#165: Ephemera, Mail Art and IUOMA, Mailart.pt, Stefanie Syjuco, LindaLay, Mimosa Shah, Art Prof w/Chuck and Lauryn Welch, Calum, Alvaro Barrington, Ella Fitzgerald, and Pepe Marquez.
This is so interesting. My mother was there from start to finish. She was born and lived near where the imperial Japanese forces first landed in northern Luzon on December 8, 1941. She was twenty-two. The only thing I recalled her saying was that everyone had to bow their heads whenever a Japanese officer walked by. I know she left for the U.S. on July 3, 1946, one day before the U.S. declared Philippine liberation. But she never talked about what happened or what she saw during those four and a half years other than that one brother died of typhoid and another was able to escape the Bataan death march. Who knows if I'll ever know?
Thanks for your comment, Edward! My mom's family were among the "lucky" ones in that none of the immediate family died. They didn't talk much about it. I knew it had to have been difficult, but I didn't really "get it" until I started doing the research and discovered the extent of the destruction. Both brothers were guerilla fighters, and one had been imprisoned. It had to have been mentally and physically traumatic. Even more amazing that they came out of it with the will to carry on.
Your parents have such an interesting story. I love the handwritten song in Spanish "You are the queen of my heart" and the handwritten guitar chords. He even syllabicated the lyrics, I can imagine your dad singing. My dad was also a guitar player.
This is so interesting. My mother was there from start to finish. She was born and lived near where the imperial Japanese forces first landed in northern Luzon on December 8, 1941. She was twenty-two. The only thing I recalled her saying was that everyone had to bow their heads whenever a Japanese officer walked by. I know she left for the U.S. on July 3, 1946, one day before the U.S. declared Philippine liberation. But she never talked about what happened or what she saw during those four and a half years other than that one brother died of typhoid and another was able to escape the Bataan death march. Who knows if I'll ever know?
Thanks for your comment, Edward! My mom's family were among the "lucky" ones in that none of the immediate family died. They didn't talk much about it. I knew it had to have been difficult, but I didn't really "get it" until I started doing the research and discovered the extent of the destruction. Both brothers were guerilla fighters, and one had been imprisoned. It had to have been mentally and physically traumatic. Even more amazing that they came out of it with the will to carry on.
Thanks for sharing! 🥰
Your parents have such an interesting story. I love the handwritten song in Spanish "You are the queen of my heart" and the handwritten guitar chords. He even syllabicated the lyrics, I can imagine your dad singing. My dad was also a guitar player.