11/13 cyclone

[Bob Hudson]

Bataan came out of the storm unscathed. My greatest fear here should the storm had struck us straight on were the coconut trees across the street from us where we live within 100 feet of the shore of Manila bay. Those coconuts become cannon calls in high winds and punched a couple of holes in the nipa cover of my front patio where I park my car. Aside from the terrible death and destruction, I have also given thought to what happened to the Statues of MacArthur and staff placed in the shallow water off the beach in Leyte representing their return to the Philippines. There seems to be no way to contact friends in that area to determine their fate. Everything is destroyed. Water, power, cellphone service is all gone. I m happy to hear that we are sending an Aircraft carrier there when can produce thousands of gallons of clean drinking water which is in dire need and they can help treat hundreds of victims who have been severely injured. It is my understanding that they can also run power from the carrier to shore, God help those people. I cannot come close to imagining 195 mph winds. Certainly an Atmospheric Holocaust.

[Registrar]

Whilst all priority clearly must be given to the health and well-being victims of the storm, there does need to be some long term thought given to rebuilding not just living standards, but to their eventual earning livelihoods.

I have heard a rumor already that the group of statues commemorating the Leyte landing are gone. I have little doubt that all of those who have visited that spot have been aware that the group of statuary were an irreplaceable part of the local economy, attracting many, and many tourist dollars. It is early days, but for us who are safe and sound overseas, and not able to actually make a physical difference to the aid effort, maybe we might start thinking of putting into place a long-term lobbying to raise a means to have the statue rebuilt.

Is there anyone who can confirm that the statues are still there?

[fots2]

Status of the Leyte Landing Memorial.

News report

[westernaus]

Registrar . The information I have is that only one of the figures has fallen in the group proclaiming the landing of Macarthur . It is supposed to be one of the figures to the left of Macarthur . Palo is almost none existent like the rest of Tacloban . The southern part of Samar has also been flattened . All nearby islands have suffered severe damage . Loss of life is still unknown because of the logical nightmare and lack of ready recourses to help the victims .Power lines are down across all of Leyte and Samar. Although some microwave communication towers are operating in Southern Leyte . ( Possibly running on batteries and solar power as very few of their com facilities have a back up power generator . ).

[westernaus]

Thanks fots2 . for the News Report now everyone can see for themselves . I didn't know there was any pictures of the storm damage to the memorial , my information came by word of mouth .

[Registrar]

The fallen statue is Carlos Romulo, the smallest of the group.

I am pleased to see that the memorial remains, as it does bring tourists to the region.

Peter Parsons and I have been in contact with the MacArthur Memorial / MacArthur Foundation and have been suggesting they might like to get an involvement with the statues as some type of aid project "after the storm". Thanks for the info, gentlemen, it will come in handy.

[xray]

Lots of pics and info here, including one of the statues

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2501471/Philippines-Typhoon-Haiyan-Bodies-piled-streets-makeshift-mortuaries-overrun.html

[Karl Welteke]

Here is the image and the article from the link fots2 posted, thank you John:




Manila Bulletin Article

MacArthur memorial also damaged by ‘Yolanda’
by Alma Buelva
November 13, 2013

One of the statues of the U.S. General Douglas MacArthur shrine in Tacloban City has fallen to the enemy that was ‘Yolanda’, the super typhoon that nearly wiped out the entire city and other areas in Central Visayas.

Lying face down in the water after falling at the height of the killer howler, the statue was the only “casualty” among all the other statues representing the brave men led by MacArthur.

The Leyte Landing Memorial is a 4.5-hectare memorial to the landing of MacArthur and his men at Red Beach in Candahug, a barangay of the municipality of Palo in Leyte, five kilometers away from Tacloban. More popularly known as the MacArthur Landing Memorial Park, it consists of about 10-feet tall bronze statues of the general and other men, including then Philippine President Sergio Osmeña, Jr., General Carlos P. Romulo, General Sutherland and other men standing in a man-made pool. The statues stand at the exact spot where MacArthur’s group of about 225,000 troops from 600 ships landed and waded ashore on October 20, 1944. It is constructed to remember MacArthur’s fulfillment of his promise to return to the Philippines after it was occupied by the Japanese during World War II in the Philippines. The Japanese Occupation of the Philippines ended soon after MacArthur landed at Red Beach.

Before the typhoon hit, a museum nearby displayed historic photographs and other mementos including a copy of the general’s speech upon landing and a bronze cast of his footprints. There are no reports yet on what happened to the museum and its contents. Annually, the Leyte Landing is commemorated at this place from where the Leyte Gulf and Samar Island can also be seen from afar.

Note: okla and fireball, I seen your recent comments and thank you very much!

[xray]

Nice shot here of 4 V-22's at Tacloban taken 11/14

[The Phantom]

Does anyone find it interesting that the U.S. has an aircraft carrier and a couple cruisers off Mac Arthur's WWII landing beaches,
and that the present day Japanese Government is now sending the most postwar troops and ships from it's home waters ever put together to assist the Philippines in it's time of need?
How well will they be received?
And what of the Chinese Governments response to send $100,000.00 in relief aid with the rest of the world sending in the millions?
Australia, Britain, Japan the U.S.
Heck the bank where my wife works gave over $ 1 million..................

This tragedy is beyond words, but Filipino's are among the worlds most tested and resilient people.