|
Post by Bob Hudson on Jul 29, 2014 9:28:04 GMT 8
Thanks for the Kudos Karl. That day was a fruitful day and I was surprised that I had seen something that you had not. I'm sure that is rare here on Bataan. This was an easy adventure and hopefully some more aggressive touring guided by a Native Aeta Filipino will treat us to some yet undiscovered WWII area sites after the rainy season. I have spoken to a couple different Aetas who habit the area around my pineapple farm and they are familiar with all the hills and mountains on Bataan. According to them there are 2-3 American and Japanese camps from WWII still accessible and relics still scattered around. The Aetas who have no personal interest in these artifacts simply leave them where they set. They know of two crash sites, one a Japanese aircraft and the other the site of a downed P40. They know of at least two caves used by the Japanese during the war. These caves are said to hold relics from the war. I am sure sure some or perhaps all of these sites are remote and will require an overnite stay to access them and return to the departure point. With my age and physical condition, I am not sure I can participate in these adventures but I will be organizing them for those who wish to join. More information will follow when I know more details. Anyone wishing to join an exploratory trek to these sites, contact Karl. He has already expressed an interest.
Don't miss a chance to see the only privately owned WWII museum on Bataan.
|
|
|
Post by Bob Hudson on Jul 20, 2014 18:13:49 GMT 8
I discussed the missing Death March Marker #38 with FAME. It seems that #38 was never erected for the Olsen family because payment for the marker was never received. They are researching the matter. I already have two requests to reserve that spot for a veteran who made the March. I am not sure what the cost is nowadays. Originally they were $500. As for Marker #27 in Limay, the Felbaum family will be contacted to see if they wish to finance a new marker at that location. If they do not, then that location will become available for a future family to honor one of their own. There are no markers between 102 at the San Fernando train station and 106 at the Capas train station. This is, of course, because the men road in the boxcars between those locations. I have been asked if FAME would consider adding markers 103,104 and 105 between the two train stations. I have not put the matter before FAME as I am not sure it is a good idea. Any opinions?
|
|
|
Post by Bob Hudson on Jul 20, 2014 15:06:21 GMT 8
The following is news from Corregidor:
"It's like a war zone again. Hotel bldg ok but other bldgs esp (with?) iron roof blown off. As CI direct hit, trees uprooted, pier landing platform collapsed, and road strewn debris all over CI. Bldg ruins midside tpside some portions collapsed. Motorbikes only (can make it on roads?). Will take 1 wk to clean up if ever. Main prob now is to repair water pipelines cut off when trees uprooted."
|
|
|
Post by Bob Hudson on Jul 8, 2014 3:06:43 GMT 8
It has been 40 years since the last group of history buffs ventured into this valley of death, I think it's time another team takes a look at it. There are few of us in the physical condition it takes to make this kind of reconnoiter as we are aging retirees. Karl, the oldest of us all, has spent less time at the dinner table than the the rest of us and am sure he is up to it. I'm not sure a quick day trip would do the area in question justice. I'm saddened that I have entered a phase in my life that makes it near impossible to make this kind of journey. There's no doubt in my mind that the Pantingan River valley is ripe with yet undiscovered remains.
|
|
|
Post by Bob Hudson on Jul 6, 2014 8:23:14 GMT 8
If you look at the disinterment map north of Bagac, you see the site of yet another massacre. 103 massacred and called the Moron road Massacre. Information on this massacre is unavailable even though I traveled to Morong and investigated and spoke with an elderly retired judge from Moron (Now called Morong). He was asked to check with some elderly folks in town who would have been old enough to remember or at least heard about it. He was to call if he discovered anything. I never heard from him. It is sad to think that perhaps there was so much death and destruction in this area during the war that it became commonplace and the massacre of 103 soldiers along a dusty road in the middle of hell was not a particularly remarkable event and so, faded from memory.
|
|
|
Post by Bob Hudson on Jul 1, 2014 16:24:53 GMT 8
Karl,
The Pantingan memorial marker states that the massacre occurred approximately 1,000 meters south of it. That would be a good place to start. I read that the men who were massacred were thrown down the ravine into the river bed. I assume then one would have to find a spot where there is a steep ridge which falls directly into the river basin below. Dave Metherell said, I believe, that about 4 dozen Americans were massacred there too.
|
|
|
Post by Bob Hudson on Jun 29, 2014 7:34:39 GMT 8
I have seen many versions of the numbers of those surrendered on Bataan ranging from 60 to 65,000 Filipinos and 10-12,000 Americans.
What I don't recall seeing is the number breakdown for Corregidor. Do numbers exist for Filipino and Americans surrendered on Corregidor?
|
|
|
Post by Bob Hudson on Jun 21, 2014 18:09:49 GMT 8
Karl,
This year I was given the responsibility to choose five Death March Markers for a total refit of tiles from FAME (Filipino American Memorial Endowment) who are tasked with the care and maintenance of the Death March Markers. Three in Bataan and two in Pampanga/Tarlac. The cost for each marker was p7,000. The new tiles have the benefit of having images and lettering actually baked into the tile and glazed, making them difficult at best to deface and weathering to diminish their looks. Five is all the budget would allow.
The Province of Pampanga had two markers in severe need of tile replacement. Number 84 near the corner of Jose Abad Santos St. and Lubao Rd. and the Marker at Capas Rail Station were my choices. After inspection, it was my decision to advise which ones to update. Marker 108 was certainly entertained and will most likely be one of the next to have tile replacements when funds allow.
I understand your ordeal when it came to locating Marker #107. I am still looking for #28 in Limay and #38 between Orion and Pilar. I know it's hard to misplace a large concrete Death March Marker but either I have not looked hard enough or some misfortune befell them and they were removed.
If you have time in your busy schedule, perhaps we could make a day trip together soon and do a thorough investigation into their disappearances.
Always love your posts.
|
|
|
Post by Bob Hudson on Mar 23, 2014 9:03:59 GMT 8
I had a hodge podge mixture of items to donate to the new Museum in Balanga. Most of it being live ammo from areas around Bataan. The largest of which is a 1925 B.A.R. which actually sits in a small museum in the Balanga Tourism center. The new museum received various calibers of live as well as spent shells. Metal buckles from various types of military equipment, nine brass buttons from a Marine dress uniform, a compass with "Eng. Dept. USA 1918" inscribed on it, a bolt from a 1903 Springfield, a fully loaded magazine for the B.A.R., buttons from a standard Blue Denim uniform that Filipinos wore,the remain of a butterfly knife, a dog tag with the name Joseph Phaneuf, serial # 11020526 on it, a piece of shrapnel, also a 8" long piece of 8mm film. Other things too many to mention.
I just purchased a new Garrett 350 metal detector and a friend who is coming to visit me here on Bataan for a month, will bring it in his suitcase so I can avoid a hefty shipping charge as well as a $54 VAT. No doubt when I get that new detector up and running, there will be new items to donate. I thought of taking the detector to Corregidor but I assume it would be useless as Corregidor now stands on a bed of shrapnel. One only needs a good magnet on the end of a stick there.
I'm not a big believer in personal collections. If you have something, donate it to a museum so people can view and appreciate it. I hung onto my items for a while in a box under my bed. What good were they doing there? When I had visitors, I would go under my bed and blow the dust off the box, take my items out, beat my chest and say, "Look at what I found"! It then occurred to me that if something were to happen to me, that box of rusty relics would end up in the local dump.
I'm lucky here because the new empty Museum in Balanga was looking for display items. Most of the older established museums have so much to display that much of it sits in a box in a basement which eventually gets covered with dust and forgotten. There are two new museums here. The one in Balanga and a new one at the train station in San Fernando where at the end of the Death March, POW's boarded boxcars to Capas. both of these new museums are virtually empty and are dying for donations to display. I turned over a 48 star American Flag to the museum in San Fernando that was sent to me by a Veterans group on the East Coast of the U.S.
I hope that some of you who have items will consider donating them. All items are usually displayed with a card crediting the person who donated it.
|
|
|
Post by Bob Hudson on Mar 14, 2014 17:16:38 GMT 8
I was going to add something about responsible relic hunting since I just turned over everything I have to the new museum in Balanga but I think, at this point in time, no one will understand why I am speaking on topic.
|
|