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Post by beirutvet on Aug 25, 2021 11:49:33 GMT 8
Hi Kludge
I very much enjoyed watching your videos. Please keep up the good work.
Where exactly was that museum that you got the guided tour through? I would very much like to go there.
Where are you from and where do you reside now? If you are uncomfortable giving out personal info on the site, feel free to 'personal message' me above.
Can we expect more videos from you?
Glad to have you here.
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Post by beirutvet on Aug 25, 2021 11:21:04 GMT 8
Manila 1945-Aftermath- By Paul F. Whitman I have never quite seen a book like this before. Its scope, depth, scholarship and personal touch combined make it something that must be read to fully appreciate. This book, although finely written, is too visual for a mere review here. The photographs (and there must be hundreds) mesmerize the reader, especially one who has been to Manila, and bring to light the utter destruction that the Japanese intentionally and barbarically inflicted on this great city. The level to which it was razed is only equaled by that of Tokyo, Dresden, Hiroshima and the like. Some of the photographs are old and not well preserved, which must be expected. But most of them pop with a crystal clarity that makes you marvel that they are all over 76 years old. I was so glad to see that Mr. Whitman included the reasons that the Japanese did not declare Manila an open city in 1945, as the Americans did to spare innocent lives in 1942. The Japanese were not the slightest bit interested in saving innocent lives, in fact their actions indicate just the opposite. They murdered uncountable men, women and children with their hands bound behind them, but not before these women were repeatedly raped before they were executed. Among these reasons were the facts, know to Japan at the highest levels, that they were losing this war. They had an idea to try and negotiate a cease fire through a country that they were not at war with: Russia. And they needed time. The battle of Manila would give them some time and as well as show the Americans what an invasion of Japan would hold in store for the invaders. And they did not care a bit about the 100,000 civilians that they had already deemed "guerrillas anyhow". The ruse that Yamashita had declared this city open is just that, a ruse. All clearly categorized and enumerated by Mr. Whitman. "Atrocities followed Yamashita like night followed day", Paul wrote. This man can surely turn a phrase. So much of the revisionism we see today is a direct result of Guantanamo Bay. I consider it thoroughly shameless to try to polish the reputation of a despicable human being such as Yamashita for todays political expediency. It was clear that they had no intentions of declaring Manila an open city. Why else would Yamashita re-enforce the troops left behind? This and much more proof is all laid out for you in the pages of this great work. I am not a big fan of MacArthur. But Paul makes many good points about how easy it is to pick apart the man and what he did or did not do. MacArthur must be given his due here. It was not MacArthur's fault what happened in Manila or all of the Philippines, for that matter. The Philippine Islands were a U.S. commonwealth and thus its defense and recapture were a moral obligation to America. Paul Whitman lays this out in the book far better than I can do here. MacArthur did everything he could to limit non combatant casualties, facts that go ignored by the generals of the armchair variety. He forbade the use of aerial (and rather inaccurate by todays standards) bombing as an example. Mr. Whitman quite clearly points out it was the Japanese who wrought the most heinous destruction by, among other means, staging sound gear in front of the largest hospital that would replicate the sound and concussion of artillery being fired to mask where their artillery really was and to inflict harm to those in the hospital by drawing counter-battery fire from the allies. And to make it worse, if this is possible, posted guards outside the hospital with orders to shoot anyone who tried to escape. I was not aware of any of that before I picked up this book. Another example of this authors scholarship is he does not just use American evidence into these atrocities but uses the words of the very Japanese who committed these crimes. You will find here an entire section of excerpts from the diaries of the very barbarians who were torturing, raping and murdering indiscriminately. Do not take the victors word for it, read what these vile men were doing in their own words. And when talking of the revisionists, I felt like standing up and applauding when Paul wrote; "My aversion to smoke blowers would not be complete without mentioning those ever vocal members of the American self-criticism industry who just cannot allow anything positive be said about America, particularly in context of its conduct in the war when the shooting started, and of its ending over Hiroshima and Nagasaki." Well said, Paul! So many times I was looking at these photographs and was orienting my minds eye to places in Manila that I had been to and knew well. There were just enough 'too tough to totally destroy' landmarks left standing that you were able to reconstruct where many things are now standing. I mentioned the personal touch to this book. Paul's father was attached to MacArthur's staff and wrote home consistently. Those letters have all survived to this day giving us a glimpse into what someone would be seeing on the ground during this time. I could not help but feel a fondness for this man I had never met. I am so glad he had a typewriter and a will to use it so often in his travels. It makes this story more personal to all who read the words he wrote so long ago. Did I mention the photographs yet? Page after page of them, some colorized, and all of them as it was then. This is what this city looked like after the Japanese were done with her. If it ever fades from modern memory, just open this book. Read here and get a true feel for the 'Aftermath'. * * * * * Highly Recommended
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Post by beirutvet on Aug 1, 2021 6:46:09 GMT 8
Karl
Great news, indeed! And considering what the Chi-coms are doing, not a minute too soon for the Philippines.
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Post by beirutvet on Aug 1, 2021 6:43:04 GMT 8
EXO
Excellent reading but numerous questions arise.
Am I mistaken or was the primary attack unit an engineering unit? It seems odd that an engineering unit would spearhead the attack.
There was also mention as late as 2 May that a "powerful gun boat unit" was patrolling the area. Bulkeley's MTB 3 had departed for Mindanao on 12 March and did not return so I think they were kind of "padding their stats" there a bit.
Also mentioned was a boat that had sailed immediately after the attack began, heading for Manila under a white flag. Japanese fog of war, urban legend? Take your pick. With the Japanese having complete control of surrounding land , air and sea, it is difficult to believe any of these craft could have gone undetected and unmolested.
Where are you finding all of these great finds, EXO? And can you keep it up?
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Post by beirutvet on Jul 21, 2021 11:42:59 GMT 8
The Admirals Nimitz, Halsey, Leahy and King-The Five Star Admirals Who Won the War at Sea.
Like most people, I suppose, it is hard to look at WWII pictures of these admirals and not forever think of them as grizzly, weather and battle hardened sailors who had lived a life at sea. But that was never always the case, and what went on during that life at sea?
Where were they born and to whom? What was their childhood like? What were their life circumstances? Who were their siblings? How and where were their schoolings? How did they fare at Annapolis? What did their classmates think of them? And of course, how did their careers develop?
It was fascinating reading the answers to all those questions and more.
Also of note was how all four of these officers careers intertwined and fed off each other. The turn of the century navy was a close, tight knit entity where life's trajectories would naturally collide.
Chronicled were many acts of bravery and examples of leadership. Each of these men were so different and it showed nowhere more than in their own individual leadership styles. But even there, each showed a range that could be different from that man's norm.
A good example of this was cited when Nimitz was captain of the cruiser Augusta: The captain was keen on giving every officer and enlisted man "as much responsibility as he could handle" and never shied shied away from giving young ensigns experience at the conn. One day coming into anchorage, a young ensign named Odale D, "Muddy" Waters approached with far too much speed and "had to back the ship full power and lay out 90 fathoms of chain before he got her stopped, then had to heave back 60 fathoms." Captain Nimitz watched the entire procedure without comment and then asked, "Waters, you know what you did wrong, don't you?" "Yes sir, I certainly do, I came in too fast." Nimitz nodded in agreement-end of lesson. Waters later became a rear admiral.
But Nimitz was also not afraid to teach from his own experiences. Coming alongside the anchored oiler Pecos in exceptionally blustery winds, Nimitz himself took the conn. It seemed like a perfect landing until a freak gust of wind sent the Augusta's bow into the lifeboat davits of the Pecos and snagged an anchor just as the lines were being made secure. A quick strain on the number three line and a fortuitous shift of wind untangled the mess, but Nimitz quickly sent for the lieutenant who had been supervising the lines. "Thompson," Nimitz snapped without his usual calm, "what did I do wrong?" E.M. "Tommy" Thompson gulped and then replied, "Well, sir, you were overconfident and misjudged the effect the wind would have on a ship riding lightly on the water." "That's right," Nimitz affirmed. "Now, Thompson, what should I have done?" "Probably the safe thing to have done, sir, would have been to have gone ahead, drop the starboard anchor, and to have backed down on it." "That's right," Nimitz said with a scowl, "and, Thompson, don't you ever forget it!" It was no coincidence that Thompson, too, became a rear admiral. He had a great teacher.
I believe this book provided a lot of insight into the lives and minds of four men who had an outsized effect on the entire war.
***1/2 Recommended
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Post by beirutvet on Jul 20, 2021 20:42:49 GMT 8
Karl
Very good! I look forward to your critique when you are finished.
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Post by beirutvet on Jul 19, 2021 12:29:43 GMT 8
Hey Karl
So glad to have another contributor to this section. Thank you so much for the post.
I remember seeing a little of this story here in other threads. I recognized the picture of that handsome young man in the white suit in the prime of his life. The extent of the damage to his prime from his captivity can only be guessed at. What needs no guessing is the courage needed by all these captives to want to survive through all the torture, degradation and barbarism heaped upon them by an enemy bent on incalculable savagery.
I will get this book and read it.
From a scale of one to five stars, how would you rate this book?
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Post by beirutvet on Jul 18, 2021 11:01:03 GMT 8
Couldn't agree with you more, Calum.
Full speed ahead!
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Post by beirutvet on Jul 11, 2021 11:20:45 GMT 8
'We Remember Bataan And Corregidor by Mariano Villarin The Story of American & Filipino Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor and their Captivity.
Many of us here have read countless books on this subject by American authors, but this is the first time I remember reading one written by a Filipino. Being separated from the American forces after capture, his viewpoint is certainly unique and enlightening. His accounts of the battles before surrender are very detailed and accurate from a single unit perspective. I was very much enthralled with his narrative of this time period. I was impressed with his attention to detail that he was able to achieve in spite of not being able to keep a diary of his many incursions with the Japanese invaders.
Also of great interest to me was his travels after his parole from the Japanese POW camp.
Of particular note, I would like to detail his opinions, and those of others in theater, both American and Filipino of the special relationship between the Americans and Filipinos, civilian and military.
"Why did the Filipino troops under MacArthur and Wainwright fight so much more effectively than the natives of other Southeastern Asian countries who had earlier given up their territories to the Japanese? "Probably the reason" according to John Gunther, "was that the United States had promised them freedom, and that they fought as equals with white troops. The Filipinos were not looked down upon by Americans as an inferior cast . . The Filipinos were trained by Americans to look forward to independence and to stand on their own feet. They have never been politically exploited on anything like the scale of the Indians, say"
"These experiences are supported by other equally famous Writers, statesmen and soldiers. Shortly before the war, Carlos Romulo, then editor and publisher of DMHM Newspapers, a newspaper chain in Manila, (and also later the "Voice of Freedom" broadcasting from Corregidor during those dark days) embarked on a trip to China and southeast Asia. The result was a series of forty-five articles which won him the Pulitzer prize for "better understanding between nations." The incidents Romulo experienced in Hong Kong, Chungking, Burma, Thailand, Dutch East Indies, French Indochina and British Malaya increased his hatred of imperialism and love of democracy. In Chungking Romulo was waiting in line as Chinese customs officials inspected the traveler's luggage. They attended first to the baggage of two Americans who were in line behind Romulo. The Americans told the Chinese officials to take care of Romulo first as he was ahead of them. The Chinese told Romulo, 'Sorry, but we thought you were Chinese.'
In Hong Kong Romulo was in a crowd of Chinese waiting outside the Queens's Theater to see the inauguration of the new British Governor General. Even after presenting his official ticket, he was waved back. 'British first' was the order. He continued, " I worked at the Manila Post Office for six months long before the war and I could see American civilians and service men waiting in line with the Filipinos for their turn at the window. The Philippines was an American colony but that did not give them the right to cut in ahead of the Filipinos in line".
Romulo had found in Bangkok that the country had been preparing for the the Japanese invasion while the British remained unaware. In Burma Romulo had met some Burmese journalists who confessed to him they were anti-British and pro Japanese. When he argued with them they said, "Any situation is better than to be under the British".
One night Romulo was taken to a secret headquarters in Batavia where he met with leaders who had been educated in Holland England and America. They told him, "How fortunate you are in the Philippines . . . Your condition improved under American Rule. What have we to lose under a change of authority"? But they did not know what was in store for them under the Japanese occupation. In a hotel restaurant in occupied French Indochina, two Japanese officers "persuaded" Romulo to move to another table because they wanted to sit at a table facing the window. When he complained to the manager, the Frenchman replied, "Do you want this hotel closed?"
In a speech made by Dr. Jose P, Laurel (later occupation president) in Tokyo in 1942, months after the fall of Corregidor, at a conference chaired by Premier Tojo is apropos here: " . . . For forty years, through such fair and humane treatment, the Americans won the hearts of the Filipino people. Your Excellency now knows how in Bataan our people fought fiercely and died side by side with their American Comrades . . . The Filipinos cannot be easily harnessed to your crusade against the people who had for forty years befriended them-not as you have done to the other Asiatic peoples, whose Dutch and English masters had treated them ill. You see in us Filipinos the same facial lines . . . and yet you are amazed that the Filipinos had refused to lay down their arms until the Americans surrendered first and told them to do so. But we, Filipinos, had been treated differently by our western mentors. While it is natural for the Burmese, the Javanese and the rest of the Asians to seek revenge against their despoilers, it is equally natural for us to recompense our benefactor in his time of need".
"Added flavor is provided by Clark Lee when he wrote, "I have a special interest in the Philippines, having been there when the war started and when it ended; and because I saw how bravely the Filipinos died for us, I have a special love for them . . . They did not . . . have to fight, but they did because they loved us and believed in us."
Finally, General Romulo sums it all up: "That explains why out of all conquered countries the Philippines alone sprang without question to the aid of its conqueror. Without propaganda or flag-waving, it fought . . . for America."
Who could not be inspired by this, especially in light of the incessant demonization of America as a deeply racist country?
* * * * Highly Recommended
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Post by beirutvet on Jun 16, 2021 12:36:00 GMT 8
Just ordered my copy.
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