Around the latter part of December, 1944, even before the appearance of the U.S. planes above the town, we witnessed the almost daily execution of innocent civilians, men, women, and children, back of the Elementary School Building, which was converted into a Jap garrison, close to our house. The dividing line between our house and […]
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1994 Memoir – 131. Rounding Up Of Men In Town
After the appearance of U.S. planes on Rizal Day, there were tense feelings in town, with rumors that the Americans were very near. Then one early morning a group of men led by a Jap soldier and Constabulary soldiers stopped in front of our house. The Japanese motioned me to join them and one B.C. […]
1994 Memoir – 130. Japs In Town
Major Susuki, the Battalion Commander, was very kind to us. He gave our kids biscuits and shared his food with us. He said that he had a bicycle store in Laoag, Ilocos Norte, before the war. All the time he was a Jap spy in the Philippines then. It shows that Japan had plans of […]
1994 Memoir – 129. Our Return To Town
DECISION TO RISK IT IN TOWN With our children crying for food when we woke up, and without any food that we brought with us, I was able to convince Pat that we should return and stay in the house we left in town, where our food supplies of rice and brown sugar were left; […]
1994 Memoir – 128. Evacuation
EVACUATION Immediately Bayombong became a ghost town, with the Priest and the Governor leading the people across the creek west of the town into the rice fields of Barrio Apad where they evacuated. The Bayabos family fled across the river to Barrio Paitan, with us following closely behind them loaded with our three small kids […]
1994 Memoir – 127. Bayombong Bombed!
The next visit of U.S. planes over Bayombong brought destruction to the town, with bombs and strafing rounds killing lots of people. The church building and convent were totally demolished and burned to the ground. Several large buildings, including the Provincial Building and the theatre, were demolished. The entire commercial center was destroyed. Our neighbor’s […]