Filipino forum. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1928-196?, 1959-08-20
Appeals For Help
In Behalf OF A
Botoon Survivor

together - probably more so, or
equally as much as being happy
together,
For many years before World
War II, l lived in Manila = COM
pletely unaware of the many fine
Filipino friends surrounding me.
IL took war, hunger and suffer-
ing to bring me close to the Fill
lplno people and to realize what
a really brave, happy people thew
are. Prior to the war I had as
ISOLATED only with Americans.
British and others in our tipht
little social circle, and with those
whose skin was as white as nv
own. Now the color of Filipino
skin never enters my mind. 1t is
true, do notice that most of the
Filipino women have a really beau
tltul skin - some as white and
whittier than my own. Others have
beautiful tanned or golden
bronze look, which we try to inni-
tate by baking in the sun or buy
ing it at a drug store.
The Filipino was described TO
me by another American recently
as a "brave-gay-happy person
with a song in his heart" l could
add only that he is loyal-as in
my opinion, 99a6 of the Filipinos
were first of all-"loyal to their
own beloved Philippines and sec
ondly, loyal to the Americans who
were fighting alongside them for
the freedom which had been TAX
en- from them by the Japanese af-
ter the occupation of the Islands.
This was their country which had
been so ruthlessly invaded and the
fact that we were caught there
and forced to fight for our very
existence and survival evoked a
feeling of friendship between us
which had never been felt so deep
ly before.
Last week after all these
years, 1 went to my first meeting
of the Seattle Barbed Wire Club
American EX-Prisoners of War.
Inc. There 1 met the new COM
mander of the club, 1t. CDR US
Navy (ret.) Holger Andersen:
Kenneth Day; 1t. U S. (ret.) del
Rosario and other Americans. I
met Mrs. Bina Pastores also who
is the new vice commander of the
Seattle Barbed Wire Club. After
all these years, it was like "old
home week" and know my hus-
band was equally happy to see his
many Filipino friends as he too
lived in those lovely islands Tor
many years. We discussed mutu-
ual friends, Filipino and American
alike
Mrs. Pastores served with
medical contingent on Bataan and
Corregidor, the famous rock. She
is a small dainty woman, but
small bundle of fighting fury. Dur
ing an air raid Zone of the first
on Corregidor) she threw herself
on the ground as no air raid shell
ter was near. In the mad scram-
BILE of people running to the NAL
inta tunnels, she was walked and
trampled on and severely bruised
and cut. No doubt, those running
didn't realize what they were do
ing as there is always panic in
war She has the scars to show
where she was injured.
She was first in Cavite, having
been hired by the Civilian Emery
ency Administration From there
she went to Bataan - then Cor
regidor - doing whatever she
could to help. She suffered all the
hardships of the soldiers and
nurses as she was a nurses aid.
This was done from pure loyalty
to her country and mine. With
her it was a case of ideals and
hope for a future free world in
which to live. She is now in this
country. She has a sick husband
and children to support and it is
my opinion that she is certainly
entitled to both recognition and