Looking Back

Interviewer: Mr. Peterson, looking back on your service in the defence of Hong Kong and the almost four years of captivity afterwards at the hands of the Japanese, how would you say that that affected you in later life?

It was an experience that I could never go through again. I can't honestly say that I enjoyed the experience, or that I was glad that I went through it, or anything like this. But, let's put it this way, I, knowing what I know now, I wouldn't have missed it. But as I say I wouldn't go through it again either. And it made me learn to appreciate small kindness from people or just how utterly diabolic one person can treat another. It, to me, it wasn't a matter of, of the Japanese knowing all this, it was a matter of being taught how to do this. It was brutality, down right meanness, and as I say, not all Japanese are bad, we run into some very nice ones, very good ones, who, I'd be proud to shake their hand today. At this time I no longer hold any animosity towards the Japanese people as a whole. There are some that I'll never forget, never forgive, but, I'm, I'm free of it I think, of the hatred that I did have at one time and I'm quite content with my life now.