 |
|
|
 |
May 23, 2001
"I am writing a novel based on the stories my grandparents have shared about their experiences during WWII. I have not yet
been to the Philippines, so the photos and the details are helpful in imagining what it was like.
"Thank you,"
-TERA MAXWELL, CARSON CITY, NEVADA
|
 |
|
|
April 16, 2001
"I am too young to know all these things personally but stories of hardship, disloyalty and eventual thriumphs had been
told me by my grandfathers, grandmothers and grand-uncles. I could not relate to their stories until I found time
to travel and realized how difficult were the war years. I tip my hat to all those people, family and otherwise,
who had survived the war and lived to tell their stories.
"My parents were barely out of primary school when these happened and in all their personal accounts, it
was a series of transferring and transporting, hiding and cheating the enemy, and often times death.
"Their stories eventually led me to further readings on mid-century Philippine history.
"Lord have mercy on us who live during these peaceful times. Never again!"
-MIKE SOLDEVILLA CUADERES, MANILA AND STA. BARBARA, ILOILO
|
|
|
|
January 21, 2001
"I was eleven years old when the Japanese invaded the Philippines. My dad moved us from Catbalogan,
Samar to the hills of Gandara, Samar before the Japanese invaded our town. When the Catbalogan
citizens refused to return to live in the Japanese occupied town, the Japanese set fire to it.
Ninety percent of the town was reduced to ashes. Our house was one of the few that survived the fire.
We were forced to go back to Catbalogan. We know some people who were killed by the Japanese
including Pedro Arteche, the Samar Provincial Governor turned guerilla leader, who was caught by
the Japanese. Not all the Japanese were bad. A Japanese doctor (captain) befriended my dad and
gave him two jars of quinine which helped our family survive the malaria epidemic.
-MIGUEL T. MENDIOLA, JR., WESTMINSTER, COLORADO
|
|
|
|
January 11, 2001
"My grandfather, who worked with the Americans in the fight against the Japanese, was killed by the
Japanese during the Occupation. He left a wife and nine children: five boys and four girls.
My grandmother told me that the Japanese came to their house, took my grandfather to the public
park where all the captured Filipino men were taken and there they poured gasoline over their
heads and entire bodies before burning them to death. Fortuantely, my grandparents had hid their sons in the
attic before the Japanese came so they were spared. To this day, my uncle, their youngest son, will not buy anything made in Japan.
"It was a blessing that my grandfather thought to hide his documents confirming his association
with the American forces underneath the clothes of their statue of the Virgin Mary. My
grandmother was able to send her eldest son to college with the little pension she received from
the U.S. Government. When this son graduated from college, he became a civil engineer and helped send his younger siblings
to college as well. Two other sons became CPAs, one became a chemist, and the youngest became
a medical doctor. One daughter also became a chemist and another, a libarian. The eldest
daughter, my mother, finished high school and became my grandmother's support after grandfather was killed.
Another daughter became my mother's support after my mother started to have her own children. My grandmother
was awarded the Philippine Outstanding Mother of the Year in 1963 together with two other mothers.
"I used to feel nothing but disdain for the Japanese people because of the stories about the Occupation my grandmother and mother
told me. I have now come to terms with the past and last year welcomed two Japanese boys, ages 12 and 13 into
my home for three weeks to study English and learn about American culture. Now, these boys call me their 'American mother.'
"God bless you for putting up this website. I will be sure to share it with my two daughters and all my American friends.
"Sincerely,"
-ELLEN GLORIANI
|
|
|
|
November 3, 2000
"I enjoyed reading your web site which I found while trying to do some research of
my own. I am trying to find out more about the unit in the picture below,
Company D 45 Inf Philippine Scouts. My Grandfather (Bibiano Malate) is standing in the back row
third from the right. He retired from the US Army after 27 years of
service."
-JOHN M. FIGUERRES
[Cultural Bridge Productions: please send any information you may have and we will forward to Mr. Figuerres.]
|
|
|
|
October 30, 2000
"I found this website very enlightening. I now understand that there was really a lot going on.
"I am a second generation Filipino, born in Georgia, USA, have only been on a few vacation trips to my
parents' home in P.I. My relatives only have shared a few stories about the occupation, but it
doesn't matter to me. From what I understand, they were all brave.
"I am currently attending an e-commerce program at a local university and hope to someday go back to
P.I. and interview relatives so that I can create a similar website to yours.
"Thank you for your contribution to such a little known part of our history,"
-MELVIN CANIYA, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
|
|
|
|
September 3, 2000
"My father, Ernesto Abuyen, was a driver for MacArthur and a guerilla during the war. There
was an article written in 1958 in the San Francisco Examiner about him. He was
captured along with Col. Straughn in August, 1943. They were held prisoners by the Japanese
at Fort Santiago, in Manila. My father was able to escape. I'm hoping to find out more information about my
him. Please email me if you know anything: MTRECANO@CS.COM."
-MARIA T. ABUYEN
|
|
|
|
August 29, 2000
"The viciousness and arrogance of Japanese soldiers left such an emotional scar on a six year old
boy's mind, that until now I refuse to buy anything Japanese. There will never be a Toyota or Honda
in my driveway. Forget about Nikon, Canon or Sony, but remember Bataan, the Death March, Intramuros, the rapes
and numerous massacres!!!"
-LEONARD LIM, IOWA
|
|
|
|
June 26, 2000
"I was born in July, 1933 at Stenberg U.S. Army Hospital in Manila the son of a Philippine Scout in Company "B" of the 14th Engineer Battalion.
We lived at Pinagkaisahan, a barrio near Fort McKinley. I remember my father taking me and my younger brother to the Fort at Christmas time
for the party there and those heavy mugs with ice tea. Dad went through a similar experience as Leonie's father. He was the 1st Sergeant
of Company "B" when they were fighting the Japanese. After a majority of the white officers were killed in battle, my father was made a
lieutenant. He too was a POW at Capas (Camp O'Donnell). After the Liberation he became a company commander in the 5th
Military Police Battalion stationed at Baclaran. We came to the U.S., in July 1950, after the Philippine Scouts were disbanded and
my father was assigned to a unit at Camp (later Fort) Campbell, Kentucky. He retired as a captain in 1958 at Fort Meade, Maryland after 32
years of service. He passed away two years ago. He was 93 years-old and was buried along with my mother at Arlington National Cemetery
[http://www.arlingtoncemetery.com, go to "Army", got to "S" under Sarmiento]."
-PETE SARMIENTO
|
|
|
|
March 10, 2000
"I've heard many stories about the occupation of the Philippines from my grandmother. My mother was born in the concentration
camp at the University of Santo Tomas.
"Thank you for putting your story on the internet."
-DARREN M. DRISKILL, SAN FRANCISCO, CA
|
|
|
|
February 14, 2000
"I enjoyed reading your account of life during the war. I have tried to find out about my mother's life during that time and
can only get a limited amount of information. She did tell me how she and her sisters had to put ash on their faces to discourage the
attention of the Japanese soldiers and later how she had to teach Japanese to her elementary school-aged children in Manila.
She said the Japanese who directed the schools were very educated and polite. Reading your account was like getting information
that was missing from my mother's story."
-JOANNE MARZIOLI, HAYWARD, CA
|
|
|
|
February 1, 2000
"Thank you for writing an interesting story of your life in the P.I. I am proud of your
activities during this time.
"I was a soldier at Leyte. My unit worked on a road leading to Caragara. Later we went to
Zamboanga City on D-Day, March 10, 1945. At Zamboanga we constructed an airfield. Later my
unit went to Okinawa and constructed the closest airfield to Japan when the war ended.
"Best wishes,"
-THOMAS L. PASSONS, BARBERTON, OHIO
|
|
|
|
November 9, 1997
"I don't know who Mr. Bacon got his information from, but it is one-
sided. It is not the prevailing view of most people from that era,and
only they can judge.
"Mr. Bacon should travel and find out the true views of the people of that
era. We fought and died together. That, Mr. Bacon, is fact not belief
or theory."
-J.R. RICHIE
|
|
|
|
November 9, 1997
"General Yamashita was tried in Baguio, were I am from, and executed in Los Baņos, where
I am presently a resident. I came across Aling Leonie's story while trying to find out more
about General Yamashita, and I have learned a lot about what the war was like in Los Baņos.
Very enlightening."
-CES ANGELES, LOS BAŅOS, THE PHILIPPINES
|
|
|
|
May 10, 1997
"Thank you for your website. It brings to light something that most people outside of the Philippines, especially in the U.S., know little about and hopefully helps Americans understand a little of what it means to be a Filipino."
-MANOLET CRUZ
|
|
|
|
April 9, 1997
"Thank you for this website. My mother was an internee at Los Baņos and was rescued one day before her scheduled execution. She would never discuss it and it is difficult to find a lot of pertinent information to pass on to my daughter. Thank you for your glimpse into this horrific time."
-MARY L. MORELAND, HAYWARD, CALIFORNIA
|
|
|
|
February 14, 1997
"This is a great contribution to our understanding of that period. Also how unusual to see the Occupation through the eyes of a Filipina. Your type of presentation certainly attacks our usual stereotypes of people and events.
"When I first visited the Philippines, I assumed that Filipinos would agree with my view of the Japanese during the Second World War, especially since Americans knew everything and were right about everything! Boy, was I due for a rude awakening. It was war and there were positive and negative opinions of the Japanese presence in the Philippines, as there were of the legacy left by the Americans: bi-racial orphans, exploitation of women, presumed white superiority, etc.
"And now the Japanese are principals in business activity there, and the Americans are only participants.
"Peace..."
-RAY BACON, SACRAMENTO, CA
|
|
|
|
|
