Remembering Leyte

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rogergatal

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Remembering Leyte
« on: November 12, 2008, 03:42:31 AM »
Remembering Leyte
shared by: Fred Natividad
               Livonia, Michigan


I’ve never been to Leyte. I only heard of it in geography class. I heard more about it in the early days of the American liberation of the Philippines in WW II. I would not forget in my hometown one humorous story with the American Leyte landings as a background.



San Juanico Bridge

In my hometown one character ran away from home when he was a teenager. When the US liberation army reached our town this character reappeared in town sporting a new U.S. army khaki uniform complete with the double bars of a captain and a Purple Heart on his chest. He regaled us kids with his exploits in Leyte and even showed a battle scar on his back.

Mac Arthur Park, landing of Gen.Mac Arthur at Leyte

What turned out to be the humor of it all was his blatant impersonation of a United States Army captain. People familiar with him laughed, especially his brother in law, whom he “outranked.” His brother in law was then a second lieutenant who graduated from the prestigious West Point-patterned Philippine Military Academy.



Tacloban City Capitol Building


       
Sto. Nino Cathedral, Tacloban City
We kids did not know that the US army “captain” was really a shiftless character who survived in Manila during the war years as, among others, a bar bouncer and a cab driver. His “battle scar” was actually from a knife wound in a bar fight. When he appeared in town as a captain we didn’t notice as strange that he never reported to any American outfit that was still in town. When the Americans moved south to liberate Manila and the rest of the country this captain finally shed his army uniform and made a living driving jeepneys, that unique Philippine contraption of abandoned US military jeeps converted into tiny busses for hire garishly painted with what is called sarimanok art.

Palo Cathedral



Municipal Plaza in Palo, Leyte

In two generations Americans and Filipinos, except, of course, enthusiasts of military history, may no longer remember the island of Leyte in central Philippines as the site of a dramatic episode in the history of naval warfare. It was on October 20, 1944, when General Macarthur waded ashore on the island with 100,000 troops to begin the liberation of the Philippines from three brutal years of Japanese occupation.

Municipal Building Sta. Fe, Leyte Province


Working on the rice fields inn Sta. Fe

After the landings, American (with Australian assistance) and Japanese navies fought on Leyte Gulf for three days. In terms of men and ships the Battle of Leyte Gulf might well be considered the greatest naval battle in history, the magnitude of which may not happen again because in a future confrontation fewer but more sophisticated naval resources would be needed. Nuclear powered ships, for instance, would reduce the number of vulnerable oil tankers. State of the art submarines could unleash destruction more efficiently than obsolete battleships of WW II vintage…

Alang-alang Cathedral


Municipal Building of Alang-alang, Leyte Province

The future generation may not even remember, as many today may not even be aware, that General Macarthur’s “I Shall Return” promise to the Philippines, which he fulfilled upon landing on Leyte, was only a three-word part of a longer speech he delivered in Australia where he was ordered to escape from his beleaguered command in the Philippines, Bataan and Corregidor in particular.

Municipal Building of Jaro, Leyte Province


Downtown Jaro Municipality

Also, nobody would remember that those three words – even the speech itself – was crafted by Carlos P. Romulo a young Filipino editor of a prewar newspaper who was drafted into the USAFFE (US Armed Forces, Far East) by the general as his propagandist. In later years Romulo became the first Asian to win a Pulitzer Prize on his writings about the war.



Tunga Central Elementary School and the Buildings

More trivia at Leyte that many will forget or probably never knew to begin with...


Pono Elementary School, Carigara, Leyte


Downtown Carigara, Leyte

It was at the Battle of Leyte Gulf where a new Japanese tactic was used. Kamikaze pilots committed suicide by crashing their planes into Allied ships, marking the first time the U.S. navy suffered casualties from such a desperate tactic. It was a heavy price the Japanese paid for their emperor because just by themselves alone, more than 5,000 kamikazes died in the Leyte campaign on top of other Japanese non-kamikaze casualties. In stark contrast the Allies suffered 1,500 casualties.

Terminal and the junction to Biliran Island, Capoocan


Capoocan Municipal Building

Curiously, according to some reports, in spite of the superior number of American ships and planes, luck played a huge part in the American victory. Both combatant navies suffered from imperfect coordination. The Japanese successfully lured a major part of the American ships away from Leyte and due to failed communications nobody succeeded in calling the lured ships back into the Leyte action.

Municipal building of Kananga, Leyte Province


Downtown Kananga

Likewise, the Japanese, also due to imperfect coordination and faulty communication, lost their chance to inflict havoc on the weakly protected beaches where Macarthur landed.

Ormoc City Town Hall


Gaisano Department Store, Ormoc City

In my hometown few will remember, too, how a shiftless character once sported a US army officer’s uniform complete with the double bars of a captain and a Purple Heart and a “battle” scar.

Ormoc Villa Hotel, Ormoc City


Inside of the Ormoc Villa Hotel


Downtown Albuera, Leyte


Bay-bay Leyte Town Hall


Bay-bay Leyte Old Church


Inopacan Cathedral


Inopacan Municpal Office way far from the Highway


Hindang Public Market


Hindang Cathedral


Hilongos Central Elementary School


Hilongos National Vocational School


Bato School of Fisheries


Bato Leyte Public Market


Downtown Matalom, Leyte Province


Matalom Municipality, Leyte Province

Fred Natividad
Livonia, Michigan
« Last Edit: January 25, 2013, 06:48:49 PM by OMG! »
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faye

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Re: Remembering Leyte
« Reply #1 on: November 12, 2008, 05:15:22 AM »

very nice!
the best way to pay for a lovely moment is to enjoy it ever!

Re: Remembering Leyte
« Reply #2 on: November 28, 2008, 09:39:29 PM »
peaceful

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OMG

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Re: Remembering Leyte
« Reply #3 on: April 19, 2009, 09:19:22 AM »
hope joey is reading this,i am looking forward to visit this place someday.

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joeynarte

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Re: Remembering Leyte
« Reply #4 on: April 19, 2009, 02:04:38 PM »
WoW, Mikey! These brings back a lot of memories. I drove the whole Island of Leyte last 2006, Also drove all of Bohol & Negros. It's a whole lot of Adventure everybody should try. Nice Islands, even nicer People!   
« Last Edit: April 20, 2009, 03:25:03 AM by mikey »

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elsa

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Re: Remembering Leyte
« Reply #5 on: April 20, 2009, 05:48:40 PM »
sama ako sa inyo ha?

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OMG

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Re: Remembering Leyte
« Reply #6 on: April 20, 2009, 07:51:42 PM »
WoW, Mikey! These brings back a lot of memories. I drove the whole Island of Leyte last 2006, Also drove all of Bohol & Negros. It's a whole lot of Adventure everybody should try. Nice Islands, even nicer People!   

but i should go to leyte with someone i know

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Babat

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Re: Remembering Leyte
« Reply #7 on: April 20, 2009, 09:51:10 PM »
can I go with you too?  ;)
My Life with Tennis click link 4 details:    http://www.alotbagotchay.blogspot.com

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Re: Remembering Leyte
« Reply #8 on: April 20, 2009, 10:02:58 PM »
can I go with you too?  ;)

taga leyte ka ba?

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Babat

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Re: Remembering Leyte
« Reply #9 on: April 21, 2009, 10:25:54 PM »
taga leyte ka ba?

hindi pa....pero gusto ko na rin pupunta doon... ;D
My Life with Tennis click link 4 details:    http://www.alotbagotchay.blogspot.com

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