In 1991 following Mount Pinatubo’s eruption the U.S. closed the air base. U.S. veterans volunteer their time and money to maintain the grounds. Most of the headstones have been “half-buried for 20 years, and there is little hope that the volcanic ash obscuring names, dates and epitaphs will be cleared any time soon.” (AP) http://m.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/jul/03/ap-exclusive-us-ignores-philippines-vets-cemetery/
The last line of the AP article said it all to me. “We don’t leave our brothers behind.”
The cemetery should be maintained. We owe that to our war dead and other veterans.
Many of those war dead were the ones who got “left behind” that last time fighting the Japanese. They should never be abandoned again.
If we can’t maintain the cemetery then bring them home. Most of them should be at Arlington anyway. I’d rather tax dollars go towards this than providing cell phones to poor people.
I was born on Clark. It’s wierd to think that the place where one was born doesn’t really exist anymore and is long forgotten by most. When I tell people I was born there, they have no idea what I’m talking about. Them: “So you’re a Philippino?” Me: “Do I look Philippino?” Them: Oh so you’re not a US citizen?" Me: :suicide2:
I think people tried the you’re not American BS with McCain when he ran for president. People can be pretty ignorant.
Last week I read an article about a man named Albert Brown. He died at the age of 105 and was the oldest known Bataan Death March Survivor. These were Amazing Men.
Everytime I go home to Iowa, one of the things that always makes me happy to see is the well tended graves of civil war veterans at the Iowa Veterans Home. If only all US veterans where shown such respect.