Some wiseacre had tacked up an appropriate sign over the latrines that read, “KGEI.” General y, the reports just smel ed funny: the Navy was operating near the Celebes Islands, just south of Mindanao; actress Deanna Durbin was dead; a new Ford awaited each prisoner at home. Other rumors, such as that yarn about the Red Cross packages, were more offensive to the ear. Most of the POWs thought the story that they would be receiving relief parcels was a cruel hoax similar to the rumors about the repatriation ships. The matter was settled on the unforgettable afternoon of January 29. “It’s Christmas, Commander McCoy!” shouted a sailor. “It’s Christmas!” McCoy, aware that the holiday had passed—and that some prisoners were going stir-crazy in captivity —requested an explanation. “Stuff from home,” came the reply. “Boxes from the States. Red Cross boxes.” Throughout the compound, prisoners could not believe their eyes—nor their fingers. “Hands trembled as they tore the boxes open,”
