Research for Upcoming Comic Series
On September 2, 1945, Japan surrendered to the United States of America. But for many, the war was far from over. The crew of the US submarine Tang were some of the last to make it home. In a sad case of Irony, the deadliest submarine in the US arsenal sunk itself. On the morning of October 25, 1944, a malfunctioning torpedo looped back around and struck the ship port side aft.
The explosion killed as many as fifty crew members immediately or shortly after from drowning. Of the eighty-seven crew members aboard, only nine survived. The ship had not reported its position in some time, which was standard procedure. The Tang sank before anyone could get a message out to the Navy. Wounded and taking on water, the odds of survival were sinking along with the Tang. And no one was aware of their fate.
The following morning nine crew members including Floyd Caverly and Clayton Decker were captured by Japanese forces. They would remain in various Japanese prison camps, primarily Ofuna, until August 15, 1945. The following morning, Japanese forces abandoned the camp upon hearing of the war’s ending. American forces did not arrive to see Ofuna’s six hundred starving prisoners until August 28.
Over 140,000 Allied prisoners were captured in the first few months after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Of all the prisoners, Americans had the highest death rate in captivity of thirty four percent. It was estimated that if American POWs were not rescued within the next year following the armistice, they would all have perished. Malaria, tropical diseases, scurvy, dysentery, cholera, tropical ulcers, starvation, malnutrition, torture, and executions claimed tens of thousands of lives.
Caverly and Decker faced an onslaught of torture, beatings, starvation, and sickness during their time in captivity. One of their tormentors, Suehara Kitamura, was tried for war crimes following the end of the war. His execution was reduced to thirty years of hard labor.
The pair suffered and fought together through the horrors of the war. But their homecomings were drastically different. Clayton Decker stepped off the plane with a “wide smile”, but not for long. Decker was overwhelmed upon seeing what lie in wait for him. His wife Lucille, his son, ….and Lucille’s new husband. Upon hearing of his death, she had remarried during his year long stint as a prisoner of war. Worse, they had used the death gratuity from the Navy to kickstart their new life.
Floyd Caverly was met by his endearing wife Leone and daughter Mary Anne. He healed up rather quickly after captivity and retired to San Francisco with his family. Shorty after, his death gratuity check of $1,000 arrived in the mail. Caverly sent the check back though, perhaps choosing life instead.
My research brought me into harrowing waters and gave me a glimpse into the naval combat conducted during WWII. A world in which I can base a comic book. Panels with nail biting action, a deathly game of cat and mouse between enemies. Yes, this makes for some great comic book scenes, but not always the best story. The most important part of my research on this project revolved around people. Characters. The vessels that move stories. The sponge that an audience soaks up and attaches itself too. But more important than all of that is the human element within the story.
Clayton Decker served beside Floyd Caverly and went through all the same obstacles that life threw at him. They were both valiant, brave sailors. They survived enemy naval engagements, depth charge attacks, aircraft bombings, typhoons, and even capture by the enemy! But seven after all that life sort of left him behind. It was as if his fate was tied to that of the USS Tang currently residing on the ocean floor, “Davey Jones Locker” as it was called. Why him? Why did Floyd Caverly not share the same ill fate? Visualize the shear emotional rollercoaster preceding an even bigger emotional bomb going off in what was left of his life. All the man thought about was getting home to his family that he loved, and he did. But for some odd reason it wasn’t enough. But despite fate’s deep wounds, he carried on. Clayton Decker came to an agreement with his ex-wife and obtained full custody of his son. He and his boy moved back to his hometown in Colorado where Decker eventually remarried.
This ending, this twist…was it fate? No, I’d like to think it’s just human. This is human grit, the tenacity that brings readers hope. Tales of impossible odds conquered. Of love and loss. And of pressing on through the dark days toward the light. This is the caliber of research I bring to my comics. Delving in to find the human element behind it all.
References
Clavin, Tom. Running Deep. New York, Saint Martin's Press, 2025.