The Civilized Country of the Philippines (45)

January 21, 1945
     We moved 18 miles inland to Malasiqui, to wait.  We passed thru San Jacinto.  We camped in a field behind a school house in which the 29th Evac is set up.  They have a nice deal.
     [Eugene] Nygren died yesterday of his wounds.  That makes 4 of them.  Burroughs gets the Purple Heart, naturally.

Modified Rand McNally map of area north of Manila

January 22, 1945
     Attended a tea dance at the home of an ex-judge.  All the men and women were well dressed.  Some of the girls had very frilly dresses.  Some men wore an organdy-type cloth, of a coat-like cut, with embroidery and very fancy.  A lady sang who had an operatic career.  There was an elaborate tea - 4 or 5 kinds of sweet, gooey stuff and 3 or 4 kinds of rice-cake and rice flour things.

You'll notice a description of this dance is missing in Gene's letter to Beth's sister.  Nothing he couldn't talk about happened, but sometimes it's easier not to have to explain.

22 Jan. '44
Dear Folks [Mary X and John],

Bombed cathedral in San Fabian

Interior of the bombed cathedral in San Fabian

     So I finally made it!  We had a rough time of it one afternoon from some Nip suicide planes.  5 or 6 were shot down, and they did little damage.  We sat in the bay for a few days and had a good view of the artillery work at the end of our beachhead.  When we came ashore, we set up camp a few miles inland for a few days and were able to see the sights. [No mention of the nighttime "sights" they had 4 nights before!]  There are some very interesting old churches - some dating back 200 years to the Spaniards.  Oh I'm taking lots of pictures.  Yesterday we moved further inland.  The sky probably won't be as cloudy here as the coast.  There are lots of rice paddies, banana trees, coconut palms, bamboo clumps, locust trees, a few bougainvillea vines, gardens, but few (if any) orange trees.  This is the season of rice harvest.  But the novel thing to us is the civilization!  People who speak English, who are clean and wear clean clothes, who are courteous!  Roosters crowing in the morning, streets and houses!  Kids and women around!  They will wash your clothes, cut your hair, supply bathing or shower privileges, sell bananas, eggs, live or cooked chickens.  They want clothes badly, though we aren't supposed to trade clothes.  However it is done.  Bananas are small, but good.  And what a treat!

Mothers (two species!), grandmother and children in San Fabian
(is the father not there because he is a guerrilla?)

     We've had no mail for over a month.  When that fancy cloth arrives, I'll be able to trade it with the greatest of ease.
     Love, Eugene

January 23, 1945
     Prof. Barria gave us a piano concert at the nun's house [convent].

January 26, 1945
     4 of us went to San Carlos to see the sights, 7 km [about 4 1/2 miles].  The 21st Evac (of Bougainville) is set up in the large church.  Mighty nice.
     While waiting for a truck, one MP asked us to go on a Jap hunt.  We weren't keen on it, so didn't go.  They had 15 surrounded in a patch of jungle.  We had no helmets, canteens, only our carbines.
     We saw a female guerrilla - she was pretty.  She was with a young guerrilla who had a maytag gun [?cheap gun?].  she wore a pistol.