retired Brig. Gen. Austin Shofner, who managed to keep a diary hidden while in a Japanese prisoner of war camp during World War II, died yesterday at his home. He was 83. Shofner's diary, chronicling his experiences in several POW camps and his eventual escape through the Philippine jungles, is preserved in the Tennessee State Library and Archives. It describes the hardships of the POW camps, where he watched fellow soldiers beaten and killed or dying from starvation and disease. His listing in the "Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture" calls the diary a "valuable historical record of the war in the Philippines." Shofner and nine other Marines took advantage of work details outside the camp walls to escape the Davao POW camp. He received the Distinguished Service Cross from Gen. Douglas MacArthur in 1943 and participated in various battles in the Pacific to liberate the Philippines. He retired from the military in 1959 with the rank of brigadier general, returned to his native Bedford County and was active in local Republican politics. Survivors include four sons and seven grandchildren. Services are scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday at Shofner Lutheran Church in Shelbyville.