HISTORY AND FAMILY

[DAN SAN]

i just want to share some pictures of our family before and during the war.

GALANG MORAL FAMILY


the guy in uniform in the far left with white belt is my grand dad or lets say my moms father MR.AGUSTO GALANG Y MORAL. this shot was taken in their residence in AGUADO,QUIAPO MANILA near the MALACANANG PALACE before the war.. i was told the uniforms of our grand dads are for the ROTC.

YUNILA GALANG Y MORAL-BANG and HUSBAND
DOCTOR HIDETO BANG



this picture is the only one they have for the remembrance of our japanese grandfather. he may or may not be a contributor of any information about the u.s.forces here before the invation but he is a well loved person. they said this guy never wore any miitary uniform he is just a doctor. the last time they saw him was during the liberation taken by the HUKBALAHAP for obvious reason...being a japanese.

the first picture with the baby is our grandma lola nila the baby is our uncle ALFONZO (tito popot) Y MORAL BANG. the only child of DOC.HIDETO BANG. our uncle is stil alive same to our grandma lola nila thanks to GOD. they are even recogized by the japanese govt and being offerd a citizenship in japan but they never accepted it.

[jimmiroquai]

I don't have any pictures but i do have some stories from my grandparents and parents...

My grandfather's sister married her Phil. Army husband in 1941. A few days later, he left to fight the Japanese. She never saw him again. She never re married.

In 1944, my grandparents made life long friends with an American soldier stationed in a foxhole just outside their home. We still occasionally communicate with this GI.

My mother was born in 1944 and she was so fair skinned that everyone thought she was an American child. My grandmother had to assure Americans, Japanese, ad fellow Filipinos that she was 100% pinoy.

[darktide]

My great-grandfather (Mom's side} was a Spanish Cavalry Officer stationed in Zamboanga, fighting the Moros. He was also one of the Spanish officers that fought for the Philippines against the Americans during the Fil-Am War. His name comes out in Nick Joaquin's book " A Question of Heroes", in the chapter on Antonio Luna. I've also seen his name in other publications.

My father-in-law (my wife's dad) Was Philippine Military Academy class of 45' which means that they graduated in 1980 something (I've seen the graduation pics) because of WW2 (this was funny... they were all Colonels and/ or Generals when they graduated). He did some guerilla stuff during the war and went on to become one of the founding officers of the Philippine Air Force. He was the Wing Commander of Fernando Air Base (Training Wing) in Lipa. He retired in 72' as a Brigadier General. Several years ago, all of us had to attend a ceremony at PMA where he was conferred the "Cavalier" award.

I'm trying to collect his stuff, as he has a lot of really old PMA and Air Force stuff lying around.

[darktide]

I was going through my father-in-laws military stuff and I was able to find several of his pilot's wings. All were very high quality, very different from what we see being used by the PAF and/ or other branches of the military. Some were even struck in the US, as hallmarks indicate on the back of these.

With the exception of one, all were metal. It is the exception that I find very interesting. It is cloth, and I believe it is what is known as "bullion". I have never seen one like it before. Without a doubt, it is old. It must have come from one of his old uniforms. For me, it is the most beautiful Philippine Air Force pilot's wings I have ever seen...

[Pumba]

My Dad tells me that my grandfather Onofre Consolacion Sr. was a Philippine scout before the war. Until the time he was elected town councilor of Candon Ilocos Sur (I think), he would regularly report in and perform his functions. During the Japanese occupation, all the other scouts were ordered to conduct guerilla fighting activities against the Japanese but since my grandfather was councilor, he was exempted from service. He was instead conacted regularly by the guerillas for information on the Japanese in the area.

My dad also mentioned that there were some scouts who refused to join the fighting. When the war ended, these men were brought up to the mountains and executed by the other scouts and former guerillas.

Its too bad we were not able to store all his uniforms. I'll be looking around for pictures if there are any that might have survived.

[darktide]

Some more of my father-in-law's stuff...

His "Rack"... I don't know if this is complete, upside-down, or what they mean. I don't know anything about "Racks". Pretty old.



His old pilot's wings. Some of the Philippine ones are hallmarked at the back "NS MEYER INC, NEW YORK", exactly the same as some of the PS collar discs I've found on Corregidor. There is a pair of US wings there. I suspect these were the first wings he ever got, after he was sent to the US immediately after WW2 for flight training.



I'm going to ask him for all his old stuff, including uniforms, awards, medals and will display them properly. He still has his .45 semi-auto pistol, which (if I remember correctly) he said was issued to him when he was in PMA, before WW2 started. It's a Remington. I've never asked him what he did during the war. I don't want to.

[kalbs]

Some of the fruit I recognize right away. The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2nd row, middle). The Philippine Liberation Medal awarded for defense of PI 1941, 42 (3rd row, left), Philippine independance medal (Top, Middle). Bottom left is a Unit citation

[darktide]

Jun 12, 2010 9:41:04 GMT 8 kalbs said:

Some of the fruit I recognize right away. The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2nd row, middle). The Philippine Liberation Medal awarded for defense of PI 1941, 42 (3rd row, left), Philippine independance medal (Top, Middle). Bottom left is a Unit citation

Wow man, how you know all these things is really beyond me! You're a great source of info! I guess I better take care of this stuff then.

[darktide]

Jun 12, 2010 9:41:04 GMT 8 kalbs said:

Some of the fruit I recognize right away. The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2nd row, middle). The Philippine Liberation Medal awarded for defense of PI 1941, 42 (3rd row, left), Philippine independance medal (Top, Middle). Bottom left is a Unit citation

3rd row, (right): American Defence
Last row, (left): Philippine Presidential Unit Citation.

[veevee]

Thanks for sharing. Put them in a shadow box if you can. Here's some info on a couple already identified by Kalbs:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_Defense_Medal

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_Liberation_Medal

[darktide]

Jun 15, 2010 0:56:55 GMT 8 veevee said:

Thanks for sharing. Put them in a shadow box if you can. Here's some info on a couple already identified by Kalbs:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_Defense_Medal

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_Liberation_Medal

What's a shadow box? Yes, I will be displaying my father-in-law's stuff. He was at my place yesterday, so I asked for all of his military service things, so he readily agreed to give them to me. Actually, he seemed happy that I am interested in his things. I opened more of his boxes yesterday and found even more stuff! He doesn't live with me, but a lot of his things are stored at my house. Am still looking for more!

What I found yesterday... A pair of old cufflinks with US Senior Pilot's wings engraved on them. The US military doesn't issue jewelry items, so I guess these are private purchase. Still, I think they are very nice. On another forum they are estimated to be from the 40's-60's.

[dogmeat16]

I just wanna share an experience i have with a WW2 veteran, when i was a kid living in New Jersey, US. We had a neighbor, just across our house his name was Jack, i used to call him Uncle Jack, i was about 7-8 then, he would always tell me stories about life about his kids about the weather and the like, we were practically family, he and his wife Peggy were always there at Christmases and Thanksgivings i still remember that he was always the one who brought fireworks on the Fourth of July celebrations, but unfortunately i was to small to remember. But i was given the privileged and the honor to talk to him when i went back to the States, when i was 15, i realized that the person i called "Uncle Jack" was a Marine stationed in Peleliu island during the war and he was also stationed in the Philippines for the liberation, he told me stories on how the Japanese small as they were they were ruthless and well trained soldiers, (he never like Toyota or Mitsubishi, hahaha, of course he drove a Ford.) and when he was in the Philippines he commended the Philippine soldiers for being fine soldiers and that they didn't complain and did what they were told. He passed away a few years back.. and I'm glad to say that i meet him and got to know his story, and with historians and reenactors like us, they would never be forgotten. 1,000 WWII veterans die each day...it is up to us to tell there story and keep their memories alive.