There is no greater story in the annals of World War II than the courage
and human endurance that is Corregidor.. a little island at the mouth of Manila Bay .
Dubbed as the “Gibraltar of the East “referring to that European bastion near Spain, impregnable to a point, it was the Filipinos and Americans’ last stand
on this tadpole-shaped island that finally decided the outcome of the Pacific war and ultimately, victory for the Americans.
From January to April 1942, Corregidor and its valiant defenders of rookie Filipino soldiers (fresh from school military training called ROTC)and their better equipped American counterparts , stood their ground stubbornly despite the steady and deafening day and night bombardments from Japanese forces .
As a matter of fact, in one day alone on May 4,1942, some 16,000 bombshells fell on Corregidor until finally on May 6, the island bastion fell on enemy hands.
But it was a sour victory for the Japanese invaders because the delay that took to subdue Corregidor took five months to accomplished as original plans called for only two months.
Because of Corregidor, the Japanese timetable to claim victory in the Pacific
was setback and eventually spelled their humiliating defeat.
The overall commander of the invaders, Gen. Masahuru Homma, although victorious in the conquest of both Bataan and Corregidor , was relieved and humiliated as a result of the brave resistance put up by the defenders of Bataan and Corregidor.
On May 6, we salute those veterans who stood their ground on both Bataan and Corregidor. On this year 2009, it’s ironic that the United States finally gave recognition to those who fought alongside American forces not only on these two hallowed battlegrounds but also in other places in the Philippines .
But the question remains: Are the efforts and sufferings in Bataan and Corregidor and elsewhere by our Filipino troops worth only
$9,000 or $15,000 ?.
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There is a little known fact about Corregidor. The Japanese , years before World War II or in the 1930s were already “fascinated or obsessed “ with Corregidor. Military records showed that the Japanese sent spies disguised as ice cream vendors or traders to spy on the island.
They(the Japanese)were intrigued by what they have been hearing and gathering from intelligence sources that something was afoot in those group of islands in Manila Bay. With good reason, it was indeed a military installation, a fortress and a bastion.
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We hope the new generation of Filipinos, including those in foreign lands
will draw inspiration from the bravery and courage of our compatriots
in Bataan, Corregidor, Capas,Tarlac and other places where they did
their supreme sacrifices.