Travel destinations: The Philippines – Part 10

The Philippine Islands are among the most beautiful in the world. When I was there last, it wasn’t so beautiful. It was devastated by war. I was a crewman on a Navy troop ship, and we put 2,800 Army guys ashore on Leyte in October 1944, the beginning of the retaking of the Philippines from Japanese occupation.

For the next year and for several months after WWII ended, I travelled throughout the islands, including Leyte, Samar, Mindoro, Mindinao and Luzon. I loved the friendly people, who never wavered in their loyalty to the US and suffered horribly for it at the hands of the brutal Japanese occupiers.

Those who remember the history of WWII, may not know about that when Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941, there were equally sneaky and damaging attacks on the Philippines. And, then as the unprepared US and Filipino forces were pushed back by overwhelming Japanese invaders, all the news was bad. Bataan fell. Corregidor fell. And the infamous Bataan Death March happened. I was proud and lucky enough to be with the forces in 1944 and 1945 that lived up to General MacArthur’s promise, “I shall return”.

Since then, our once bloody enemy, Japan, has been washed clean of all guilt for its atrocities against American and Filipino soldiers and civilians. Today, Japanese schools don’t even cover that black truth about their history. But my puzzlement and anger isn’t only against the Japanese now, although it certainly should be. Part of it is against those who have ruled and did business in the Philippines since its freedom as a nation was won in 1946.

I can’t understand why Japan was rebuilt and refinanced by the US after WWII, while the Philippines was virtually ignored. As a result, Japan today is one of the most prosperous nations in the world, and one of the favorite tourist destination for Americans, including children and grandchildren of US soldiers who died of neglect and abuse on the Bataan Death March and in POW camps throughout the war.

Also, for two generations, China has been our implacable enemy, and is still an anti-democratic Communist state. Over the last half of the 20th Century, China has helped with finances, weapons and troops to kill 100,000 GIs in the Korean and Vietnam wars. Ironically, China is becoming as much of a major tourist attraction for Americans as Japan.

Why was the Philippines left in the backwater as a poor nation that is barely above the third-world status? Much of the blame is that the nation was for too long ruled by crooked politicians, such as Ferdinand Marcos and his wife, as well as ignored by small-thinking business people in both the US and the Philippines. But if Japan and China can put their terrible pasts behind them, why not give the same opportunities to a people who have always been America’s friend and ally?

Of course, I recommend Americans to visit the Philippines. But I also wish that both US and Filipino politicians and financiers can finally realize that this wonderful, sunny land with its wonderful, sunny people not only deserve modernization and support, but can make it hugely profitable to all concerned.

The history of spam

Yeah, I know spam today means unwanted internet messages. It was named by some ticked-off computer nerd in the 1980s, and has caught on in a big way as the bothersome misuse of email. But during most of the past 70 years, Spam has has been a more tangible item, a canned meat product remembered clearly and mostly unfondly by those of us who served in World War II.

In the late 1930s, the Hormel Meat Company concocted a product made up of chopped piggies, and it was dubbed Spiced Ham, then shortened to Spam. Some company old-timers insist the name Spam actually originally stood for Shoulder of Pork and Ham. World War II GIs had more graphic acronyms for the product, such as ham that flunked the Army physical.

Whatever its name’s origin, Spam reached its greatest fame when it was used extensively among the Armed Services all over the world. The negative reputation came from GIs who may have seen it served three times a day, and soon found its greasy smell and taste offensive. We also suspected that only the piggie’s oink was missing from a typical can of Spam, including hoofs, teeth, bones and tail.

I was a crewman aboard a troop ship in 1944-45, and our cooking staff prided itself in serving fresh food put aboard in Hawaii or the States to our 2,800 passengers, mostly Marines on their way to Iwo Jima or Okinawa.

However, once the Marines stormed ashore, in addition to Japanese guns, they found Spam waiting for them throughout their battles. The same was true during the critical battles in Europe during the same time, when the only Army food that could be brought to the troops in any large amounts was canned, including heavy shipments of Spam.

Spam served its purpose in feeding the millions of Americans who were in uniform during World War II. But instead of being appreciated, Spam became the butt of jokes. Most of gibes were about the unidentifiable ingredients and not-too-attractive taste. I wasn’t exposed to Spam very much during World War II until I was assigned six months of shore duty in Manila, and had to chow down daily with an Army combat unit. It didn’t take me long to realize what horrible stuff it was, and for most of that time I was a confirmed vegetarian.

However, Spam consumption is alive and well today, and sold in more than 40 countries worldwide. It is still sold extensively in the US, and is one of the most popular main meat dishes served in Hawaii. Restaurants offer all kinds of Spam dishes, prepared with native island food, including pineapples, macadamia nuts and other concoctions.

Now whenever I think of my experiences with the original Spam vs dealing with internet Spam, I think I prefer the tasteless and odorless email kind.