This is a day to pause and remember all the Filipinos and Americans who resisted the Japanese invasion during WW II. I wanted to go to Bataan, where the remaining veterans would be assembling, but that would have been an 8 hour trip one way. The other hot spot during the war was Corregidor, an island in the mouth of Manila Bay. I chose to go there and be with the spirits in that place, even though there were no ceremonies. We went by Jeepney and bus to the pier and then the boat trip was about 1 1/2 hours. The weather was gorgeous- warm but with a soft, cool breeze all day.
The history is fascinating. I recommend any history buffs to stay overnight on Corregidor, as the tour, while great, moves too fast to read all the plaques and contemplate it all. The island is a tropical paradise, and across the water is Bataan Peninsula, its jungle covered mountains like another tropical paradise from that vantage point. I mentally contrasted that with what the soldiers- American, Filipino and Japanese were experiencing as their eyes took in the exact same views. I would have liked to have had much longer to sit and think. Mare and I read what we could, absorbed a lot of the spirit and then had fun running from sight to sight, seeing how many photos we could get before the tour moved on. We must have looked like squirrels avoiding traffic. We had such a great day we want to return. Meanwhile, I want to read some more on it. Just got done with a book on Churchill called "The Last Lion" by Manchester, which I got from the PC book exchange that was so good it whetted my appetite for more.
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| leaving Manila for Corregidor |
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| Bataan Peninsula | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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| Bombed first by the Japanese, then later by the Americans. The dark spot on the steps is a bomb crater. There were enough bombs dropped on this island that the ratio is one per square meter. |
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| heading back to Manila, sunset over Bataan Peninsula |
"I shall return."
General Douglas MacArthur when he had to leave Corregidor.
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