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Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2014 2:22:47 GMT 8
Greetings! I'm a new member on here and I am excited to glean whatever information/advice I can from you gentlemen as well as contribute however I am able. I am pretty inexperienced with forums so please let me know if I'm posting in the wrong area. ;-) Currently my father and I are planning a trip to corregidor. Our interest in the war in the Philippines is due most to my Grandfather's service there during ww2. Mostly we have been learning about his role after his recent death as we have gone through letters and old journals as he didn't talk a lot about it. So anyways sorry for the huge story, as I was saying, we are planning a trip to corregidor and I would like to know what places you guys might suggest visiting. Specifically good areas "off the beaten path". This will be my second trip to "the rock" and I would like it to be a good first for my father. Also does anyone know if there is transportation available to rent there other than the multi cab? Last of all, I keep seeing references to digital maps of the original corregidor blue prints. Does anyone know how I may obtain copies of these? Any detailed maps of the island would help us out in our exploring.
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Post by beirutvet on Aug 11, 2014 11:34:29 GMT 8
Hello m225318440
I am relatively new here as well but I will help where I can.
When are you going and how long will you be there? My first trip was the day tour, not knowing what was there and what I would find. As I am sure you saw when you were there (if it was only the day tour) there is so much more to see than can be seen in just one day. If you are there for just the day, you can't go wrong with the tour. They take you to the major sites and have time to see them and take pictures. But to see the out of the way places, you really need to stay there for several days. It is such a fabulous destination (history aside) that even when you are just casually hiking, it is so peaceful and relaxing there.
How physically fit are you and your father? While you won't exactly be mountain climbing, some of the out of the way places are over uneven terrain. Mix that with tropical heat, high humidity and you've got yourself a tiring day. If your dad is elderly, you will need to take that into consideration. If you and your dad are in good shape, then grab a good pair of hiking boots and long pants and you should be fine.
There are guides on the island who will help you get to some places that are not on the tour. You can ask at the hotel and they will fix you up.
However, you will want to talk specifically to several members on this forum who know the island better than they know their own home town. One that comes to mind is Fots2. You cannot be on this site without seeing his work. I think he is away now but has a great working knowledge and can offer you much assistance, I am sure. BatteryBoy is also someone who I believe can help you. From his posts I THINK that he lives in country, but I cannot confirm that, you will have to ask him. There is phantom, chadhill, weltke, exo, okla,,,,,, I could go on for HOURS citing people on this forum with outstanding knowledge of the Island. Just browse all the posts and you will get to know them all, they are ALL great people who share a common addiction, the island fortress of Corregidor. I have never personally met any one of them, but I already feel like I have known them for years.
You can book your hotel room right on line. I did and everything was smoothed out for me and I encountered no problems. Do not take stock in the reviews from other travelers as to the hotel. They have a monopoly as they are the only hotel there but they do not act like it. Everyone there was always helpful and smiling while performing any task asked of them. It is NOT a luxury hotel. But the rooms are comfortable, better air conditioned than many hotels I have seen overseas and the food is good and plentiful. A helpful hint, do not get the all inclusive package that includes all of your meals at the hotel. That will give you the opportunity to drop down to Mac Arthurs Cafe for a few of your meals. It is right on the water and when there are no tours coming through you can enjoy the peace and quiet. The Cafe and the patio of the restaurant of the hotel are great places to just chill.
Now for the important stuff. All of us here are avid history buffs and thirst for knowledge of the island, ESPECIALLY if it comes from first hand knowledge of the island. So, what can you share with all of us about your grand dad? Was he a veteran of the island, either during its fall or liberation? Or was his theater somewhere else in the Philippines? Do you know the name of his unit? Would you feel comfortable sharing his name and rand with us? Were you able to ever talk with him at length about his service? By your opening paragraph, it seems as though he may have been tight lipped about his time there, as my dad was about his time on Iwo Jima. Anything that you can share with us about your grandfather, I can assure you, will be not only appreciated but absorbed like a sponge. His letters and journals you mentioned are family keepsakes that you should never relinquish but believe me, are worth their weight in gold for the glimpses into the past they will afford.
Looking forward to seeing all you can share.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 19, 2014 14:56:41 GMT 8
Sir thank you so much for your reply! Haha yes I was in corregidor for two days and my first stop was the day tour. It had a lot of wonderful information to offer but it was so fast! I could have been there for months and still not had enough. Dad and I both like to get a little more "close up" to the history then the tour would allow which is why we are hoping to get off the path and do some hiking. We would like to go next summer if time allows but we will see if that plan works, we might have to wait a little later. Yes I will happily post more information about my grandfather's time there... As I learn it. ;-) we have so many old letters and documents to go through and I want to get better educated myself. I know he did not serve directly on corregidor but was involved during the liberation Of the Philippines. From the few stories he did tell us I know he was mostly in Luzon. I will be posting more as I learn with my father. I'm sorry for the late reply, just had two weddings in the family and it's been a little crazy. I will post more information soon.
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Post by beirutvet on Sept 4, 2014 23:26:36 GMT 8
Hello again, m225318440
No problem on the timing of your replies, there is no rush here on this site. Besides, it sounds like you had a lot on your plate and those kind of family events take precedence over most anything you can think of.
If you know your grandfathers unit, many people on this site can help you fill in gaps that you have about where he went and what he saw there. There were many different units landing at different places and all had different objectives. Your grandfather may not have recalled many movements his unit made in the course of the campaign and our amateur historians here will be able to give you a good outline of timelines, place and date of landing, progress through Luzon, campaigns and battles fought, etc. Also, do you know what his job was in the Army, was he in artillery, an engineer, infantry? Do you have a listing of his awards/medals? That will also aid in locating his specific area of operation. Those are things all of us will be interested in and we all love hearing about it.
Whenever you get the chance, just get us some basic info and we will be more than happy to assist where we can
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