a plane. The enemy plane makes two strafing runs, damaging both life rafts. Louis and Phil manage to repair a life raft. Mac dies soon after. Louie and Phil survive 46 days at sea and are captured by the Japanese. They are first taken to what is a small base camp, given an insufficient meal, and subjected to interrogation. After a few days, both men are made to strip. Their guards hose them down and shave their hair in preparation for transfer to POW camps. Phil and Louis are separated. Placed on a bus blindfolded, Louis speaks to another POW named Tinker, Louis asks “Is this Tokyo, I’ve always wanted to go to Tokyo”. Tinker replies “Be careful what you wish for”. At the POW camp, a camp leader nicknamed “The Bird” introduces himself to the new arrivals. The Bird states that the POWs are enemies of Japan and shall be treated accordingly. Louis glances at the Bird who then orders Louis to look at him but beats Louis whenever he does so. In their barracks, the other POWs recognizes the wounds on Louis as the work of the Bird. The POWs explain that the nickname “The Bird” refers to their tormentor’s way of constantly watching and listening. During one of their morning “trainings”, the Bird calls out Louis as an Olympic athlete and forces him to race against one of the camp guards. When the weakened Louis loses, he is beaten and called a failure in order to demoralize him. In a talk with a senior POW, Louis expresses that he would rather be killed than watch others be tortured. The reply is that “the only way to beat them would be to make it out alive”. Japanese officers tell Louis that everyone in America thinks he is dead. Louis is offered a deal: in return for speaking on the radio to announce that he is alive and well, Louis could spend a day outside the camp. During this time Louis recognizes one of the Japanese officers as none other than James Sasaki, an acquaintance during training as a track athlete at a college in the USA. After Louis goes through with the initial broadcast, the Japanese offer him an opportunity to take part in propaganda broadcasts in exchange for a more comfortable life outside of the camp. Louis experiences profound discomfort at the sight of other clean and