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Post by Karl Welteke on Mar 14, 2010 19:58:40 GMT 8
Like almost every year some of us Corregidor Friends and students of history gathered on Corregidor in Feb 2010 to remember the raising of the US Flag on the day of the Paratroop and Amphibious Assault on Corregidor, 16th Feb 1945. Myself was 4 days on the island and this is the report and the images of the 1st day. This sharing album has 51 images: s74.photobucket.com/albums/i265/PI-Sailor/Corregidor%20at%20Random/CI%20Random%20Subalbum%20No%201/CI%20Visit%202010%20Feb%2015%20to%2018%20Flag%20Detail/1st%20Day%2015%20Feb%20G1%20B-Smith/Here is the 1st day report: Corregidor Diary 2010, 15th Feb. to 18th Day One, Monday the 15th Feb. Arrived with PFW on C. I. about noon and checked in the Corregidor Inn. We met the Kwiecinski family and contacted John Moffit and Tom Aring by phone. They were off by themselves and had arrived a few days earlier. After settling in PFW and I got a ride from the hotel and went to Battery Hearn, to start our search for G-1. Staying on top of the ridge and walking toward Battery Smith we found G-1 and checked it out. Then we proceeded to Battery Smith rail entrance. There we noticed a drain box culvert under the path to the rear of Battery Smith; about 30 feet long, 6 feet wide by 4 feet high. Uphill of that and next to the trail to the rear of Battery Smith were remnants of work space. This and the culvert above I never had noticed before. We stopped by the Ord. Repair shop and I took some pics of the former QM auto and repair shop. After that, PFW and I followed the rail line to the Parade ground and then the Old Flagpole to meet our ride. After we were dropped off at MacArthur Café and met the Kwiecinski couple, Tom and John. We had supper and discussed things. We made plans for the flag raising tomorrow. END It will take me time until I upload the reports and images of the other 3 days, I’m busy. Karl
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Post by Karl Welteke on Mar 18, 2010 13:18:20 GMT 8
The URL of the album of our 2nd day: s74.photobucket.com/albums/i265/PI-Sailor/Corregidor%20at%20Random/CI%20Random%20Subalbum%20No%201/CI%20Visit%202010%20Feb%2015%20to%2018%20Flag%20Detail/2nd%20Day%2016%20Feb%20B-Cheney%20area%20Flag%20Detail/And here is the report: Corregidor Dairy 2010, 15th Feb. to 18th Day Two, Tuesday the 16th Feb. Today was the anniversary of the assault of Corregidor to recapture it and for several years we have come here to raise the US 48 Star flag on the Old Spanish Flagstaff. Hotel provided transportation and we met the CFI Staff. While waiting I walked to near the Officer Club and checked out that now abandoned communication place. I understand that was put on Corregidor much later after 1945. Returned via the Senior Officer Quarters and had missed the Flag Raising. Then Tom Aring , AJM and I, after taking a few shots around the Old Spanish Flag Pole went to Battery Boston and AJM showed us another AA gun position then clearly showed the 4 holes where the AA gun outriggers were imbedded. On the way to Battery Cheney we went past the Battery Wheeler control station above Wheeler Point, a concrete structure with a large concrete pipe going down the cliff, the E-II-2 station and found one of the 11 AA gun position concrete bases (south end) and then looked for the Battery West 155 mm gun block. After trying for some time we found it, it is hard to see because is hidden under a heavy tropical growth. AJM and I tried to clear it and succeeded more than in other times before. It also has a large bomb or artillery impact hole inland of it. It is located near the cliff. Then all 3 of us searched the whole area NW of Battery Cheney and found one more concrete foundation for the row of 11 AA guns, the G-II-3, the EG-III-3, a three wall hefty concrete structure, a 6 to 8 foot Diameter round and flat concrete base and many earthen type Machine gun defense positions. We assume they were used for AA machine guns. I proceeded down to the Cheney trail and returned to Battery Cheney that way. Evidence of the past project to use the trail for dirt biking was still visible. The other two went the way we came and we met at the battery. I reached the Battery Cheney much earlier and took a few pics. I followed the Battery Cheney rail track to near the west end of the ‘Mile Long Barracks’ My 2 friends returned by themselves. Along the track I identified the structures on the map and others and culverts under the rail track marked or unmarked on the map. Then I walked back along the ‘Mile Long Barracks’, north side, down the ’Stairway to Heaven‘, the shortcut to the Stockade level and continued to MacArthur Café and called it a day. After cleaning up, getting ready for the next day, we all get together share meals, stories and beer. This is always an enjoyable event on our C. I. visits. END
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Post by Karl Welteke on Mar 21, 2010 16:24:30 GMT 8
Here is the URL of the 3rd Day image album: s74.photobucket.com/albums/i265/PI-Sailor/Corregidor%20at%20Random/CI%20Random%20Subalbum%20No%201/CI%20Visit%202010%20Feb%2015%20to%2018%20Flag%20Detail/3rd%20Day%2017%20Feb%20Tailend/And here is the 3rd Day Report: Day Three, Wednesday the 17th Feb. All of us wanted to see the clearing job that the Bolo Boys (that is what I call them) who are engaged and paid by the Kwiecinski family and contributions thru FAME have done in the Officer Quarters on the Tailend. These are the quarters where General MacArthur, and the Philippine Commonwealth High Commissioner were living during the Siege in 1942. We were impressed and liked what we saw; I took a lot of pictures and will let them tell the story. We also went to the 3 Door Magazine near Battery Kysor and looked at the recent scrapping damage there and took more pictures of that. All my other companions went other places and I proceeded to the Kindley Air Field because we heard that a proper memorial is being build there for the Jabidah incident. On the way there I noticed the continuing effort to clear foliage from the side of the streets to keep them drier and cleaner. The Japanese Pease Garden was next and I took more pictures there. On the way to MacArthur café I wanted to find the large round concrete circle that AJM had found. I found it and as he said it is on the north east slopes of Malinta Hill just before the road starts down to go passed the Malinta Hill North entrance; that is coming from the east. After that I called it a day, that means cleaning up, taking care of the pictures and getting ready for the next day. Eating and socializing with friends is always next on the agenda. END
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Post by Karl Welteke on Apr 13, 2010 18:34:12 GMT 8
The URL of the album of our 4th day: s74.photobucket.com/albums/i265/PI-Sailor/Corregidor%20at%20Random/CI%20Random%20Subalbum%20No%201/CI%20Visit%202010%20Feb%2015%20to%2018%20Flag%20Detail/4th%20Day%2018th%20Feb%20B-James%20Zip-Line/And here is the report: Corregidor Dairy 2010, 15th Feb. to 18th Day Four, Thursday the 18th Feb. We made this a light day and just walked the road from Middleside to Battery James and back to Bottomside via the North Road. First we stopped at the abandoned Monkey Quarantine Station and see what is left of it. It was part of program to catch monkeys for commercial and research projects and at the same time help to control the monkey population on Corregidor. Battery James is another location the Bolo Boys of the Kwiecinski family have cleared for the pleasure and interest of people visiting Corregidor. At Battery James they done another great job and let the images convince you. I also wanted to find the Emergency Mine Control, which on the map is indicated as “EM, W and EM, E First Mine”. This time with a map I found it promptly. On the way back to the hotel I took a few pictures. At the hotel took more pictures of the new Zipline project of the hotel. This visit Steve Foster wanted to return with us to Subic Bay, so at noon we boarded the Villa Carmen boat and boated to Cabcaben and drove to Subic Bay. On the way out from the landing we noticed two US fast boats tied up at the Engineering Wharf. I have no idea where they came from. Perhaps they belong to our Special Forces which advice the RP Military in the south. Also a small RP Navy Patrol boat is tying up pretty regular on Corregidor Island these days. END
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