The Consulate was invited to the 76th(!) reunion of a veterans organization known as the U.S. Army Small Ships Association, a diverse group of merchant seamen who served alongside army personnel during WWII on board a ragtag fleet of civilian ships that roamed the Pacific, including several runs to the Philippines. I encourage everyone to visit their homepage and read all of the powerful and poignant stories of the group and of its members. The reunion lunch itself bore some unforgettable memories, including:
* a historic hotel venue, which once served as Gen. MacAthur's headquarters
* a keynote speaker of effortless oratorical skill and substance (and a "Give me 10,000 Filipinos..." shout-out)
* memorabilia from one of the members who explained - with a wink and a chuckle - that you could tell it was one of their group's coins because, if you carefully felt the engraving on one side, "you can feel that there's something not quite right...just like our boys."
you guys sound all right me, mate
No comments:
Post a Comment