Monday, August 12, 2019







A reflection of Our Family's Milestones and Challenges as life moves on....by ASC












1908 NewAmericanUniversity
Founding of our beloved University of the Philippines IN 1908
The University of the Philippines was established in 1908 as the American University of the Philippines by an act of the First Philippine Legislature Act No. 1870, otherwise known as the University Charter, specified the function of the University, which is to provide advanced instruction in literature, philosophy, the sciences, and arts, and to give professional and technical training.


The University began with the College of Fine Arts, the College of Liberal Arts, and the College of Medicine and Surgery occupying buildings distributed along Padre Faura (Ermita district) and R. Hidalgo 1937 ATTY. EULALIO LEGASPI  GRADUATED AND WAS NUMBER TWO IN THE BAR EXAM, NUMBER ONE WAS C. PALMA, BOTH OF THEM WERE CLASSMATES AT UP COLLEGE OF LAW AT PADRE FAURA AT TAFT AVENUE MANILA 
CLARO M RECTO AT THE MIDDLE BESIDE LUCINA OCAMPO













1942 A gleam in your father's eyes were you
Universityof the PhilippinesClosed inWWII During World War II, U.P. had to close most of its colleges except the Colleges of Medicine, Pharmacy, and Engineering. Meanwhile, the Japanese Imperial Army occupied two Diliman campus buildings: the College of Liberal Arts Building (now Benitez Hall) and the Colleges of Law and Business Administration Building (now Malcolm Hall). After the war, the new Diliman buildings were devastated. U.P. President Bienvenido Gonzales sought a grant of Php13 million from the US-Philippines War Damage Commission. A massive rehabilitation and construction effort was executed by the university during the post war years. For the first time, an extensive Diliman campus master plan and map were created in 1949. The map created what became visions for Diliman’s expansion projects. More buildings were to be built across the Diliman campus’ landscape: the University Library (Gonzalez Hall), the College of Engineering (Melchor Hall), the Women's Residence Hall (now Kamia Residence Hall), the Conservatory of Music (Abelardo Hall), the Administration Building (Quezon Hall), and the U.P. President's Residence . Most colleges and administration offices were temporarily housed in huts and shelters made of sawali and galvanized iron...

By June 1942, the Japanese controlled most of the Pacific area (Corregidor Photos), Malaya. Parts of Burma and Thailand, Indo-China, Hong Kong, the Dutch East Indies and the Philippines. However, the navies of America and Japan fought two epic battles in April and June that changed the course of World War II. Victories in the Coral Sea and at Midway Island shifted the advantage to the Allies in the Pacific.






  The four-day Battle of the Coral Sea started when the Americans decoded Japanese invasion plans for Port Moresby, New Guinea, and Tulagi, in the Solomon Islands. America sent a naval force to stop the Japanese troops. The enemy ships never met each other, but from May 2 through May 6, both fleets attacked each other with waves of fighter planes and bombers. The Japanese lost 70 planes and its light carrier Shoho. The American losses included 66 planes and the aircraft carrier Lexington, a vital oceangoing carrier. Although victorious in terms of ship tonnage sunk, Japan lost too many fighter pilots to continue with the invasions. Thus its southward advances were halted.











WITH UP PREP CLASS 61
Dec 1969:MARISSA DEPARTURE TO USA WITH LOLO AYONG: Destination San Francisco....Yes, in life we all reach a crossroad sometime. We make painful decisions and take some risks as we pursue our dreams. 

 April 1967: Blessing of the Rings Graduation Ceremonies STC Class of 1967, Marissa graduated Summa Cum Laude BSBA. I believe music reinforces the efficiencies of the brain's connections, it is also true that being wise is inherited from good stock. Although, the selection process is eternally perplexing, the myriads of likes and dislikes filter our personalities to no end. However, never mind that, as I believe that the merging of our lives was that of fate and destiny in the cosmic design inherent in all living things. Whether or not you believe it to be true, I dreamt of her 15 years before we met, the street where she lived and the likeness of the child that she was. The music alone is a gift, music alone shall live never to die in our hearts. 
 At Sierra Madre with younger siblings ILO AND BOY: My little gel!!
Destination San Francisco. "If you're going to San Francisco,be sure to wear some flowers in your hair...If you're going to San Francisco,Summertime will be a love-in there" I remember my first walk/day here in the US. I came over in the late sixties, and was somewhat aware of the scenes, mostly was involved in search of a job. Funny, when we look back, we think, we squandered the times of our life when our hormones were in tune with our desires. I was single then, going to school in San Francisco and also here in Sacramento CSUS during those days really experienced the happening, although a little bit subdued due to work in the day time. That song forever imprinted in my mind "San Francisco" it became an instant hit and quickly transcended its original purpose by popularizing an idealized image of San Francisco. As the memories flicker down the memory lane, I wish to live back in the sixties with the images of the hills over the bay frozen in time. 
 OUR WEDDING DAY AUNTIE NENE, MARGIE, LOLO AYONG, CELLES, JUNIOR, THE JARINS AND THE CLARIDGES AS OUR GUESTS


RECEPTION WAS AT THE  Empress of China restaurant, which opened in San Francisco on Grant Avenue in 1966. The restaurant is well known for its intricate centuries-old chandeliers. Countless weddings and events have been hosted there. It was also visited by its fair share of celebrities over the years.



 1964: My admiration forever of the Legaspis' who met in college, both graduates of Class 1936 UP College of Law and got a lovely daughter. 





 A former UP Prep High schoolmate among the class of STC 67, 2nd from the left Carol Joy Cocjin. 
WITH CLASS 1962 PMA FAR END ARE THE MAYO  BROTHERS
 The girls of St. Theresa, despidida to Carmelita Carabuena beside Marissa shows the innocense of the young ladies above, untouched by the sixties youth revolution remained in my mind. Why someday, one of them will be my partner in life. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGvXgwlA3kQ&NR=1 We have uncertainties about the future, the world was unstable enough, and to live life to the fullest, I have to start a family. In addition to the Vietnam War the United States was being rocked by the Civil Rights Movement and riots in the streets. Western Europe was experiencing a wave of domestic terrorist groups. The Middle East was in turmoil over the Six Day War. Czechoslovakia had tried to liberalize their Communist government and been invaded by Russia. This was the height of the Cold War and the United States and the Soviet Union were nose to nose armed to the teeth with nuclear weapons. There was a lot going on in addition to the Cultural Revolution and Vietnam War.
 The girls of St. Theresa class 67 MILA FAR LEFT BECAME THE WIFE OF MY COUSIN QRLANDO
 Eureka, Sweet destiny how long have you been looking for me? by way of the Omega!! People we meet bring life alive, another Alexander by fate introduced for me to see, getting to know one another in time, sometimes you win


 SOMEWHERE OFFSHORE




Muse APO DELTA 1966




Dewey Blvd below: The jetty potruding to Manila Bay is the future Cultural Center, on the other side of Dewey is the Manila Naval Station (MNS) where we lived from 1965 to 1966. the headquarters of the Philippine Navy was relegated to a small block of land south of the Manila Yacht Club. The original plan was to reclaim the site of the cultural center(CC) to replace the location of the MNS by the Central Bank. Imelda Marcos, saw this valuable real state and confiscated the plan for her project the now CC. The yacht club remained, the Navy base (MNS) was transferred to Fort Bonifacio.





The summer sun is sinking low;
Only the tree-tops redden and glow:
Only the weathercock on the spire
Of the neighboring church is a flame of fire;
     All is in shadow below.
O beautiful, awful summer day,
What hast thou given, what taken away?
Life and death, and love and hate,
Homes made happy or desolate,
     Hearts made sad or gay!
On the road of life one mile-stone more!
In the book of life one leaf turned o'er!
Like a red seal is the setting sun
On the good and the evil men have done,--










     Naught can to-day restore!
Before sunrise, on August 6, 1945, an American B-29 bomber named Enola Gay set off from Tinian Island,
in the Marianas. Over Hiroshima, Japan, at 8.15am, it released one bomb. Instantly, 80,000 people died,
and most of Hiroshima was completely wiped out. President Harry S Truman told the American people:
"Sixteen hours ago an American airplane dropped one bomb on Hiroshima...
If they do not now accept our terms, they may expect a rain of ruin from the sky the likes of which has
never been seen on this earth"
Two days after Hiroshima, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan (as agreed at the February Yalta Conference between the big three – Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin) and invaded Japanese-held Manchuria.
On August 10, America dropped a second atomic bomb, killing 40,000 in Nagasaki.
On August 14, Japan surrendered unconditionally. The following day, Emperor Hirohito addressed his nation over the radio for the first time. Explaining that the enemy "has begun to employ a new and most cruel bomb, the power of which to do damage is indeed incalculable," he announced Japan’s acceptance of Allied terms. Thus ended World War II.
On September 2, aboard the US battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay, General MacArthur, the Allied Supreme Commander, received the surrender documents.
The bloodiest conflict in history ended with an even greater threat of inconceivable violence.
Humanity had obtained the power to destroy the entire world. Till today, debates continue, as to the necessity of using nuclear weapons against Japan.















AT MOTY'S POST BREAKFAST WEDDING RECEPTION


ROUEN TODAY WHERE JEAN D'ARC WAS BURNED AT THE STAKES





 2002 Somewhere in the Pacific Atoll of Kwajalein. Of the 29 atolls, 27 are accessible by small plane (Air Marshall Islands). Majuro and Kwajalein atolls, the two population centres are serviced by both Air Marshall Islands and Continental Air Micronesia Jet Aircraft. Kwajalein Atoll is in the heart of the Marshall Islands. It lies in the Ralik Chain, 2,100 nmi (2,400 mi; 3,900 km) southwest of Honolulu, Hawaii at 8°43′N 167°44′E. Kwajalein is the world's largest coral atoll and comprises 93 islands and islets, it has a land area of 1,560 acres (6.33 km²),[1]:12 and surrounds one of the largest lagoons in the world, measuring 324 mi² (839 km²) in size.

The two most significant land masses are Kwajalein Island in the south, and the linked islands of Roi-Namur in the north. By the start of World War II, the Marshalls (South Pacific Mandate) were already an integral part of the Japanese perimeter of defense. Its facilities were being utilized as outlying bases for submarines and surface warships, as well as for air staging for future advances being planned against Ellice, the Fiji Islands, and Samoa.

The Battle of Kwajalein was fought as part of the Pacific campaign of World War II. It took place from 31 January-3 February 1944, on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Employing the hard-learned lessons of the battle of Tarawa, the United States launched a successful twin assault on the main islands of Kwajalein in the south and Roi-Namur in the north. The Japanese defenders put up stiff resistance, although outnumbered and under-prepared. The determined defense of Roi-Namur left only 51 survivors of an original garrison of 3,500.

For the US, the battle represented both the next step in its island-hopping march to Japan and a significant moral victory because it was the first time the Americans had penetrated the "outer ring" of the Japanese Pacific sphere. For the Japanese, the battle represented the failure of the beach-line defense. Japanese defenses became prepared in depth, and the battles of Peleliu, Guam, and the Marianas proved far more costly to the US.
Marissa playing America the Beautiful, The Theme from the American Civil War, O'Sheanandoah, Ang Bayan Ko

As she plays these melodic patriotic songs, I begin to reminisce,  my stay at Rizal Hall. I have passed over 70 years of my life, but I still have vivid memories of the halls, and classrooms at the University of the Philippines in Manila. I can not deny my deep feeling of warmth to this great school. Among the colleges that I have attended in the Philippines and in the USA during my academic life, my particular fondness is always with the University of the Philippines.  I and like every alumni of the U. P. Preparatory High School should be so proud of this University and the rich traditions that it represents…ASC


When we were young, we were in a hurry to grow up
The future a dream and now the reality
These were icons of our mind as kids
Now we know and we have learned

Tomorrow, the tomorrow is uncertain
With unknown script
You don't know how
Life can bring it
Because everything is passing
And what will happen tomorrow
Nobody knows.

Now that our wish came true
To become adults, our life is complete
Time is not enough for our dreams anymore
Our childhood is gone…
The Captain's Table, opposite us Judith and Wayne my warm immediate friends



At Prep High, Charmaine is our school song, and it begins like this… I wonder if you will remember? Prep High, Prep High

I wonder if you will remember? 
        Prep High, Prep High. 
I wonder when Prep High is calling, 
        Will you come back again?

I wonder if you'll keep on striving 
        For the welfare of our land? 
I hope you will keep e'er alight 
        The bright flames 
        Of leadership learned at Prep High

You'll go away graduation day 
        We know you have to go 
        'Mid tears and cheers we'll let you go 
        Prep High must let you go.

When old leaves turn to new 
        Prep High will call on you.
THE PHOTO OF THE FAMILY WE LEFT BEHIND, LOLO AYONG SENDS THESE PICTURES ALMOST EVERY WEEK. WE SAVED IT, AND LATER PUT IT TO OUR FOREVER MEMORIES












CHRISTMAS IN JERUSALEM

Modern Jerusalem view from Mt. Olives near the garden of Gethsemane. According to the 1947 UN Partition Plan, Jerusalem was supposed to be an international city, not part of either the proposed Jewish or Arab state. During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, West Jerusalem was captured by Israel, while East Jerusalem (including the Old City) was captured by Jordan. Upon its capture, the Jordanians immediately expelled all the Jewish residents of the Jewish Quarter, most of whom from families that had been living there for centuries. Many synagogues were destroyed, and the Jewish Quarter was bulldozed. The ancient Jewish cemetery on Mount of Olives was desecrated. In 1950 East Jerusalem, along with the rest of the West Bank, was annexed by Jordan. However, the annexation of the West Bank was recognized only by the United Kingdom, which did not recognize the annexation of East Jerusalem. East Jerusalem absorbed some of the refugees from West Jerusalem's Arab neighborhoods that came under Israeli rule



A month later, American triumphed again at Midway. Once again they became aware of the Japanese plans, and lay in wait for the huge fleet of 86 warship sent by Japan to attack the tiny island in the Pacific. On June 3, the Japanese launched an attack on the two westernmost Aleutian islands, Kiska and Attu (the only American soil to be occupied by the Japanese during the war), in order to the divert the Americans' attention. The next day, a swarm of Japanese carrier-launched planes bombed Midway. The Americans responded with three consecutive air attacks on the Japanese, each a failure. But on June 5, the Americans bombing raid sank three Japanese aircraft carriers. His fleet devastated, Japanese admiral Yamamoto retreated west. The Japanese lost four aircraft carriers, a cruiser, 332 planes and 3500 lives; the Americans: one aircraft carrier, a destroyer, 147 planes and 307 lives.
Although the bloodiest battles of the Pacific were yet to come, the Japanese army never recovered from these defeats. 



The battle of Okinawa proved to be the bloodiest battle of the Pacific War. Thirty-four allied ships and craft of all types had been sunk, mostly by kamikazes, and 368 ships and craft damaged. The fleet had lost 763 aircraft. Total American casualties in the operation numbered over 12,000 killed [including nearly 5,000 Navy dead and almost 8,000 Marine and Army dead] and 36,000 wounded. Navy casualties were tremendous, with a ratio of one killed for one wounded as compared to a one to five ratio for the Marine Corps. Combat stress also caused large numbers of psychiatric casualties, a terrible hemorrhage of front-line strength. There were more than 26,000 non-battle casualties. In the battle of Okinawa, the rate of combat losses due to battle stress, expressed as a percentage of those caused by combat wounds, was 48%  American losses at Okinawa were so heavy as to illicite Congressional calls for an investigation into the conduct of the military commanders.


On to Guam. On the night of 14-15 June most of the support ships retired, leaving a handful to continue harassing fire along the coast line. Meanwhile the Western Landing Group, commanded by Admiral Hill. As dark fell the marines could observe fires burning ashore and the glow of star shells fired by the naval ships left in the area. Shortly after 0500 the gigantic convoy moved into the transport area off the west coast of Saipan. Streaks of fire from the armada of naval support ships colored the sky and the shore was blurred in a haze of smoke and dust. As the light improved, the town of Charan Kanoa became visible.Heavy close support ships were ordered not to approach closer than 1,500 yards from the reef. Two old battleships, two cruisers, and seven destroyers were assigned the duty of last-minute preparation of the landing beaches themselves. At dawn these ships took station and shortly thereafter the two battleships commenced main battery fire at the beach defenses.
Shores of Guadalcanal. Becalmed upon the sea of Thought,
Still unattained the land it sought,
My mind, with loosely-hanging sails,
Lies waiting the auspicious gales. No stone tells the place where their ashes repose,
Nor points out the spot from the graves of their foes.

They died in their glory, surrounded by fame,
And Victory's loud trump their death did proclaim;

The Psalm of Life....HWL
Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
  Life is but an empty dream! ?
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
  And things are not what they seem.
Life is real!  Life is earnest!
  And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
  Was not spoken of the soul.
Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
  Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each to-morrow
  Find us farther than to-day.
Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
  And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
  Funeral marches to the grave.
In the world's broad field of battle,
  In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
  Be a hero in the strife!
Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant!
  Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act,--act in the living Present!
  Heart within, and God o'erhead!
Lives of great men all remind us
  We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
  Footprints on the sands of time;
Footprints, that perhaps another,
  Sailing o'er life's solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
  Seeing, shall take heart again.
Let us, then, be up and doing,
  With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
  Learn to labor and to wait.



















 



 


 

 

 


 


 

 

GEL'S BIRTHDAY



 

 







 


THE WHOLE OFFSPRING OF LUCINA AND LALLY


 







WEDDING OF LINDA WITH VIOLET

WEDDING OF TONY AND ILO WITH DICK AND LINDA AT THEIR SIDES





1940 A catholic San Miguel church like this one in Tanay, Rizal where  Eulalio and Lucina Legaspi, our parents  were   married and us baptized hastily during World War II
Bataan Death March  April 1942 TIO DAMASO LEGASPI (BROTHER OF EULALIO) SURVIVED THE DEATH MARCH BUT DIED IN PRISON OF DYSENTERY.  In March of 1942 U.S General Douglas MacArthur and president Quezon fled the country. The cruelty of the Japanese military occupation of the Philippines was very brutal an aspect of samurai barbarism.   The 76,000 starving and sick American and Filipino Defenders in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese on April 9,1942. The Japanese led their captives on a cruel and criminal Death March in which 7-10,000 died or were murdered before arriving at  camp O'Donell 10 days later.




























2,000 ships, 4,000 landing craft and 11,000 airplanes were involved in the largest seaborne invasion
ever. Allied troops crossed the choppy English Channel toward Normandy on June 6, 1944, on Operation Overlord: the regaining of northern Europe after four years of Nazi occupation.
First planned for 1942, the landing had been repeatedly postponed, this time with a delay of 24-hours caused by the worst storm in a quarter century. D-Day (a term referring to the first day of any military operation, but now associated with this 1944 invasion) started with paratroop raids before sunrise. Minesweepers (ships equipped for detecting and removing sea mines) cleared the waters while warships and bombers fiercely attacked enemy positions. Pre-manuafactured floating harbours were moved into place.
At 6.30am, American, British and Canadian troops under General Montgomery began swarming from landing craft onto beaches codenamed Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword. After wading through the icy waves or charging towards land on amphibious
(able to travel on water and on land) tanks, the troops struggled past steel obstacles and barbed wired to recapture the first patches of French soil. At the end of the day, 155,000 men were onshore.  
While preparations for the large-scale landing was too massive to conceal, the Germans did not put up a good defence because of disputes between Hitler, Field Marshall Erwin Rommel (overseer of military operations in France) and Runstedt (commander-in-chief in the west). They quarrelled over the probable invasion point and the best line of defence. When the attack came, Hitler took it as a diversionary tactic (an intentional distraction), and held back his forces for the "real" invasion.
Resistance was strong only initially at Omaha Beach, with 3,000 Americans casualties on the first day of fighting. The Allied invaders quickly spread out along 100 miles of coastline. However, Normandy's Nazi-occupied cities were harder to regain. Cherbourg held out for ten gruelling days, while Caen held out more than a month.
By mid-August, the Allies had broken out Normandy, and were sweeping across France. The Low Countries (the low-lying countries between Germany and France – the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg), and Germany itself, lay before them.
At the order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, General MacArthur was evacuated from the Philippines in March 1942. Given command of Allied forces in the Southwest Pacific area, he directed the successful defense of southeastern New Guinea, and beginning later in 1942, the counteroffensive that ultimately swept the Japanese from the region, leading to his return to the Philippines with the October 1944 invasion of Leyte. Promoted to General of the Army shortly before the end of 1944, MacArthur subsequently oversaw the liberation of the rest of the Philippines. After Japan capitulated in August 1945 General MacArthur presided over the formal surrender ceremonies and, during the next five years, was responsible for demilitarizing the defeated nation and reforming its political and economic life. Eulalio F Legaspi The Godfather Albums Corner Here
































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