The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1943-05-06
CHAPTER v

nao Just elghty gallons OF gas 70 go
those thirty miles-fnally got back
with ten. A curious thing happened
during those closing hours; nobody
had given orders to blow up the oil
reserves. Maybe some Of them be-
longed to private companies; It
would go against business mans
grain to blow up good oil. Finally
little jUnior-grade naval lieutenant
noticed If. He had no authority, but
he gave orders he had no right to
give, and presently the oil was blaz-
ing. I hear he got a Navy Cross for
doing it.
There had been quite a few pro-
Jap Filipinos-not lot IN terms OF
percentage, but more than you might
guess, they hated the Americans be-
cause they felt inferior to US, and
they weren't quite sure we'd really
give them independence in four
more years. But they weren't or
gained, and they'd run around in
the most childish way doing silly
things-such as flashing mirrors
from the rooftops, when the Japs
knew perfectly well where the town
was. The Filipino police caught and
shot quite a few Of them"
''I was in Manila about that time"
said Cox. "a big air attack was 60
ing on, although it had already been
declared an open city. For that
reason I had gone in with the guns
on my boat with their canvas covers
on-for welfare reasons. Yet, open
city or not, the big air raid was on
streets deserted except for a few
people running nowhere in particu-
lar like crazy, planes crisscrossing
the sky above. The big church,
about a mile from shore, was just
beginning to burn. In the harbor,
boats were burning and sinking on
all sides-fve and ten-thousand ton
ners. But not a single shot was
fired at the planes-which came
down as low as five hundred feet.
81 went up on into the city, and
everywhere people were kind and
helpful. The Japs were right out
side the town, and yet the store
keepers would give me anything we
Americans needed without either
money or a voucher-just sign
paper, that was all. They trusted
US"
81 took my boat into the harbor
just as the Japs were entering the
city" said BuIkeley. "It was night,
and we could see the town burning
"a huge death-pau of smoke hang
ing above and oil six inches deep
over the water. It looked like doom
hanging over a great city, and it
was. Made you feel bad. We stayed
out there from nine o'clock at night
until about three in the morning.
Didn't dare go ashore, and anyway
our job was to destroy harbor ship
ping-so what was left Of it wouldn't
fall into Jap hands. The little boats
we'd just knock IN the bottom with
an Ak. The big ones we'd climb
aboard and set a demolition charge
to. Between times we'd turn and
look at the doomed city in the light
Of its own fires. The streets were
deserted, and it was very quiet.
Now and then, way off down a
street, we'd see a column Of Jap
infantry or some cyclists go by.
There was still some firing from the
direction Of Nichols Field. The big
American Army and Navy Club was
dark and deserted on the water
front, but presently lights began to
come on-the Japs were taking over.
They made it their headquarters.
Watching those lights come on made
you plenty sore"
''I had to leave all my spare uni
forms in my locker there, damn
them" said Akers. ''I hope none
of them fit"
Watching them take over made
you feel pretty sick" said Buckley.
1--WE finished up and started home,
to get back before dawn, now and
then looking back at the fires over
the water. Every time it made US
sore"
''It was a tough New Years Eve
for me, too" said Kelly, because
we knew more or less what was 60
ing on. Then there was another rea-
son. Some of the army officers
were throwing a little New Years
party with the nurses that night, and
since this medical officer Peggy had
been going with was just back from
Bataan, of course knew where
she'd be.
"Along in the evening after sun
set I walked out to the mouth of the
tunnel and sat down, to watch the
twilight of the old year die away.
It had been tough year, but the
one ahead looked worse. And here
was I, useless for the war, in an
army hospital. From away off
could hear them playing the portable
at the officers party, and I remem-
bered how cute Peggy had looked in
her civilian dress when she danced,
and that didn't help any. Pretty
soon one of the other nurses I knew,
Charlotte, came out and sat down
near me. She wasn't at the party
because she had to 60 on duty soon.
but that didn't matter, because her
bow friend had just been wounded
three days before, and she was wor-
ried sick about him. She told me,
and began to cry while she was tell
ing It, that they were planning to
load him on hospital ship which
was due to sail for Australia soon.
She said she wouldn't mind being
left behind and being captured by
the Japanese-it wasn't that, it was
because she was afraid his shin
would be torpedoed - never get
through.
"Just then I noticed someone sit
ting down on the other side of mel
turned and, by George, it was Peg
gy. Not in uniform, either. She