As soon as we had settled, I immediately reported to the Army Headquarters in the Legarda Elementary School Building in Sampaloc, Manila, the same building where I was a janitor of Bureau of Constabulary Academy #3 for non-commissioned officers.
From there I was made to report to Camp Murphy (now Camp Emilio Aguinaldo), where I was reprocessed and taken back from a Missing In Action Status M.I.A.
I rejoined the office of the Secretary, General Staff, with new officers and men.
The new Chief of Staff, Military Police Command, PA, (MPC, PA) was General Marciano Cartañela. His new Secretary General Staff was Col. Ramon Enriquez.
When Col. Enriquez became the Chief G-3 for Operations, MPC, P.A., he took me with him as his Chief Clerk. I was promoted from my rank in Bataan of Technical Sergeant to Master Sergeant.
I worked in the Hq. the whole day, eating Army rations consisting of rice with canned Karne con Chili every day! I was always given an American-sized meal and so I had some left to take home daily.
Every day I walked to the office very early in the morning and walked back home late in the afternoon.
Several blocks away from our apartment, Pat with Tony and Betty were waiting for me near the R.R. station at Blumentritt Street.
We celebrated July 4th, 1945, in Manila with lots of friends!
I was given American-size Army issue uniforms. My shirt and pants and underwear were all too large for me. My shoes were size 9, my foot was size 7. I had a hard time adjusting to walking with oversized shoes and I had to walk on railroad rails almost all the way for 45 minutes to our home daily!
With all our hardships in the Apad evacuation site, my experience in Bataan, as Death March survivor, as ex-POW, I considered our new life as heavenly. When one has gone through hell, everything after that is HEAVENLY!
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