Black Glasses Like Clark Kent

Terese Svoboda talked about her book Black Glasses Like Clark Kent: A GI’s Secret From Postwar Japan, published by Graywolf Press. In the book she documents the life and death of her uncle, Don Svoboda, who was stationed in Japan in 1946 as an MP guarding prisoners following World War II. Mr. Svoboda, who had no prior documented mental health problems, became distressed following the revelations of abuse at Abu Ghraib prison and committed suicide. He left a series of audiotapes for his niece where he explained that during his military service in Japan he was ordered to kill prisoners due to prison overpopulation. Ms. Svoboda relayed her attempt to verify her uncle’s story as she comes to terms with his death. Following her talk she answered questions from members of the audience. close