Sunday, July 27, 2014
Corregidor Pt. 5
After lunch, we visited, for the most part, more militaristic places. We visited barracks, ammo storage spaces, batteries (not AA but artillery), and things of that nature. Rebecca said she was tired of it after the first couple of destinations, but I had a sort of boyish fascination. I explored all of the ammunition buildings with the puny flashlight on my Nokia.
Essentially, there were two notable places. The first was the very large artillery piece with a 17 mile firing range, with a 360 degree rotational capacity. After the Japanese took over the island, several troops climbed on top of it and yelled, "Bonsai! Bonsai! Bonsai!". There were also several shrapnel scars, some as big as my thumb. The second was the "Mile Long Barrack" which housed 6,000 troops in its heyday. Now it roughly resembles its previous structure as everything but the concrete has faded away and crumbled. Even the concrete has fallen apart in places.
Finally, our last stop, was the Pacific War Museum. There was an outdoor section of marble slabs, the brief historical facts of the Pacific Theater carved into them. There was also a chapel of sorts, essentially a dome with a hole in the top and an altar directly underneath said hole. The sun is supposed to line up with the hole sometime in April when the war ended. There was also an indoor section, which was traditional as museums go, i.e., displays and photographs and maps and uniforms donated by veterans. One thing I found particularly interesting was the display of a soldier's letters home. There were "automated" letters which were streamlined and had "Medical Condition:" and "Send My Regards To:" etc. I found it interesting because the letters were from a Houston boy, and I showed Dad and he remarked that he knew exactly where the printed address was.
Then we got back on the ferry, finished the bad movie, and went home.
Essentially, there were two notable places. The first was the very large artillery piece with a 17 mile firing range, with a 360 degree rotational capacity. After the Japanese took over the island, several troops climbed on top of it and yelled, "Bonsai! Bonsai! Bonsai!". There were also several shrapnel scars, some as big as my thumb. The second was the "Mile Long Barrack" which housed 6,000 troops in its heyday. Now it roughly resembles its previous structure as everything but the concrete has faded away and crumbled. Even the concrete has fallen apart in places.
Finally, our last stop, was the Pacific War Museum. There was an outdoor section of marble slabs, the brief historical facts of the Pacific Theater carved into them. There was also a chapel of sorts, essentially a dome with a hole in the top and an altar directly underneath said hole. The sun is supposed to line up with the hole sometime in April when the war ended. There was also an indoor section, which was traditional as museums go, i.e., displays and photographs and maps and uniforms donated by veterans. One thing I found particularly interesting was the display of a soldier's letters home. There were "automated" letters which were streamlined and had "Medical Condition:" and "Send My Regards To:" etc. I found it interesting because the letters were from a Houston boy, and I showed Dad and he remarked that he knew exactly where the printed address was.
Then we got back on the ferry, finished the bad movie, and went home.
Saturday, July 26, 2014
Corregidor Pt. 4
After the Japanese Memorial Garden, we were on our way to the vast tunnel systems underneath the island. The Malinta Tunnels were originally designed to be bomb-proof hospitals for the wounded troops. As a hospital, the tunnels could fit 1000 beds, and were manned by Filipina nurses, and there are no end of stories depicting their bravery and their refusal to leave their patients during the Japanese invasions.
The tunnels were also used as a seat of government by President Quezon during the Japanese bombing of the city of Manila. Brigadier General George Moore, Texas A&M Class of 1908, held an 24-man A&M class reunion with all of the Aggie soldiers stationed in the tunnels. The tunnels protected fuel tanks which were used to provide power to the whole island.
The tunnels themselves are quite large. The main tunnel, running east to west, is 831 feet long, 24 feet wide, and 18 feet high. There are 11 lateral tunnels on the south side of the tunnel and 13 lateral tunnels on the north side of the tunnel. Each lateral was about 160 feet long and 15 feet wide.
Corregidor has a resort, and thus provides the option of staying the night. There is a more in-depth tour of the island, covering the bits that weren't covered during the day tour, that includes a walk-through of the tunnel laterals that were skipped, including the hospital tunnels.
The tunnels were also used as a seat of government by President Quezon during the Japanese bombing of the city of Manila. Brigadier General George Moore, Texas A&M Class of 1908, held an 24-man A&M class reunion with all of the Aggie soldiers stationed in the tunnels. The tunnels protected fuel tanks which were used to provide power to the whole island.
The tunnels themselves are quite large. The main tunnel, running east to west, is 831 feet long, 24 feet wide, and 18 feet high. There are 11 lateral tunnels on the south side of the tunnel and 13 lateral tunnels on the north side of the tunnel. Each lateral was about 160 feet long and 15 feet wide.
Corregidor has a resort, and thus provides the option of staying the night. There is a more in-depth tour of the island, covering the bits that weren't covered during the day tour, that includes a walk-through of the tunnel laterals that were skipped, including the hospital tunnels.
Friday, July 25, 2014
Corregidor Pt. 3
After the Filipino Heroes Memorial, we stopped at the Japanese Memorial Garden. Here, there were several dedicated tablets and statues that described the loss and commemorated the dead.
My first stop was a small tablet that had a brief historical/memorial blurb about the fight at Corregidor. Then, I went to a Shinto shrine, with an incense bowl and a wooden stake with Japanese characters. Not far from there was a cemetery, with a central granite lotus, and lily pads with the names of the fallen. There were also several anti-aircraft guns painted over to prevent rusting. Also at the Japanese Memorial Garden was a large statue of the ancient Japanese goddess of hope, with dedicated plaques and tablets. There was also an old Japanese flag written on by Japanese suicide soldiers.
Being there, I felt the gravity of the location, and its historical significance started to weigh on my shoulders. Being able to walk where soldiers from 70 years ago walked was like nothing I've felt before. Because there were no velvet ropes and no "Please Don't Walk on the Grass" signs, I got to touch these historically charged items, and I think that being able to touch these things really helped them connect and hit home.
My first stop was a small tablet that had a brief historical/memorial blurb about the fight at Corregidor. Then, I went to a Shinto shrine, with an incense bowl and a wooden stake with Japanese characters. Not far from there was a cemetery, with a central granite lotus, and lily pads with the names of the fallen. There were also several anti-aircraft guns painted over to prevent rusting. Also at the Japanese Memorial Garden was a large statue of the ancient Japanese goddess of hope, with dedicated plaques and tablets. There was also an old Japanese flag written on by Japanese suicide soldiers.
Being there, I felt the gravity of the location, and its historical significance started to weigh on my shoulders. Being able to walk where soldiers from 70 years ago walked was like nothing I've felt before. Because there were no velvet ropes and no "Please Don't Walk on the Grass" signs, I got to touch these historically charged items, and I think that being able to touch these things really helped them connect and hit home.
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