Luck or Miracle

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it." - Nelson Mandela

Jim Bollich, a 102-year-old World War II soldier, offers a first-person account of courage, fortitude and the will to survive three years of frost-bitten captivity as a POW in Manchuria, enduring the Bataan Death March, thirst, starvation, diseases, a 32-day sea voyage (crammed into the hold of a Japanese hell ship) and aerial bombings. After liberation, the transport ship to take him home hit a mine and lost power. A violent typhoon ensued and he had to lash himself to a bulkhead above deck to survive.

Jim survived because he strengthened his mind to confront evil and overcome fear in the face of danger, beatings and pain. Daily prayer strengthened his will to live.

"The unselfish actions of James Bollich are perfect examples of how dedication and love of country are manifested and have kept our country free. His narrative shows how a humiliating defeat on the battlefield can turn one's life upside down and create untenable situations that force one to overcome some of the most horrific situations imaginable and to realize that only through Providence can one survive." -- Major General Bob "Hawk" Hollingsworth, USMC (Retired)

From Modern History Press