Post by Karl Welteke on Mar 15, 2009 14:52:10 GMT 8
This visit was special because we met another group of visitors and that is why I call this visit “The VIP Visit”. The Gen. MacArthur Museum in Norfolk visited the Island. As always I let my images do the talking and here is the URL; it has 3 sub albums which you need to click on:
s74.photobucket.com/albums/i265/PI-Sailor/Corregidor%20at%20Random/CI%20Random%20Subalbum%20No%201/CI%20Visit%202009%20Mar%202%20to%204%20w%20VIPs/
You have to click on 1 of 3 sub albums!
Here is my dairy of that visit; it is more of a chronology of our activities:
Corregidor Dairy 2nd to 5th March 2009
VIP Visit
The Archivist of the Gen. MacArthur Museum in Norfolk VA, Jim Zobel, was visiting the Philippines and on these dates he was on Corregidor. Lou Jurika, now residing in the USA, was his companion and guide. Lou’s Family has resided in the Philippine and during the war was involved in the resistance.
Lou’s cousin, Peter Parsons, is a son of the famous Chick Parson, the leading figure in the secret war, supplying and coordinating guerilla activities in the Philippines was also along.
They knew about Paul Whitman, the web master of the very large Corregidor web page and asked him to lent his knowledge of Corregidor and I’m Paul’s right hand man.
The Philippine Department of Tourism, the Corregidor Foundation INC and the Filipino~American Memorial Endowment INC organized a Commemoration to remember the 64th Anniversary of Retaking Corregidor on 2nd March 1945.
On that date Gen. MacArthur returned to Corregidor and received the recaptured island from the ‘Rock Force’ and ordered the Colors raised on the old Fort Mills Flagpole.
The VIPs came with the Sun Cruises Ferry and Paul and I came by boat from Bataan. We all met at the North Mine Wharf, went to the Corregidor Inn, checked in, made our acquaintance and proceeded topside.
The above Organizations had everything ready; although it drizzled a little at times the ceremony went off without a hitch. The wreaths were placed at the ‘Rock Force Memorial’ and Steve Kwiecinski was asked by the CFI Executive Lt. Col. Matibag to give a short 5 minute speech.
Steve Kwiecinski is the son of a Sergeant at Battery Way which fired its last operational 12 inch mortar until the last moment in 1942. The Sergeant survived the firestorm on Corregidor and the long imprisonment by the Japanese. His son, Steve Kwiecinski who was involved with Veteran Tours to the Philippines in the past was invited to reside on Corregidor. A Deputy Secretary of the Philippine Department of Tourism was also present.
After placing the wreaths our party went to the Old Fort Mills Flagpole and observed the 64 Anniversary of Gen. MacArthur ordering the raising of the Colors. The whole ceremony was also observed by 2 trolley loads of Corregidor visitors who had come on the scene. Maybe CFI had it planned this way. The CFI staff done everything well and they looked spiffy and sharp!
We looked over the Ft. Mill’s HQ ruins and drove to Battery Ramsey, looked that over and called it a forenoon.
In the afternoon we walked to the two remaining accessible Navy Tunnels, walked around the south side of Malinta Hill, to Infantry Point past the houses of Gen. MacArthur, the President of the Philippine Commonwealth and the Philippine High Commissioner and looked over the ammunition bunker near the Infantry Point batteries.
In the evening we had a thorough tour thru the Malinta Hill Tunnels. After that we socialized at the now famous Gen. MacArthur Café and got to know each other better.
On the 2nd day, in the morning we started out at the Spanish Light House and area, preceded past the Senior Officer Quarters to a Command Complex (heavy concrete construction). In the floor it has a tunnel that runs to the area of the 5 Quartermaster ware houses which we followed.
From there we went along the Pacific War Memorial to the Museum and spend considerable time there. After all there is much to see. I took some more pictures of some of the exhibits.
From there we walked past the ‘ The Mile Long Barracks’, to Battery Hearn, then to Battery Way which is very dear to Steve Kwiecinski, the battle station of his father. Next came the Hospital and we requested a pick up from the hotel for lunch.
In the afternoon I showed Lou some of images of the Bataan West Coast because he is interested in the ‘Battle of the Points’ and I’m quite familiar with them because I hiked there numerous times. The other people went Topside again and looked at Wheeler Tunnel and other interesting points.
Late in the afternoon Kindley Field was our target of interest. We looked at the field and the defense positions there. That was the end of touring. We called it a day and socialized.
On the 3rd day in the morning I went onto the South Wharf and got some sunrise shots. I met Lou there and he showed me where turtles laid and buried eggs the night before. I had seen the little turtles crawl into the sea here in previous years.
After a nice social breakfast we all said goodbye. Lou, Jim the Archivist and I took a boat to Bataan. I headed home to Olongapo City after I turned over my new friends to Edna Binkowski, the Bataan Historian and author. She will take care of them for two days.
My dairies are never meant to be very detailed, they are rather a chronology as to where I went or what I seen. I rather have my pictures tell the many details, so enjoy them!
PS: Warning, beware, I picked up a bad infection in my right knee from crawling around the Malinta Hill Tunnel during the “Flag Detail” visit on 16th of Feb 2009. 5days of oral antibiotic didn’t do much and into hospital I went for 4 days of IV anti biotic treatment and that is doing the trick. On 14th of Mar I got out of the hospital and only today the 15th of Mar I’m putting down this dairy.
END
URLs:
The Gen. MacArthur Memorial Museum- www.macarthurmemorial.org/
The great Corregidor web page- corregidor.org/
The Battling Bastards of Bataan:- home.pacbell.net/fbaldie/Battling_Bastards_of_Bataan.html
s74.photobucket.com/albums/i265/PI-Sailor/Corregidor%20at%20Random/CI%20Random%20Subalbum%20No%201/CI%20Visit%202009%20Mar%202%20to%204%20w%20VIPs/
You have to click on 1 of 3 sub albums!
Here is my dairy of that visit; it is more of a chronology of our activities:
Corregidor Dairy 2nd to 5th March 2009
VIP Visit
The Archivist of the Gen. MacArthur Museum in Norfolk VA, Jim Zobel, was visiting the Philippines and on these dates he was on Corregidor. Lou Jurika, now residing in the USA, was his companion and guide. Lou’s Family has resided in the Philippine and during the war was involved in the resistance.
Lou’s cousin, Peter Parsons, is a son of the famous Chick Parson, the leading figure in the secret war, supplying and coordinating guerilla activities in the Philippines was also along.
They knew about Paul Whitman, the web master of the very large Corregidor web page and asked him to lent his knowledge of Corregidor and I’m Paul’s right hand man.
The Philippine Department of Tourism, the Corregidor Foundation INC and the Filipino~American Memorial Endowment INC organized a Commemoration to remember the 64th Anniversary of Retaking Corregidor on 2nd March 1945.
On that date Gen. MacArthur returned to Corregidor and received the recaptured island from the ‘Rock Force’ and ordered the Colors raised on the old Fort Mills Flagpole.
The VIPs came with the Sun Cruises Ferry and Paul and I came by boat from Bataan. We all met at the North Mine Wharf, went to the Corregidor Inn, checked in, made our acquaintance and proceeded topside.
The above Organizations had everything ready; although it drizzled a little at times the ceremony went off without a hitch. The wreaths were placed at the ‘Rock Force Memorial’ and Steve Kwiecinski was asked by the CFI Executive Lt. Col. Matibag to give a short 5 minute speech.
Steve Kwiecinski is the son of a Sergeant at Battery Way which fired its last operational 12 inch mortar until the last moment in 1942. The Sergeant survived the firestorm on Corregidor and the long imprisonment by the Japanese. His son, Steve Kwiecinski who was involved with Veteran Tours to the Philippines in the past was invited to reside on Corregidor. A Deputy Secretary of the Philippine Department of Tourism was also present.
After placing the wreaths our party went to the Old Fort Mills Flagpole and observed the 64 Anniversary of Gen. MacArthur ordering the raising of the Colors. The whole ceremony was also observed by 2 trolley loads of Corregidor visitors who had come on the scene. Maybe CFI had it planned this way. The CFI staff done everything well and they looked spiffy and sharp!
We looked over the Ft. Mill’s HQ ruins and drove to Battery Ramsey, looked that over and called it a forenoon.
In the afternoon we walked to the two remaining accessible Navy Tunnels, walked around the south side of Malinta Hill, to Infantry Point past the houses of Gen. MacArthur, the President of the Philippine Commonwealth and the Philippine High Commissioner and looked over the ammunition bunker near the Infantry Point batteries.
In the evening we had a thorough tour thru the Malinta Hill Tunnels. After that we socialized at the now famous Gen. MacArthur Café and got to know each other better.
On the 2nd day, in the morning we started out at the Spanish Light House and area, preceded past the Senior Officer Quarters to a Command Complex (heavy concrete construction). In the floor it has a tunnel that runs to the area of the 5 Quartermaster ware houses which we followed.
From there we went along the Pacific War Memorial to the Museum and spend considerable time there. After all there is much to see. I took some more pictures of some of the exhibits.
From there we walked past the ‘ The Mile Long Barracks’, to Battery Hearn, then to Battery Way which is very dear to Steve Kwiecinski, the battle station of his father. Next came the Hospital and we requested a pick up from the hotel for lunch.
In the afternoon I showed Lou some of images of the Bataan West Coast because he is interested in the ‘Battle of the Points’ and I’m quite familiar with them because I hiked there numerous times. The other people went Topside again and looked at Wheeler Tunnel and other interesting points.
Late in the afternoon Kindley Field was our target of interest. We looked at the field and the defense positions there. That was the end of touring. We called it a day and socialized.
On the 3rd day in the morning I went onto the South Wharf and got some sunrise shots. I met Lou there and he showed me where turtles laid and buried eggs the night before. I had seen the little turtles crawl into the sea here in previous years.
After a nice social breakfast we all said goodbye. Lou, Jim the Archivist and I took a boat to Bataan. I headed home to Olongapo City after I turned over my new friends to Edna Binkowski, the Bataan Historian and author. She will take care of them for two days.
My dairies are never meant to be very detailed, they are rather a chronology as to where I went or what I seen. I rather have my pictures tell the many details, so enjoy them!
PS: Warning, beware, I picked up a bad infection in my right knee from crawling around the Malinta Hill Tunnel during the “Flag Detail” visit on 16th of Feb 2009. 5days of oral antibiotic didn’t do much and into hospital I went for 4 days of IV anti biotic treatment and that is doing the trick. On 14th of Mar I got out of the hospital and only today the 15th of Mar I’m putting down this dairy.
END
URLs:
The Gen. MacArthur Memorial Museum- www.macarthurmemorial.org/
The great Corregidor web page- corregidor.org/
The Battling Bastards of Bataan:- home.pacbell.net/fbaldie/Battling_Bastards_of_Bataan.html