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Post by piercebennett on Feb 18, 2017 12:38:52 GMT 8
beirutvet,
Nice pictures! I tried to get one or two of the shell in the mortar, but juggling a camera and a flashlight didn't produce any good results... Don't worry. I probably have at least two more parts to post before I'm all finished.
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Post by beirutvet on Feb 18, 2017 23:40:19 GMT 8
Chadhill
In that pic you provided of the gun tube on the hill, notice that the base ring is upright leaning against the wall. I wonder if when that tube fell it was what knocked the base ring to its current position?
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Post by chadhill on Feb 19, 2017 1:50:58 GMT 8
Chadhill I almost forgot to ask. You said your last trip was in 1987,,,,,, Aren't you a bit overdue for a return visit? You bet! Hoping to return next year; depends on how my recent knee replacement and rotator cuff surgery turn out.
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Post by chadhill on Feb 19, 2017 2:48:25 GMT 8
Chadhill In that pic you provided of the gun tube on the hill, notice that the base ring is upright leaning against the wall. I wonder if when that tube fell it was what knocked the base ring to its current position? Beirutvet, I think that is a good SWAG. The 6 March 1945 photo that I referred to above, taken by T/5 Kingsley Fall and published in "Rock Force", shows the base ring flat on the ground next to the gun tube as it is seen today. I have searched in vain online to find a public domain copy of that pic to post here. Piercebennett found evidence that the tube had impacted the ring when it fell: (photo courtesy of piercebennett) If you look at the left side of the ring in the photo below, a half-circle cut out can be seen on the edge. A wild SWAG is that the round tube knocked this piece out when it fell onto the ring. The half-circle also can be seen in T/5 Kingsley Fall's 1945 photograph. It doesn't appear to be visible on what can be seen of the ring in the admittedly dark and vague 1942 Japanese newsreel snapshot. But the half-circle may also have been knocked out during the central magazine explosion, when the mortar was uprooted. (photo courtesy of fots2) (photo courtesy of fots2) There is a thread with more info and photos here, beginning on May 10, 2013: corregidor.proboards.com/thread/1012/battery-geary?page=4P.S.- I've been having a horrible time with Photobucket recently. It's really been bogging down. Anybody else having these problems too?
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Post by piercebennett on Feb 21, 2017 9:53:39 GMT 8
Day 10, Part 4After leaving Battery Crockett, I walked along some of the buildings on Officer's Row and headed to Battery Wheeler.
Here are a few photos of the officer's quarters on Topside.
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Post by piercebennett on Mar 29, 2017 10:52:21 GMT 8
Day 10, Part 5The final installment of Pierce's Corregidor Trip! Before heading towards "Japanese Tunnel" and the warehouses in that area, I made a quick stop at the new first flag pole monument.There was nothing written on it when I was there, but it looks a lot like the Death March markers.Here it is next to the replacement pole.Next I went to the warehouses east of the lighthouse. The "Japanese Tunnel" is right in that area.Again, with no flash I wasn't able to get any photos of the actual tunnel, but here's a lovely orange sign. I think this is building 74. It's the least overgrown building in the area.Despite not being bombproof, it is in relatively good shape.Here's several photos of the interior.These are laying all over the floor.Here's some exterior shots.Building 75 is next to building 74, but it's in less good shape and covered in growth.Next, I walked along the row of houses south of the lighthouse. I call 14-D the "treehouse" because it's been enveloped in trees and vines.The sun shining through the window past the leaves.The ground floor is covered in rubble and vines from the second floor are hanging through holes in the ceiling.These are more pictures of the ground floor. It's not especially historical, but I find this building interesting anyway. This large piece of concrete is just barely leaning on the second floor, but it was my way up.And now for some second floor photos.I assume this was a bathroom once upon a time.I always hug the wall when I'm up on this floor, because there's no way of knowing if there are any holes that have just been covered by vines and leaves. I'd hate to fall through- or worse, get impaled by any rebar.I left 14-D and continued back towards the road. The sun was beginning to get lower in the sky, so it was time to head back to the beach.A close up on some damage to one of the buildings in this row.This is 22-C. It's especially destroyed compared to most other buildings in the area.Another shot of building 48, or the Administration Building before I left Topside.Before I bought the 1936 map, I had gone through the "Youth For Peace" shortcut without realizing what sorts of things I was passing by. Most things in the area are not especially intact, but I wanted to check out the underground A.A. magazine. I didn't get to it on the day when I was exploring this area, so I just went off the road and took a look on my way back "home". I've always found the underground tunnels or structures on the island interesting. Near the magazine is this very large piece of concrete. I assume it's from Battery Geary, but I suppose Battery Ramsay is not far from here either.This is where I slept for 11 straight nights. Nothing beats sleeping beneath the stars.And that concludes my trip. Can't wait until I get back there next!
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Post by beirutvet on Mar 29, 2017 21:18:05 GMT 8
Pierce Fabulous presentation from start to finish! Posts like yours are the next best thing to being there. Are you planning on going back anytime soon? I was curious as to why there were no inscriptions on the monument for the first flag pole. Did you talk to anyone about them? Have they been stolen by scrappers? Are they being cleaned/reconditioned? It is painful to think that no sooner does this monument go up, someone comes along and desecrates it like this. (I hope I can answer this one now, so as to lay any concern to rest. Corregidor Foundation Inc. and their personnel under Ron Benadero, and Steve & Marcia Kwiecinski did a great job with this project. Pierce just may have caught it in the course of being constructed. (I was there November 2016 with Karl Welteke & Mark Broekhuizen and it was virgo intacta, fully completed with all plaques installed. It did catch me by surprise.) Yes, the memorial is "after" the Death March markers, a natural decision which made things both significant and more economic on the Judy Family, its sponsors. See the completed memorial and the photos of its construction here. It is a fitting tribute to the "First Flag" and the men of the 503d PRCT and I am particularly pleased it is becoming known by that name.- EXO) Enough of the soap box, back to your post. I got a chuckle out of your caption stating that you went to the top of Battery Crockett to get "a shot" of the battery control. It looks like it had already taken "a shot", maybe more than one. What do you think, 1942 or 1945,,,, or both? I was especially excited to see those pictures of Battery Wheeler. I think I would like to go explore that one on my next trip there. I am guessing that it is not on the regular tour. Although overgrown a bit, it looked like it was in reasonable shape. On my first trip there (guided tour) we were taken to Battery Grubbs. My second trip, on the tour, they took us to Battery Crockett. On my next trip Batteries Wheeler, Ramsey, Morrison and James are definitely on the agenda. And what can be said of your coverage of Battery Geary other than 'Well Done'. Sure, Battery Way and Battery Hearn are highlights of any tour for the history that went down there, and I will always visit them. But there is something so compelling about the tragedy that is Geary that makes me want to spend an inordinate amount of time there (I visited it twice in 4 days). And neither of the two guided tours I was on stopped there. It was not until my second trip (4 days) that I was able to take the time to go there. The first tour was the only one that eluded to it. They stopped on the road above and said "look down there" and gave a brief explanation. When I got home and did some research I learned what it had looked like before the end came. Those pictures you had of the "treehouse", though are the things that bring us back. They are haunting pictures, are they not? It is difficult to describe the feelings one has when tracing footsteps in places that were once so vibrant and alive, but are now just tomb-quiet ruins that are only visited by a few intrepid explorers like yourself, fots2, Karl, EXO, etal. By the way, my wife is now angry with you because I announced that like Pierce, I want to spend 10 days on The Rock on our next trip to the Philippines. But not to worry, she'll get over it. She knows what that place does to guys like us.
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Post by westernaus on Mar 30, 2017 21:29:46 GMT 8
Buy yourself a hammock and you can sleep under the stars on the opposite post to where Pierce sleeps Beirutvet . Yeah my wife wasn't really interested until she actually did a tour of Corregidor Island .
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Post by beirutvet on Mar 30, 2017 23:40:02 GMT 8
Hey Pierce
What were the dates of your 11 day trip?
Was there a mosquito issue?
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Post by piercebennett on Mar 31, 2017 0:01:41 GMT 8
Beirutvet
Thank you. I am hoping to be back sometime next year probably during the summer.
Thanks EXO for the response regarding the monument. When I was there, I got the feeling that the area wasn't 100% complete. This was in January 2016. (The dates were I believe January 3rd to January 14th)
Haha yes it appears as if someone had already taken a shot. I would imagine the damage to the battery was done by both the Japanese and the Americans. I know somewhere (Maybe Bunker's Diary) there is a mention of some significant damage to this battery during the 1942 siege.
I don't think Wheeler is on the tour. It may have been in the past, but as you said it's a little overgrown. I think Battery Smith is in the same type of condition- as in the paint job is a little old and the greenery is encroaching.
I would agree with you on Geary; it is quite compelling. There are certain places on the island that just captivate your imagination and pique your interest. I personally like a lot of the tunnels around the island. There is something intriguing and mysterious about them. That's sort of how I feel about Battery Geary and the "treehouse". I'm not exactly sure how to describe it, but I find these things endlessly interesting. You said it well "once so vibrant and alive, but are now just tomb-quiet ruins"
Good luck on getting a nice lengthy trip next time you visit!
(The beach is usually very windy at night, so mosquitos are not generally an issue. The evenings before it rained it got very still however and some bugs came out. I just hid inside my sleeping bag and was protected)
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