Dadda Come Home: The Story of a Little Girl in World War II

When Thelma Clark Santiago was a little girl in the Philippines, she promised her American-born father, William Clark, that she would tell the story of his prisoner-of-war experience under the Japanese during World War II while working as a civil engineer for the local electric company.

Thelma’s mother, together with her young brothers and sisters, endured poverty and heartache not knowing if and when William might be released from prison. When he was finally liberated, the harsh reality of POW life (eating rats to prevent starvation, standing all day in the hot sun) took its toll on William and he died at the age of 59. Thelma carried the story of her father and her family’s struggles for more than 60 years before it was finally published, with excerpts featured in the Orange County Register.