4th Marine Reconnoiter Corregidor 7th Nov. 2016
The 4th Marines, head quartered in Okinawa, had plans to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Fall of Corregidor on the 6th of May 2017.
They contacted Corregidor.org and when they sent 2 Officer on the mission. I was asked by Corregidor.org to help out.
On this day two Marine Officers (both Captains) from the 4th Marines visited Corregidor Island, the former Fort Mills. They invited me to come along so I can point out specific 4th Marine History points on Corregidor. This was for the purpose of the 4th Marines participating next year for the 75th Anniversary of the Fall of Corregidor. We signed up for the regular day tour package, ferry from Manila, trolley guided tour, buffet lunch. The weather was great and here are a few images from that visit. I spent a lot of time talking to the two visitors and only took very few pictures. Most of these pictures are of some changes on Corregidor. This is the album with only 15 images:
s74.photobucket.com/user/PI-Sailor/library/Corregidor%20at%20Random/CI%202015-2016%20Random%20Albums/2016-11-07%20Marines%20visited%20Corregidor?sort=9&page=1In this forum presentation I only use 6 images:
Za248. Capt Vonn,(1st name only) 4th Marines, on Corregidor 2016-11-07.
I had to take this picture with Capt. Vonn (an immigrant from the Philippines) standing by the old style 4th Marine Colors. The history of these 4th Marines Colors will be in the next picture.
Za249. Old Marine Colors of the 4th Marines.
This is the history of the Old Blue, former Colors of the US Marine Corps 4th Regiment from the above URL:
Displayed here is a replica of the original colors of the United States Marine Corps 4th Regiment. The only known original flag is on display at the Command Museum, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, California. Following is a history of that original flag.
In 1923, the 13th Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, General John A. Lejeune, directed the traditional blue colors of the Corps be replaced, as needed, with new colors, consisting of a scarlet background with scarlet and gold inscription.
In 1933, with creation of the Fleet Marine Force, all regiments of the Corps were renamed and The Fourth Regiment of Marines, originally formed in 1911 under the command of Colonel C. A. Doyen in San Diego, California became the 4th Marine Regiment.
It took time for the Commandant's directive to reach "every clime and place." But, on July 4th, 1937 in Shanghai, China this original flag know throughout the regiment as Old Blue, was marched front and center of the spit-shined regiment one final time, before being retired.
The directive to change the regiment's colors from blue to scarlet included an order that all retired colors would be destroyed by burning. Fortunately an unnamed Marine, who apparently could not bear to carry out the order to burn the colors, hid Old Blue in the bottom of his seabag. That nameless Marine later died in the line of duty in China and his personal effects were carried to the Philippines when the 4th Marine Regiment evacuated Shanghai and moved to the Island of Corregidor.
Miraculously, at the end of World War II, the personal effects of the men of the 4th Marines were returned to Marine Barracks, Mare Island, California, to await final shipment home. Among them was the Marine's seabag which still contained the original Regimental Colors. An officer detailed to inventory personal effects found Old Blue neatly folded at the bottom of the deceased Marine's seabag. Realizing the value of his discovery, he transferred the flag to his personal belongings.
Twenty years later the long-forgotten colors were rediscovered by the officer in a deteriorating state. Wanting to return Old Blue to the Marine Corps, the officer contacted LtCol. Bob Calland, USMS (Ret.), at the Smithsonian Institute, in Washington, D.C. The Regimental Colors were brought the Marine Corps Museum at the Washington Navy Yard and were placed in storage at the Marine Corps Base, Quantico, Virginia.
Aware that the 4th Marine Regiment was formed in San Diego, LtCol. Calland began the process to bring Old Blue back home. Following an expensive restoration project, Old Blue was fully restored and arrived at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot's Command Museum, in February 1991.
Recalled from generations of benevolent neglect, the 4th Marine Regiment's Old Blue is magnificent in its resurrection and fully pardoned from the 1923 sentence "...to be destroyed by burning."
Za250. Corregidor MacArthur Café is now the Freedom Café.
The famous MacArthur Café has a new name; it changed to Freedom Café. I believe it is still under the same management; some bureaucracy thing made the name change necessary.
Za251. Sun Cruises Corregidor Day Tour Buffet Tent.
One of the present and temporary changes on Corregidor Island is that the Corregidor Inn is closed for renovation. To continue the traditional Corregidor day tour with a buffet lunch, Sun Cruises Inc. built this tent. It is located topside near the Lighthouse. It is amazing how fast those plants grew.
Za252. Steve and Marcia Kwiecinski Dedication Plaque at Battery Way
At Battery Way, the four 12inch mortar battery, is a plaque for the Sgt. Walter Kwiecinski who helped fire the last gun at this battery in 1942 and I noticed a new plaque. It is dedicated to Steve and Marcia Kwiecinski who lived on this island for 6 1/2 years. CFI, FAME and Sun Cruises dedicated this plaque to Steve and Marcia Kwiecinski for their dedication to the history of Corregidor. It is located under the plaque dedicated to their father.
Za253. Sun Cruises Inc new Terminal at the Mall of Asia.
The Sun Cruises Inc new Terminal at the Mall of Asia was moved here in 2015, I believe. In this forum we have a thread about this new terminal and this is the URL:
corregidor.proboards.com/thread/1983/new-terminal-corregidor-manila-2015
