A Marine on board the USS Houston when it sank in 1942, James Gee survived hard labor in Japanese POW camps for the rest of World War II, then returned to the USA where following treatment, he lived a full life in Dallas, Texas.
As a nurse working with liberated prisoners of war at the end of World War II, Rosalie Smith helped them record their experiences as part of their treatment. She then wove together James Gee's detailed accounts to tell his entire story.
Allyson rediscovered her mother's account of James Gee's experiences in World War II after her death. She subsequently researched and edited the manuscript, to bring it to a wider audience.