(Photo: The family in front of General Douglas MacArthur’s statue on Corregidor.)

We met up with my parents in Manila and headed to Nasugbu, Batangas. We had planned to stay in Nasugbu for the last part of our stay in the Philippines. A few days in we decided we had enjoyed the beach, some cliff diving, snorkeling, and just relaxing, but would like to see a little more of the Philippines and its history and culture. So made arrangements and headed to Manila for our last couple of days.

At dinner one night we had been talking about how my grandfathers has both served in WW II. One in Italy and one in the Pacific. We decided a visit to Corregidor and the Manila American Cemetery would help us better understand what they went through. Corregidor is an island in Manila Bay where the Americans had a military base from 1898 until just after WWII when they gave it back to the Philippines. This was one of the last strong holds in the Philippines during the war. It was bombed by the Japanese and then again by the Americans when they took it back towards the end of the war. You can still see the effects of the war today.

Sunday after church we visited the Manila American Cemetery. It was humbling to see just a small fraction of the graves of those who fought and gave their lives. This cemetery also has beautiful mosaic maps that outline the different battles fought in the Pacific. We learned a lot from studying these maps and have a much better understanding of the War in the Pacific.

While in Manila we also enjoyed some malling (that is a word there) where you basically just walk around the mall and maybe do some shopping.  It was probably our last stop for a while with English movies, so we made it a point to see Black Panther. Just a note for anyone going to the movie in the Philippines. Do not be late! You have assigned seats, it is very dark, and they do not have previews.

It was a nice end to our trip to the Philippines. I enjoyed sharing a country and people I love with my family. It is always hard to say good-bye.

Below: Photo Gallaries of our visits to Corregidor Island and the Manila American Cemetary and Memorial