World War II Family Odyssey by Yvonne Blancaflor Marwede

Author:Yvonne Blancaflor Marwede [Marwede, Yvonne Blancaflor]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: BookBaby
Published: 2017-04-26T04:00:00+00:00

Ten

LIFE IN THE CITY

Our house in the city was still occupied by the Japanese. They were using it as a radio and communications station, so we continued to stay on with Dorothy and Mani Bernas in Jaro.

They have a two-bedroom house located on the north edge of Jaro. Living quarters are on the upper level. The ground floor was used as an office and kennels before the war, since Dr. Bernas was the city veterinarian.

From the front porch which is nearly covered by a thick growth of morning glory vines, we could see the Jaro Elementary School…about 50 yards away. The school is a sprawling, U-shaped, one-story building. Although the view was somewhat obstructed by the thick foliage, we cut a few holes in the vines in order to see the activities going on in the school. It is now used as a Japanese garrison. They are near enough for us to hear them talk loudly or sing their songs. Sometimes the maid and I would peek through the vines and see the Japanese bathing behind the school and we would giggle at the sight of naked men.

To the right of our house, is the house of Mr. Hernandez. Beyond this house, there is an open field. He and his family are hiding in the hills and the only occupant is an old caretaker his dog.

From our back porch we can look out on an open field, beyond this, about a block away, is the Jaro Cemetery.

Downstairs, one room has been barricaded with thick heavy lumber and sand bags for protection against gunfire. APRIL 1, 1943

Yesterday was Daddy’s birthday, and several friends stopped by. Suzie Guerrero came with a birthday cake made from rice flour. Some of our friends wanted to have a party, but on second thought, my parents decided against it. These days a person has to be very careful of his actions for fear of being misunderstood by either the Japanese or the USAFFE, who have informers in the city. So we had a nice dinner and a quiet round of “Happy Birthday”, topped with a yummy piece of birthday cake.

APRIL 15, 1943

Although the USAFFE (United States Armed Forces of the Far East) has been disbanded, there remain some groups that are very stubborn, and will not give up.

A few days ago, one of these groups went to the town of Ma-asin, the location of the city reservoir, and cut off the water supply. The Japanese sent two trucks of soldiers, and some Filipinos to repair the damage. On their return trip, one truck was blown up, killing ten Japanese and three Filipinos.

APRIL 27, 1943

Today the S.S. BANAHAO, a former Coast Guard cutter now in the hands of the Japanese, was sunk by an American submarine off the coast of San Joaquin, not far from Iloilo. Imagine the excitement of the people knowing that an American submarine is near our island! The Japanese have stopped shipping from island to island knowing Americans are nearby.

MAY, 1943 Mommy was admitted to St.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.