OTHER HISTORIES - PAGE TWO



     12 APR 45) REGULAR DUTY SUCH AS POLICE CALL, LATRINE

     13 APR 45) DUTY AND GUARD DUTY. RADIO AND RECORD PLAY-

     14 APR 45) ING, MOVIES, ETCETERA, PX.

         

     16 APR 45  MEMORIAL PARADE TO HONOR PRESIDENT’S DEATH.

                 MAY HE REST IN PEACE.

         

     17 APR 45  REGULAR DUTY. GROUP WAS PUT ON ALERT.

         

     22 APR 45  SERUM SHOT IN LEFT ARM. PACKING BOXES,

                 SPECIAL DETAILS WERE CALLED. TRAINING

                 LECTURES. RECEIVED 7 TO 10 SHOTS

         

      9 MAY 45  THE BATTALION BOARDED BLOEMFONTAINE.

         

     10 MAY 44  LEFT GUADALCANAL.

         

     24 MAY 45  DEBARKED AT BUAUN, BATANGAS PROVINCE, LUZON,

                 PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. AT THE TIME WE LANDED THE

                 JAPANESE HAD NOT YET BEEN CLEARED FROM THE AREA

                 BETWEEN BATANGAS AND MANILA. THE ROADWAY WAS

                 ONLY SECURE DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS.

         

      1 JUN 45  MOVED BY DAYTIME CONVOY TO MANILA AND SAW THE

                 REALITY OF WAR AS WE PASSED LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF

                 DOWNED ZERO AIRCRAFT. THE DAILY REPORTS WE HAD

                 BEEN READING OF 100 AND MORE JAPANESE AIRCRAFT

                 SHOT DOWN TO NO ALLIED LOSSES SEEMED LIKE PROPA-

                 GANDA; HOWEVER, SEEING WAS BELIEVING. THERE WERE

                 ZERO FIGHTERS DOWNED ALONGSIDE THE ROAD ALL THE

                 WAY TO MANILA. AN AWESOME SIGHT.

         

     JUL/AUG    OUR TENTS WERE SET UP OUTSIDE THE GUADALUPE

                 MONASTERY. THE ROOF HAD BEEN DEMOLISHED DURING

                 HOSTILITIES. WE SET UP OUR OFFICES IN THE

                 MONASTERY AND MADE IT COMFORTABLE BY INSTALLING

                 A NEW ROOF.

         

                JAPANESE 105 M/M HOWITZER SHELLS AND AERIAL BOMBS

                 WERE STORED AROUND THE PERIMETER. WE EVEN ATE

                 OUR LUNCH SITTING ON TOP OF THE BOMBS. DEMOLI-

                 TION TEAMS REMOVED THE AMMUNITION TO THE BANKS OF

                 THE NEARBY PASSIG RIVER FOR EVENTUAL DISPOSAL.

         

                FIGHTING WAS GOING ON ABOUT FOUR MILES NORTH OF

                 MANILA. WE COULD SEE THE OCCASIONAL FLASH OF

                 CANNON FIRE AS WE WE STOOD FOR REVEILLE. THE

                 SPOKEN "REPORTINGS AND ACCOUNTING FORS" SOMETIMES

                 WERE DROWNED OUT BY AIRCRAFT TAKING OFF FROM THE

                 NEARBY FIELD.

         

                 IT WAS IN MANILA THAT WE HEARD THE CHILLING NEWS

                  THAT WE WERE SCHEDULED FOR THE OLYMPIC OPERATION