On May 5, 1942, Lawrence Frost and his brother, Clair, hid in a foxhole and waited for the Japanese forces to invade Corregidor.

When the Japanese landed on that island in the Philippines, American troops were outnumbered and overpowered. One day later, the more than 11,500 American and Filipino troops who survived the battle were prisoners of war. They left behind hundreds of comrades who had been killed trying to defend the island.

"It was a hell of a battle," said Lawrence Frost of Oxnard. "Some of us guys kept fighting even after they called out to surrender. We thought that there might still be a chance to get away."

Lawrence had joined Clair aboard the USS Canopus in Tsingtao, China, in November 1940. Clair enlisted in the Navy immediately after high school, and his younger brother quickly followed.

"I remember the water being calm and quiet in the Pacific then," said Lawrence. "There wasn't much going on. We completed our drills and had small missions here and there, but nothing major went on. There was no trouble at all."

They knew that wouldn't last forever.

"We knew that something was going to change," said Lawrence. "We knew that we were going to have to be part of the war at some point, but no one knew just how or when it would happen."

On Dec. 7, 1941, there was no longer a reason to wonder. The crew on board the Canopus received an announcement over the loud speaker informing them of the attack at Pearl Harbor. More than 2,300 of their comrades had been killed.

"No one wanted to go to war, at least not on our end," said Lawrence. "But we were sure ready to fight after the sneak attack."

The Canopus, which was close to Manila, was put on immediate alert and ordered to relocate to the Naval shipyard in Cavite in Manila Bay.

"We spent more than a month dodging Japanese fire," said Lawrence. "They left Pearl Harbor right away and went right back to the Philippines to get to all of us who were there. "

Keeping ship from the enemy

Despite enemy fire, the Canopus' crew circled the bay to provide support for the allied troops on nearby land. They continued to provide support throughout the Philippines until late spring, when they made their way to Mariveles Bay just north of Corregidor.

"The Japanese had been gaining on us since Pearl Harbor," said Lawrence. "Our priority became making sure they didn't get control of our weapons and ships."

The crew anchored the ship in the bay and was given orders to pull the ship's plug. They were then told to abandon ship. They filled the lifeboats and headed to Corregidor. Lawrence and Clair were the last to leave.

"We couldn't keep it out at sea and risk having it be taken over by the Japanese," said Lawrence. "Sinking the ship was our only option. We had to give fighting from the land a shot."

They immediately began digging foxholes as they prepared for the invasion.

"We figured we were going to be able to put up a good fight and we did," said Lawrence.

Led by Maj. Gen. Kureo Tanaguchi, the Japanese forces eventually took control of the battle.

"They gathered us and made us walk in lines onto ships they had waiting," said Lawrence. "We figured we were going to die."

Those who weren't killed joined survivors of the Bataan Death March. All were forced into slave labor and eventually taken to Japan.

"The Japanese were scared that we would find a way to transmit signals to American ships that might be nearby," said Lawrence. "They were paranoid and forced us all into the bottom of the ship. It was dark and wet. They wouldn't let us out. They only opened the doors to feed us."

The prisoners were put to work digging a dry dock and fed a small bowl of rice and weed soup twice a day. Once the dry dock was complete, Lawrence and Clair were sent to Osaka to load freight. In early 1945, the Americans bombed Osaka, and the Japanese immediately evacuated the prisoners and sent them to Tsurugi, where Lawrence was again ordered to load freight.

"They made us do the work they didn't want to do," said Lawrence. "And what was worse for us is that a lot of what we unloaded helped them kill our own men."

After the atomic bombs

It soon became apparent that the Japanese were fearful of what was to come.

"They came and told us about the atomic bombs and asked us what we knew," said Lawrence. "They were confused and didn't know where to go from there."

The prisoners who survived the more than three years of forced labor simply walked out of the camp.

"We met up with some members of the Red Cross and were given haircuts, baths and clothes," said Lawrence. "It was the first time in a long time that I felt human."

Lawrence and Clair returned to Pearl Harbor.

"When we got to Hawaii we had a steak dinner in the mess hall," said Lawrence. "I will never forget that meal."

Both brothers returned home and were discharged. Both re-enlisted and Lawrence served as a member of the Seabees until he retired in 1960.

"The Navy and my stations became like home for me," said Lawrence. "It was a life that I enjoyed, even through the hardships. It was a different kind of time. We knew we were appreciated for what we did, and we appreciated being able to do it in return."

— Of War and Life is a twice-monthly column by Jannette Jauregui that tells the stories of Ventura County's veterans. Veterans who want to share their stories can contact her by e-mail at jmjaureg@callutheran.edu or by mail at Jannette Jauregui, c/o Ventura County Star editorial department, P.O. Box 6006, Camarillo, CA 93011.