Sunday, February 03, 2008

FEBRUARY 3: REMEMBERING THE DESTRUCTION OF MANILA



The Tiger and the Rape of Manila
by Denis Warner, Melbourne
International Herald Tribune

Late in the afternoon of Feb. 3, 1945, the U.S. 1st Cavalry Division was closing in on Manila. Hopes were high that the city would fall to General Douglas MacArthur's forces without bloodshed or damage.

In the evening, an American tank crashed through the gates of Santo Tomas University. The university, established by the Spanish in the early 1600s on the north bank of the Pasig River, had been turned into a concentration camp.

The internees were jubilant at their release. As U.S. forces pressed on toward the center of the city it seemed that the recapture might be painless. Yet a month later, the Philippine capital was in ruins.

Read the rest of the article here.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Dylan,

I don't know if you were able to watch the film "The Great Raid" starred by Cesar Montano and Benjamin Bratt. The film showed how Manila at that time looked like, trams with Meralco signs, plazas...very hispanic and graciously European. One can only hope how to bring back Manila in its glory once more.

Citizen of the World said...

Hey, how have you been? I'm glad that your blog is up and running again!

Anonymous said...

Hi Dylan,

Yeah, It's been a long time. I'm still trying my best to post once in a while.

I'm looking forward to your next travels.

Any update regarding the Met restoration?

cheers.

El Cineasta