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Post by Karl Welteke on Oct 6, 2022 9:17:57 GMT 8
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Post by Karl Welteke on Oct 6, 2022 9:25:09 GMT 8
Oryoku Maru POWs on Sand Dunes at Poro Peninsular Neck, 26th/ 27th Dec. 1944 There is no doubt the Oryoku Maru POW survivors were marched to these sand dunes on the 26th Dec. 1944 at the neck of land leading to Poro Point. We visited this area on the 3rd Oct. and took these pictures. This is the place where the POWs suffered and continued their Voyage of Hell to Japan on the 27th of Dec. 1944. ------------------------------------------------- This is the description of the first four images: This is one of 4 images of maps and graphs for your orientation of the sand dunes area at the neck of land to the Poro Point Peninsular. The Oryoku Maru POW survivors were marched to these sand dunes on the 26th Dec. 1944. ------------------------------------------------------- This is the description of the next nine images: This is one of nine images shot from a sea wall indicated, as location #1 on one of the Google Earth image. The buildings on that image do not exist anymore. The pictures are shot clockwise. This area has a wire fence at the roadside and a seawall at the Lingayen Bay waterline. There was no gate or guard, so we drove right in. It looks like some of the sand maybe has been used; it seemed to be a flat area now. ------------------------------------------------------ This is the description of the next five images: This is one of five images shot from a sea wall, indicated as location #2 on one of the Google Earth image. The buildings on that image do not exist anymore. The pictures are shot clockwise. The small building was located between the two large buildings which do not exist anymore except about 1/3 of the east building, the section that had a green roof. In one picture we can see the top of a large fuel tank at the fuel storage site. -------------------------------------------------- This is the description of the next 10 images: This is one of 10 images shot from a location about 60 feet inside the compound from the open gate, indicated as location #3 on one of the Google Earth image. These pictures are shot clockwise from left to right. You see our vehicle and my partner Gerald Randy Anderson Sr. -------------------------------------------------------- This is the description of the last three images: This is one of 3 images shot from a location just outside the compound open gate, indicated as location #4 on one of the Google Earth image. The 1st pic looks west, in the direction of Poro Point. The next 2 pics look inland, east, towards Baguio. I am standing just outside the gate to the area of the sand dunes where the Oryoku Maru POW survivors were marched to on the 26th Dec. 1944 at the neck of land leading to Poro Point, which is where I shot these 3 images. We visited this area on the 3rd Oct. and took these pictures. This is the place where the POWs suffered and continued their Voyage of Hell to Japan on the 27th of Dec. 1944.
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Post by Karl Welteke on Oct 7, 2022 16:50:59 GMT 8
The PNR Station in San Fernando, La Union The Oryoku Maru POWs arrived here at the San Fernando, La Union in the night of the 24th/25th Dec. 1944 after 17 hours packed in the rail road cars like sardines. It was a hell ride. When they arrived here, discharged from the cars, the POWs just collapsed and fell asleep. Later in the morning they were marched south to a school. (Note: in various War Crimes affidavits it’s reported as an agriculture or industrial school. Men report eating flowers and grass they are so hungry. POWs report seeing Japanese artillery in the hills along the road leading to the school to be used to fight off an American invasion). This is the description of the first 4 pictures. This is one of 4 images or maps and graphs for your orientation of the San Fernando, La Union Rail Road Station. The Oryoku Maru POWs arrived here at the San Fernando, La Union in the night of the 24th/25th Dec. 1944 after 17 hours packed in the rail road cars like sardines. It was a hell ride. When they arrived here, discharged from the cars, the POWs just collapsed and fell asleep. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is the description of the next 12 pictures. This is one of 12 images or maps and graphs for your orientation of the San Fernando, La Union Rail Road Station. The Oryoku Maru POWs arrived here at the San Fernando, La Union in the night of the 24th/25th Dec. 1944 after 17 hours packed in the rail road cars like sardines. It was a hell ride. When they arrived here, discharged from the cars, the POWs just collapsed and fell asleep. -04. This is the east side of the PNR building, looking south. -05. This is the west side of the PNR building, looking north. -06. We are making contact with the local people, shot at the location, marked as spot # 4. -07. We are making contact with the local people, shot at the location, marked as spot # 4. -08. A PNR sign at the building. -09. This is the west side of the PNR building, looking north. -10. This is an inside shot of the former PNR building in San Fernando, La Union. It was shot thru the window. -11. This is an inside shot of the former PNR building in San Fernando, La Union. It was shot thru the window. -12. This is the north end of the PNR Building, shot from a NW angle. -13. This is the west side of the PNR building, looking south. -14. This is the north end of the PNR Building, shot from a NW angle. -15. This is the north end of the PNR Building, shot from a NW angle
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Post by Karl Welteke on Oct 7, 2022 17:11:18 GMT 8
San Fernando, L.U. View from Hill in 2022 Because we have an early view of San Fernando, La Union, perhaps prewar that shows the PNR Station and the neck to Poro Point we wanted to recapture that view. We drove up the hill where the La Union Capitol is located and found two venues to take pictures from. Just for the heck we include a few sunset shots from the Bauang area. -00. This is a Google Earth image of San Fernando, La Union and it is marked as to where we photographed from and we marked a high rise as a landmark. -01. This is perhaps a prewar image of San Fernando, La Union and it is marked with some landmarks. The water tower, we connect with the PNR Station and the neck to Poro Point. -02. This is the only image of San Fernando; we shot from one of the La Union Capitol buildings. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This is the description of the next 5 images. This is one of 5 images of the city of San Fernando, shot clockwise from left to right. They were shot from the Pagoda Temple located at the La Union Capitol Hill and grounds. I marked the high rise which is very close the PNR Station. -------------------------------------------------------------------- This is the description of the last 4 images. This is one of 4 images of the sunset over the Lingayen Gulf, left to right, ending over Poro Point. These pictures were shot from Bauang, a favorite beach area during the American time for people from Baguio.
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Post by Karl Welteke on Oct 8, 2022 14:51:50 GMT 8
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in San Fernando, La Union. The authors and the researcher of the book -Relentless Hope: A True Story of War and Survival- believe, that at this location the Oryoku Maru POW Survivors were marched here on the 25th Dec. 1944. The Oryoku Maru POWs arrived at the PNR Station in San Fernando, La Union in the night of the 24th/25th Dec. 1944 after 17 hours packed in the rail road cars like sardines. It was a hell ride. When they arrived here, discharged from the cars, the POWs just collapsed and fell asleep. Later in the morning they were marched south to a school. (Note: in various War Crimes affidavits it’s reported as an agriculture or industrial school. Men reported eating flowers and grass they are so hungry. POWs report seeing Japanese artillery in the hills along the road leading to the school to be used to fight off an American invasion). It is also reported that there was no water and a hole, about 5 feet deep had to be dug and the water purified with iodine. On our trip to San Fernando, La Union on the 3rd and 4th of Oct. 2022 we were unable to verify this location as the site of the school where the POWs stayed on the 25th/26th Dec.1944. The search for history continues. This intersection of the National Road and the Pennsylvania Ave has become a Place of Honor, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier has been placed here. We took these pictures. -00. Google Earth image of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in San Fernando, La Union. -01. Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in San Fernando, La Union. The authors and the researcher of the book -Relentless Hope: A True Story of War and Survival- believe, that at this location the Oryoku Maru POW Survivors were marched here on the 25th Dec. 1944. They wrote the notes on this picture! -02. We are approaching the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in San Fernando, La Union, coming from Poro Point on Pennsylvania Ave. -03. Close-up, we are approaching the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in San Fernando, La Union, coming from Poro Point on Pennsylvania Ave. We suspect that the school where the POWs were kept was located at this Government Building, as indicated in the previous picture #01. -04. We are approaching the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in San Fernando, La Union, we are looking north. -05. We are approaching the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in San Fernando, La Union, we are looking north. -06. The plaque of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in San Fernando, La Union, and the plaque is facing east, the National Highway. -07. Close-up, the plaque of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in San Fernando, La Union, and the plaque is facing east, the National Highway. -08. A view from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in San Fernando, La Union, we are looking in the direction of Pennsylvania Ave. -09. A view from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in San Fernando, La Union, we are looking north in the direction of MacArthur Highway, or National Road or #3 WWII National Road. -10. A view from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in San Fernando, La Union, we are looking south in the direction of MacArthur Highway, or National Road or Quezon Ave. or #3 WWII National Road. -11. A view from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in San Fernando, La Union, we just twisted the camera a little right from the last shot and have a touch of Aloha, Ohana-Family. -12. A view from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in San Fernando, La Union, we are looking in the direction of Pennsylvania Ave.
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Post by chadhill on Oct 8, 2022 19:52:41 GMT 8
Fantastic research, Karl! Thank you for your tireless efforts. I really enjoy your photos, the maps and charts, too.
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Post by Karl Welteke on Oct 9, 2022 15:27:43 GMT 8
Plaza & Plaques, San Fernando L.U. We had arranged a meeting with San Fernando City, La Union Tourist Office, parked near the San Fernando Bay and walked here. At the north-west corner of the City Plaza we noticed a memorial marker with two WWII Plaques. The meeting is described elsewhere, so this album is just about the San Fernando City Plaza. During this visit we learned that the San Fernando City area did not get liberated until the 24th of March 1945 and that the U. S. Army established a Head Quarters here for the projected invasion of Japan. --------------------------------------------------------------------- -00. The Memorial Marker with the 2 WWII Plaques at the north-west corner of the San Fernando City Plaza -01. The Google Earth image of our GPS tracks when we visited the San Fernando, La Union Tourist Office. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is the description of the next three images. This is one of three images of the Memorial Marker, under a tree, at the north-west corner of the San Fernando City Plaza; it has two plaques. One plaque is dedicated to the WWII Veterans. The other plaque celebrates the liberation of the San Fernando, La Union area on the 24th of March 1945. The plaque also celebrates the establishment of a U. S. Army Head Quarters here for the projected invasion of Japan. ------------------------------------------------------------------- This is the description of the next seven images. This is one of seven images of the City Plaza, of the San Fernando City in La Union. We had approached it from the west, used the pedestrian over-pass at the SW corner of the plaza.
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Post by Karl Welteke on Oct 25, 2022 9:04:45 GMT 8
Oryoku Maru POWs related walk in S.F. in L.U. 22-10-17 These are pictures of a walk, checking out the old Philippine National Railroad Station (PNR), some the former rail track beds, an area 2 blocks north of the PNR Station, along the these two roads, Mabini St. and Don Flores St. After that I followed the MacArthur Highway, south, down to my Hotel 45 in Bauang. The Oryoku Maru POWs were moved and marched or stayed along some of these roads, track beds or areas like the PNR Station or a school ground south of the PNR Station. Uploaded 86 images to Photobucket, Philippines incl. my walking, North Luzon group, La Union visit 22-10-17 to 21: app.photobucket.com/u/PI-Sailor/a/d6476202-b390-4b9a-8392-3f4ed870d303Z030. For this Corregidor Forum presentation I only present this one picture about the Memorial to the Unknown Soldier which is located at the intersection of MacArthur Hwy. and Pennsylvania Ave. in San Fernando, La Union. The researcher of the book “Relentless Hope- A True Story of War and Survival” believes that the school where the POWs were marched to on the 25th Dec.1944 was at this intersection. Affidavits in the war crime trials state that some of the POWs ate flower and grass here because of hunger. Plus a 5 feet hole had to be dug for drinking water The group descriptions of the pictures are presented here though! -image # 00 & 01 are of the Robinson Mall along the MacArthur Hwy which also stands at the intersection of the PNR rail tracks crossing the MacArthur Highway. The 2nd pic is PNR rail track bed where it runs from MacArthur Hwy to the PNR Station. The rails are gone but residences are packed left and right of the rail track bed. -image #02 to 07 are geographic area graphs of this walk of my walk checking out the old Philippine National Railroad Station (PNR), some the former rail track beds, an area 2 blocks north of the PNR Station, along the these two roads, Mabini St. and Don Flores St. After that I followed the MacArthur Highway, south, down to my Hotel 45 in Bauang. -image #08 to 14 are shots, selected clockwise just to the west of the PNR rail track bed and just south of the large wet area, Robinson Mall can be seen on two shots. -image #15 & 16 are shots along the PNR rail track bed towards the PNR S.F. in L. U. Station, one shot is a bridge, I guess that means the two wet areas, left and right are connected and a bridge goes across the connection. The 2nd shot is a view of the wet area right or north of the track. -image #17 to 21 shows the area of the old PNR rail track bed as it runs in a rounded way to Poro Point bypassing the PNR Station. It crosses the Mabini Street and passes the Catbangen Brgy Hall. There are shots of the Mabini Street also. -image #22 to 26 shows the old PNR rail track bed, now the Old Rail Road, continue to the water drainage from the wet area south of the rail track bed. This is where I turned around. The Gentlemen in the red shirt just retired from Chicago and has 2 children in the States and two more here at this location. -image #27 to 30 shows the views as I walk north on the west side of the PNR Station. One picture shows the high rise at corner of Ancheta & Mabini Streets which I consider a landmark in my explorations here. The last picture is an old house at the corner of Ancheta & A. Bonifacio Streets. -image#31 to 41 are views of the San Fernando, La Union Harbor, the pictures are sorted in a clockwise fashion although I didn’t shoot the pictures exactly from the same spot. -image #42 to 46 are five images shot on my walk along the Rizal Ave and the Dona Paca Street as I slowly returned to the area of the PND Station. -image #47 to 51 are images as I walked south, down the east side of the PNR Station all the way across Mabini St, and the Catbangen Brgy Hall and to the point where the rail track bed joins the rounded portion of the track going to Poro Point. -image #52 to 56 are images of Mabini Street from the PNR rail track bed, north to Ancheta street. The first pic shows the start of the Don Flores Street. There are public and religious education places along this road. -image #57 to 60 is my walk down the east side of the PNR Station again, onto the Mabini St. and then enter Don Flores Street. The first pic is the name of the high-rise building which I marked as a landmark; it is at the intersection of Mabini and Ancheta Streets. The 2nd pic shows the door open to the old PNR Building and there is now a water hand pump in front. The 3d picture shows the end of the east PNR side and I got to go right, west and join the regular east side of the PNR Station and I met there a group of people who were happy to get a picture taken. -Image #61 to 64 are pictures of the Don Flores Street, This street reminds me what John Duresky said, that Japanese were at doors and windows as the POWs were marched south from the PNR Station. -images #65 to 68 are 4 images from the intersection of the Don Flores Street and the MacArthur Highway. The pictures are views up and down the MacArthur Hwy at this intersection. -image #69 to 75 are images of the MacArthur Highway, going south from the Don Flores intersection, down to the Robinson Mall which is operating but doesn’t show up in Google Earth. Image # 74 is the rail track bed where I started my walk. Image #75 is the rail track bed as it heads south to Manila. -image #76 to 83 are images of the MacArthur Hwy, going south from Robinson Mall in San Fernando to the my Hotel 45 in Bauang. I took pictures of possible places where the POWs were kept on 25th Dec with no water or food; some POWs are flowers and grass. A hole had to be dug for water. -image #84 to 86; image 84 is an entrance perhaps to a now closed former beach resort along the beach area in Bauang. So, many places we used to know here do not exist anymore. Image #85 is the old VFW Cantina of VFW Post 9892; it is now an Arabic Restaurant. The last image is me rewarding myself with SM Light beer at my Hotel 45.
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Post by Karl Welteke on Dec 15, 2022 14:48:18 GMT 8
US Army, Philippine Scouts, on Parade in Olongapo 1941 These Philippine Scouts were US Army Soldiers, recruited in the Philippines, and were stationed in Fort Wint on Grande Island. Fort Wint was part of the Manila and Subic Bay Coast Defense Command (CAC). These Philippine Scout soldiers were mostly led by American Officers and they paraded here on the 30th of May 1941 on Memorial Day. John Duresky, researcher of an author team send these pictures and asked where they marched, see the next paragraph? The Army Lt. Chester K. Britt Research Team finished their book, it is titled: Relentless Hope: A True Story of War and Survival, by David L. Britt Karl, These 4 photos show Chester Britt, the tall, thin man leading the Filipino troops, during a Memorial Day parade May 30, 1941, in Olongapo. Does anything in the photo or the mountains in the background give you any idea of where the photos were taken within Olongapo? Thanks, John These 4 photos are really unique, the only ones I ever saw with the US Army on parade in Olongapo before the war. I added 2 Google Earth images and marked them to explain where most likely the Philippine Scouts from Fort Wint marched in Olongapo in 1941. Zg035. This is an image of Fort Wint Philippine Scouts of the US Army CAC parading thru Olongapo on Memorial Day, the 30th of May 1941. This picture was provided by John Duresky, researcher of an author team that finished their book, it is titled: Relentless Hope: A True Story of War and Survival, by David L. Britt. Zg036. This is an image of Fort Wint Philippine Scouts of the US Army CAC parading thru Olongapo on Memorial Day, the 30th of May 1941. This picture was provided by John Duresky, researcher of an author team that finished their book, it is titled: Relentless Hope: A True Story of War and Survival, by David L. Britt. Zg037. This is an image of Fort Wint Philippine Scouts of the US Army CAC parading thru Olongapo on Memorial Day, the 30th of May 1941. This picture was provided by John Duresky, researcher of an author team that finished their book, it is titled: Relentless Hope: A True Story of War and Survival, by David L. Britt Zg038. This is an image of Fort Wint Philippine Scouts of the US Army CAC parading thru Olongapo on Memorial Day, the 30th of May 1941. This picture was provided by John Duresky, researcher of an author team that finished their book, it is titled: Relentless Hope: A True Story of War and Survival, by David L. Britt Zg039. This is a Google Earth image of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ), the Naval Station part of the former Subic Bay Naval Base. I used it before in other venues but it is good enough to show where I believe the parading soldiers marched. Zg040. This is another unique picture of the former Naval Station Olongapo and the Olongapo Town, shot in 1909, and apparently the Tappan Park was not created yet. I never saw such a complete image of Olongapo before the war.
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