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Post by pdh54 on Jul 6, 2012 22:22:51 GMT 8
Fots2,
Thank you for directing me to the pictures!
It is soooo much more enjoyable to have an image of what you are reading about.
Patty
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Post by okla on Jul 7, 2012 0:38:59 GMT 8
Hey Patty...Thanks so much for the update on my query. I checked my copy of "Band of Angels" and "sho nuff" there she is. It is my understanding, and I don't recall why, that all the nurses,etc from Corregidor, who were held at Santo Tomas, survived interment. Now, I don't know if that meant all the women, both military and civilian (including government employees and Mrs Wingate possibly was) or just female medical personnel. Another "little" Corregidor mystery to ponder. I love it. You have obviously, also, been bitten by the "Rock" bug. 'ole Fots maintains there is no known cure. I hope he is correct in this diagnosis. Cheers.... Postscript...As pertaining to the Emperor's troops converting the "vault" into an Army Brothel...maybe they were taking a page from the French who, as I understand it, commonly accommodated their troops, during the Great War, with mobile brothels located near the Western Front. I guess this practice was ingrained in French Army Doctrine, since they even ran some "hookers" into Dien Bien Phu during that ordeal. Now, that must have been an undertaking. Nice taking to you.
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Post by pdh54 on Jul 7, 2012 3:44:25 GMT 8
Yes Okla,
I have been bitten...it's a pretty nice little bug though. This is a condition caused by an initial exposure (in my case a visit to Corregidor and driving the Bataan Death March Road when we lived in Cubi/Subic in the 80's), then a latent period during which the husband developed symptoms eventually presenting in a full blown infection to which I was once again exposed. He showed me this website awhile back and I have been learning lots of stuff.
When I read the excerpts from Amea Willoughby's book, that sealed my fate; I had to read the whole thing. We have Juanita Redmond's book and one by Margaret Utinsky (Miss U). I read them both this weekend and that was that..........
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Post by okla on Jul 7, 2012 5:22:55 GMT 8
Hey Patty....I read the Redmond Book, at the age of 11, way back in 1943. It appeared in the now defunct "Liberty Magazine" in installments. I have been "hooked" since all this was actually happening. As I stated in a post a couple or so years back, as a typical American elementary kid, I absolutely, could not believe how the Japanese were running amok in the Western Pacific, kicking the Brits out of Malaya and Singapore, the Dutch out of the NEI and threatening India. The lone, "holdouts" on Bataan and Corregidor literally captured my adolescent imagination and it remains so. I have mentioned to Chad, in the past, how I missed my lone opportunity to see the Philippines when my attempt to volunteer for an assignment to Clark AFB, in 1953, instead of rotating back to the ZI, fell thru. That was my lone and last shot, short of re-enlisting and had I done that, fate would probably have sent me to Wheeless AFB, Libya, or worse yet, Thule, Greenland. You good folks, I am sure, know of what I speak, since the USN also operates in these strange, unique ways. Cheers.
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Post by wwalker on Jul 7, 2012 7:13:34 GMT 8
Hey Okla,
Its great to hear your perspective on this topic, and its very interesting that you've been following the Philippine campaign since it happened. It seems that the heroic and tragic story has captured many peoples attention, even from the very beginning. I would imagine that during those opening months of the war there loomed alot of anxiety and uncertainty. In the opening of the Belote book they stated that they had been following and researching the topic ever since 1941 and 1942, whenever these events took place. Twenty years later, they published the book.
I received a copy of the Willoughby book awhile back, but haven't read it entirely yet. Another great find of late is the book published in 1947 by Col. William C. Braly entitled "The Hard Way Home". Although it pertains mostly to his days of captivity (which to me is equally as interesting as the siege), it gives alot of good information dealing with the siege on Corregidor. His account of the days following the surrender when the garrison were moved to the 92nd Garage Area is one of the most in-depth that I've found. Interestingly, upon starting to write the book he began contacting other men that were in the same camps with him. In his narrative he relates stories that were not witnessed by him, but includes the narrative written by some of his fellow POW's that did witness said events. Its fantastic.
I'm thankful that many of the defenders of Bataan and Corregidor were historians, all the while making history in their time. One example is the diary of Col. Bunker (although a controversial figure). Reading the pages of his diary seventy years later, at certain points its almost like he is speaking to me (the reader), rather than just keeping a diary. I think he and many of those men knew they were witnessing something very big, and very tragic. And this is true all the way from the General's to the Private's.
Here is an interesting piece that is in the book by Col. Braly that was written in the 19th Century by a French writer named Guy De Maupassant:
"The same sensation is produced each time that the established order of things is overturned, when security no longer exists, and all that protects the laws of man and of nature find themselves at the mercy of unreasoning, ferocious brutality."
He used this to describe the Japanese actions in WWII.
WW
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Post by okla on Jul 7, 2012 9:11:33 GMT 8
Hey WW....I think one of the major reasons the Philippine Tragedy is so gripping is the fact that, with hindsight, we can see those poor unfortunates were "doomed" from the "git go". Being Americans (and this, I am confident, rubbed off on our Filipino allies, especially the Scouts) we actually believed, at least for the first couple or three months) that Uncle Sam would come rushing to the rescue if they could just hold out six months or so. Not to be. It was like a Greek Tragedy as it unfolded. Planes caught on the ground at Clark,etc, Cavite easily taken out. Snafus a-plenty, i.e. leaving huge quantities of rice in depots at Cabanatuan instead of stockpiling on the Peninsula and Corregidor. The list goes on, but still they slugged it out till early May. Another factor for my undying interest in the 1941-42 struggle, is the fact (and I have stated this on the forum previously) that I served in the Air Force (1951-55) with several survivors of Bataan-Corregidor. I now wish I had pressed my questioning of these men, especially an Ex-Scout Warrant Officer, who had remained in US service, but I was only in my late teens and early 20s and these guys were grizzled vets. I have stated in past years, on this forum, how these men had differing views of the Japanese, the Death March (one of these survivors was married to a Japanese woman), whether help was coming or not (all said they initially believed it was on the way), differing views on MacArthur, and a universal, positive opinion of Skinny Wainwright. I could go on and on about this period, but will bore you no more. I think you get my drift....I am completely, and will remain so the rest of my days, a devoted Bataan/Corregidor "geek". Cheers. Postscript...Methinks that struggle was pretty well summed up by Winston Churchill at the time when he told General Wavell (when Wavell suggested maybe the Brits might consider throwing the towel in at Singapore prior to when they actually did capitulate) that he (Churchill) was stunned for Wavell to even consider such a thing when the American/Filipino forces were still fighting, tho completely surrounded and no relief was in sight. I am paraphrasing, but you get my drift. Only Winston Churchill could have put it to Wavell in such a fashion as to leave the recipient feeling about three feet tall.
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Post by The Phantom on Aug 23, 2014 3:42:07 GMT 8
Reading my copy of "U.S.AIRBORNE UNITS IN THE PACIFIC THEATER 1942-1945"
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Post by The Phantom on Aug 23, 2014 3:57:49 GMT 8
LETS TRY THIS AGAIN.................
Reading my copy of "U.S.AIRBORNE UNITS IN THE PACIFIC THEATER 1942-1945" PUBLISHED IN 2007.
I OFFER UP THE FOLLOWING FOR MYTHS AND LEGENDS-----
The book covers, in part, the 503rd parachute drop on Corregidor.
"The 2,022 of both lifts suffered 13.7 percent jump casualties, lower than expected, 210 were injured on landing, 50 were wounded by ground fire, 3 died owing to parachute malfunctions. 2 struck buildings, 15 were killed by fire in the air,(Mathew Musselino,and part of his stick, were killed in the air, his story this site.) or hung in trees. THE NAVY RESCUED 16 TROOPERS BLOWN INTO THE BAY."
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Post by beirutvet on Sept 17, 2014 7:41:05 GMT 8
Hi Phantom
Yes, I can see why you capitalized "THE NAVY RESCUED 16 TROOPERS BLOWN INTO THE BAY". Correct me if I'm wrong (have been before) but to my knowledge, (the most limited of anyone on this site) no one in the 503rd wound up in the bay, correct? I think I read that a couple landed below the cliffs and swam out to the boats, but no one landed in water.
The 13.7 percent casualty rate seems close by other accounts. Your thoughts?
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Post by The Phantom on Oct 15, 2014 4:52:11 GMT 8
Been away awhile...... As far as I know no one blew into the bay Beirutvet. Casualty rate may be low......
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