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Post by chuckmorford on Aug 28, 2007 18:30:43 GMT 8
I have no doubt how corregidor would look if we were a bunch of rich guy's but were not. It would be great if the govts had as much interest in preservation as we do. Most of those who come are probably doing it out of passing curiosity and nothing more. Needless to say without govt support tourism is the main source of support. We have an Island here in Michigan that has an early American fort. 1700's? The Island is quite successfulland may provide some idea's. Personally if I had the cash I would : 1)Put the rail line back in 2) I would reestablish a tourist barrio like existed before the war by the hotel. 3) I would put the golf course back in 4) bike rentals. 5) I would make one of the guns on disappearing carrage in operation (not with a real shell and powder but there are ways.) 6) I would take a building here and there and restore it, such as residence quarters. The rail line would make for a much more interesting tour into some areas the tourist never experience. Anyway here is a link to Macinaw for study www.mackinac.com/content/general/mackinac_photos.html
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Post by EXO on Aug 28, 2007 18:36:55 GMT 8
Charles, If it’s WISH LIST time, I’ll rub the bottle now and ask the genie for: 1. A Proper museum (Visitor’s Center, History Centre, Lecture Theater) to be built inside the reservoir, where it cannot be seen. 2. Demolish the blockhouse museum as its “bomb shelter” basic design detracts from the design of the Pacific memorial. 3. Demolish the house which is on topside near flag pole. It serves no true purpose. It actually forced the old Spanish Flagpole to be erected in a place where it had not been. 4. Reposition island towards an ECO-Friendly Tourism – the major long term market repositioning. Series of public relations consultations, announcements etc to make the local market understand that Eco-Friendly Tourism is not an alternative to the present purposes. 5. Fix the bulldozer (maybe No. 1?) 6. Acquire a backhoe. 7. A “public” representative be added to the Corregidor Foundation so that it is not seen as being an ‘insider’ closed shop/club. No genie has appeared. Alternate Plan B: Lucky there’s a few nips of bourbon still in the bottle. exo
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Post by Deleted on Aug 29, 2007 4:59:40 GMT 8
MY WISH LIST
1/ I would go into the jungle and bring back some places that are almost gone. Some examples: A/ The road to Quezon’s and Macarthur’s temporary housing of 1942, on the tail near Infantry Point. Used prior to moving into Malinta Tunnel. And the large tunnel behind the same Officers Quarters they used. You don’t have to recover the whole road, a trail in would do, but for effect, a 20 yard section of the road should be cleared from curb to curb in front of Quezon’s and Macarthur’s homes to show what it looked like in 1942. All trees and vines removed. B/ Reopen the sidewalk that runs from the Doctors homes near the west side of the Hospital by the road, all the way to North Shore road. This section of the sidewalk goes in front some of the Doctors and Nurses homes around the Hospital, starting from a Trolley Station and ending at a Trolley station near the road. C/ Cut the grass on the road leading from near Kindley Field to North Point where some Japanese landed, and Wainwright had to leave by boat to surrender on Bataan. Lots to see on a walking tour there. Please remove any SNAKES as you cut the grass, thank you very much……… 2/ Get the schools who make a yearly trip to Corregidor involved in the clean up instead of painting all the guns green. Make sure the island Tour guides spend valuable time with these kids, they could be Corregidor’s future. 3/ Bring someone you know from the Philippines and show them why you go. I have done it, and it was an eye opener for them; we now have 2 new converts for future preservation. (It doesn’t hurt that they both just became lawyers.) 4/ Hold a Philippine Scout Reunion in their restored barrack, anyone who was on Corregidor during the war. Need the press there of course. 5/ Start “Bikes on Boats”. There are lots of folks with money who ride their bikes along Manila Bay from Manila Hotel to the Cultural Center.I have also almost run over many more in the hills above Laguna De Bay. Have a “Corregidor Grand Prix” for bikes, not motorcycles. What would that do? Bring tourists to Corregidor, fill the hotel, and fill the boats. Bikers would have to come repeatedly to practice and learn the course. Practice any time of year, good roads, and great scenery, what else could you want? 6/ Have flag raising ceremonies with tourists doing the raising and taking down of the flag on Topside, lots of pictures for sale………… 7/ Get the powers that be a 1945 jeep to use on the island, enhance the feel of WWII. I have more………….
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Post by chuckmorford on Aug 29, 2007 6:55:01 GMT 8
Lots of good stuff. I think after a few more post maybe we should discuss some of these in detail. Some may have to be reviewed on the Island when were there. I will organise a log on all these ideas as they may cross numerous post. Some may be doable by the group. I may also do artist renditions on some of the ideas as appropriate so we can see how your ideas may look. I am eye balling an architectual program which lets you set up the topography etc.
Exo can you elaborate on 4) Eco-Tourism what is it exactly? Was this 5) Doser from the war? Tom has a lot on clearing- We could do some ourselves, not everything of course. Maybe limit to a voted on area that we could clear when any of us are on the Island.(chainsaw)
Any chance of getting some sort of equipment storage on the island so we dont have to always pack in. Machetties, Flashlights, ropes, medical kit, etc.
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Post by EXO on Aug 29, 2007 8:12:09 GMT 8
Guys,
Your heart is in the right place, but the officer buildings, I am afraid, are too far gone. Without roofs, the water gets into the floors (ceilings of the ground floor) and does its worst. Even in Feb. 1945, there was a direct fatality due to a piece of the concrete ceiling of 27D just falling on a resting trooper.
For that reason, I would not consider allowing any member of the General Public into them - they are uninsureable. It's fine for us Corregidoros, we know the risks, and accept them. John Q. Public is a congenital idiot.
In 28D, the troopers manhandled a 75mm pack howitzer to the railing of the top floor, to provide support fire for an attack on Wheeler. A parachute was in the line of sight, and as trooper Perryman leaned over to clear it, he was hit by a Japanese sniper. Today, that corner part of the floor has collapsed completely, and no one knows that a posthumous Silver Star was earned in that building. I think there should be some means to tell them that.
(I recall an early visit, and seeing the McCarter sign. I was puzzled. As you know, it says nothing whatsoever about who McCarter was, or why the sign was there. )
I would like to see brass plaques in them, dedicated to the troopers who "passed this way" - and died within them. Such as the sign in 28D. Until then, I painted the sign myself. Maybe not brass, people here steal brass.
I'd be happy to see the grounds around the houses cleared again, but recognize that the budget on grass cutters is being stretched by other factors.
I'll deal with ECO-Tourism in another thread.
Regards, exo
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Post by Tom Aring on Aug 29, 2007 8:14:20 GMT 8
Paul and others,
Another dreamer I'm afraid. If you don't dream it, well, you know how it goes.......
What if they saved ONE of the Officers Qtrs. for a start, and put a roof on it so that the public could see what the homes looked like prewar?
Fix it up like they are Middleside Barracks with metal braces, but also re roof it somehow, G.I. sheets? to protect it from the rain. Rework the whole inside also.
Make it safe for the dummies as Paul so wisely put it.
How about strengthening the walls in the old Movie Theater so they will remain up for some time? Then put some chairs in the theater at night so the tourists can watch the last film ever shown in that theater, "Sargent York" with Gary Cooper. Watch it under the stars, how quiet, and eerie would that be, to be on Topside at night?
You are not to be on Topside at night as Paul and I found out........
Tom Aring
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Post by EXO on Aug 29, 2007 8:23:31 GMT 8
om,
Your "movie under the stars" idea has some merit, but it probably offends the charter for the Memorial Zone - which is not to develop commercially within the Zone. I have never seen the original policy charter, but understood it was a compromise agreement which allotted an area (Bottomside/Tailside) which could be ruined by crass commercial exploitation in the usual manner, by the usual suspects. (Hence the eyesore of 92nd Garage.) The Memorial Zone was to remain unsullied by the carpetbaggers, and thus sacrosanct.
Essentially, I don't have a problem with that concept.
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Post by Tom Aring on Aug 29, 2007 8:26:25 GMT 8
I'm sure there are pictures of the old Officers Quarters insides somewhere. Fro that matter, that same type of Officers Barracks building were built all over the world at the same time period. You know the Army, cookie cutters are cheaper to build, fire places in all Officers Quarters on Corregidor? Why not.........
I saw some buildings still being used in Galveston Texas by the Coast Guard, that were part of old Fort Travis during WWII, that look remarkably like those on Corregidor. All lined up along the bay near the old Fort Travis Headquarters, which still exist today, but as a College.
Tom
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Post by Bill Calhoun on Aug 29, 2007 8:28:54 GMT 8
As I remember, 28-D was in better shape than many of the other homes, better than 27-D, where Bill Lee (2nd Plt., F Co.) died from the concrete falling from the ceiling 17 Feb.
Congressman Sonny Montgomery, chairman of the Parks and Memorial Committee (may not be exactly correct name) worked for some time trying to lease Topside for 99 years. He wanted to restore it and made several trips to the Philippines.
When it seemed a possibility, the Philippine government made their offer. Knowing that the House had approved some money to initiate this, they wanted that money. They would lease Top Side up to 500 feet.
Montgomery told them to go to hell. He knew they had plans for placing their own commercial ventures on Topside. He was about as bitter as my friend Al McGrew. I've got to look up my correspondence with Sonny. He was military--held a MG rank in the Army Reserve as I remember. I'm going back 10-15 years.
pia Bill
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Post by chuckmorford on Aug 29, 2007 17:00:25 GMT 8
CINEMA I don't think we would be looking at a commercial venture per say. Not anymore than the tour which accesses the batteries unless this is being run by someone other than CFI. Is the hotel a private commercial enterprise? I know Toms thinking on this, to add something to the experience of those who stay on the island and might even be a draw to fill some of the rooms in the hotel unless the purpose of the hotel is just to say we have one. Or Malinta Tunnel, why do that? Is that also a commercial enterprise? You can build a Cine anywhere but to actually be a part or feel a part of the history, or go back in time has a lure in of itself. It is that atmosphere which you cant duplicate. So after a lot of thinking let me lay out some detail. 1) The structure itself would not be modified, only reinforced if anypart is deemed unsafe. Power outlets installed as required. 2) Movies would be prewar. Viewing for weekends like most cine. 3) No permanent installation of any equipment (initially) Equipment Needed: 1) Projector and screen. Original projector would have been 35mm or 70mm. Vintage equipment would be maintenance nightmare and the cost for tubes prohibitive. Modern equipment is just as expensive unless you got a deal from a defunct cine. But these are the only methods that will work to project the distance. However if we are to do it as a one shot deal to peek interest we could do it with a old super 8 projector. It would have to be out on the floor closer to the screen rather than in an actual projection booth. An alternative woud be a projector like you find at your local electronics store connected to a pc or dvd player. 2) Sound. On our dime this would have to be a set of amplified speakers typically for a pc; again available from electronics store. 3) Seating. The floors are inclined so its pillow time? 4) Concessions. This could be done by one of the bottom side outfits. If it was done on a regular weekend basis it might mess with their regular business so they might have to be included if done on a regular basis. A regular popcorn machine could be used elsewhere through the week. 5) Lighting-Minimal ligting could be installed in the future, for us flashlights or a drop light or two on extenion cords.
I am suggesting this as a one shot deal working with some of the reps and locals on the island. It will get enthusiastic ratings in which people will start talking about it or it will get a ho hum. In any case we history buffs would enjoy it.
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