to perpetuate the memory and history of our dead

34.28 a lack of history

As a continuation of essay #27, there is distinct lack of sources to find the full and true history of the TBR saga. Many factors are at the bottom of this issue; not the least of which is whose story is it to tell? Each survivor can only relate his tiny portion of story that he witnessed. While they provide invaluable insight, each is only 1 puzzle piece and must be fitted together with others to reveal the fuller picture.

There are a number of organizations that provide other puzzle pieces, but by definition, these have a purview limited to their membership and often extent to other periods of history for that organization. Hence, they too cover only a slice of the full story.

Other than dedicated historians and the few interested parties such as myself, there are few who are even interested in the larger story. Descendants of POWs are usually only interested in the portion of the story that involves their loved one. Casual visitors to the existing remnants are often not interested in the least as to what the backstory is to that site. The handful of local museums try to tell the story to the extent they can. Numerous YOUTUBEers butcher the story since there is no easy place to learn it even if they were inclined to do so.

In closing, I offer these many essays as an attempt to bring together older stories as told by the survivors and more modern media presentations. All fitted together as those puzzle pieces that are finally revealing a slightly more complete version of the TBR saga.