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Post by legionnaire on Jul 16, 2006 2:08:14 GMT -5
1st Araw ng Kagitingan Military Vehicle show!Morning of April 7, 2001 Provincial Bldg and grounds of the City of Balanga, Bataan smg.photobucket.com/albums/v477/jvsv/Living_History/Artifacts/5Balanga_town_Jeep_show.jpgsmg.photobucket.com/albums/v477/jvsv/Living_History/Artifacts/5Jeep_convoy.jpgA six Jeep convoy ( only 5 in pic) up to Mt. Samat that Day. That was an unforgetable experience riding up on a Jeep! Two of the Jeeps overheated on the way up but still made it. The one on the right facing out to the view is still trying to cool down over heated radiator! ;D smg.photobucket.com/albums/v477/jvsv/Living_History/Artifacts/5Maj_Del_rosario_s_jeep.jpgBeautifully restored Jeep with 30 Cal watercooled mounted mg by Major Raul Del Rosario, PAF smg.photobucket.com/albums/v477/jvsv/Living_History/Artifacts/5Col_Aguilar.jpgBataan Provincial Commander Col. Restituto "Resty" Aguilar and body guard 24th Infantry Batallion, 7th ID, PA. Who graciously invited me and my cousin Ernie Penas to the Balanga town Celebrations and a Jeep convoy up to Mt. Samat that same day. The trip was also in part for Col. Aguilar oversaw preparations and inspection of the memorial two days before the commemoration ceremonies with the President arriving with vips and veterans for April 9 Bataan day. smg.photobucket.com/albums/v477/jvsv/Living_History/Artifacts/5Mt_Samat_Cross.jpgDambana ng Kagitingan (Shrine of Valor), Mt. Samat smg.photobucket.com/albums/v477/jvsv/Living_History/Artifacts/5M1918_155mm_gun_Mt_samat.jpgM1918 155 mm Gun towed up to Mt. Samat! Probably by tractor smg.photobucket.com/albums/v477/jvsv/Living_History/Artifacts/5155mm_gun.jpgsmg.photobucket.com/albums/v477/jvsv/Living_History/Artifacts/570_MM_Howitzer.jpgJapanese model 92 (1932) 70 mm howitzer smg.photobucket.com/albums/v477/jvsv/Living_History/Artifacts/5Bataan_panorama.jpgBeautiful panoramic view of the Bataan countryside, breath taking, peaceful and solemn, were in 1940 this whole vast landscape was a land of horrifying death and unimaginable destruction, hell on earth and was bitterly defended by Brave Filipino and American forces. My first and most unforgetable experience to visit Mt. Samat memorial in Bataan on April 7, 2001. maraming Salamat for viewing my pics. Remenber the Heroes of Bataan! Philip
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Post by VeeVee on Jul 16, 2006 9:26:11 GMT -5
Excellent pictures! I've always wanted to go back to Bataan and Mt. Samat. The only time I've gone there was back in 1987. The elevator to the horizontal bar of the cross which was the viewing deck was out of commission so I climbed up and down the stairs. Of course there were no digital cameras back then and what photos I took are lost somewhere in my parent's house.
I'll have to make a daytrip to Bataan next time I come home.
Thanks for posting the pics!
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Post by milspec on Jul 16, 2006 18:49:35 GMT -5
Good Afternoon Gentlemen,
Wow! It's the first time I've seen so many restored military jeeps in one place in the PI. These are great pictures Philip. I didn't know that the MVPA had a chapter in the Philippines. Those are great looking Jeeps. I particularly like the ambulance M151A2. Is that privately owned or military. It looks like its wearing US ARMY/MARINE 70's-80's camouflage. The jeep you"re riding on looks great too. Is that a real water cooled .30 cal. mg? How was the owner able to acquire such a piece to mount on his jeep's pedestal mount? It kind of reminds me of one of my favorite TV shows, the "Rat Patrol". I remember being at Mt. Samat too. It was during the 70's. I was probably in high school then. I remember that there was some sort of museum under the cross. I remember playing around with an M2HB .50 cal mg, and a water-cooled .50 cal mg. I remember that all the display weapons were easily accessible since I remember pulling the charging handles and the triggers. I was like a kid in a candy store. I also remember seeing the noose that was supposedly used to hang general Yamanutsa. Unfortunately, I didn't have a camera then and I wasn't that appreciative of WWII history in the Philippine then. I think I was in my German WWII phase then. I still remember getting my fill of WWII history by buying 1/35 Tamiya WWII German model tanks from Lil's in Maranaw and a hobby shop in Angela Arcade. I also seem to remember that this decade, the 70,s was the decade of the blockbuster WWII movies like "Patton", "Battle of the Bulge", "The Dirty Dozen", "Where Eagles Dare", "The Longest Day". I even remember the time they showed "Patton" on I believe Channel 2. They had a weird contest where you had to list down all the sponsors of the movie and mail the list in to be included in a drawing to win some prizes. Thanks again for posting the picks. I really get excited when I see Military hardware, specially military vehicles.
Milspec
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Post by legionnaire on Jul 16, 2006 19:07:48 GMT -5
milspec,
Great to hear about your experiences in Manila! I left Manila in 1990. Do you still live in Manila?
Yes that is a genuine water cooled 30 Cal on his Jeep. All the Jeeps are privately owned and the gruop photo shows al the owners. On how he was able to acquire that mount I guess since the owner is in the military then it would be no problem getting equipment like that.
Yes they still have the Museum below as I went down to see and and there was no electricity for lights but I took pictures with a flash. ;D Sad the condition of that small museum was left like that. Thanks for sharing your experiences! I use to collect models kits when I was still in Manila during the 70's. Ingat!
Philip
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Post by milspec on Jul 17, 2006 12:39:07 GMT -5
Greetings Philip,
We still have a house in Manila where my parents live. I also left for the US in the early nineties. Haven't been home for about 7 years. It must be totally different now. I probably won't recognized the area if I came back now. I left all my built & unbuilt models there hoping maybe I can finish them if I retire back home. I'd really like to see what photos of the museum you were able to take. I hope that you'd be willing to share it on the website. I like going to various military museums and seeing what they have. I have some pictures of the McArthur museum in Norfolk. Do you want to see them? They were taken with my old film camera so I probably have to scan them first and i'll try your recommendation. Maybe Victor can set up another topic for Military Museums. What do you think?
Milspec
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Post by legionnaire on Jul 17, 2006 13:13:28 GMT -5
Hi Milspec,
YES I would to see your pics from Mac Arhtur Museum. Only pics I have are on the AFP Museum in Camp Aguinado. The ones of Mt. Samat was on a painting, the rest of theri exhibit was so badly maintanined and there were no lights at all so I could only take the easiest one which was a painting, nearly in the dark. I also have some old PAF museum pictures too. And on Clark in Philippine control now when I was there in 2001.
Yes a Museum section would be a great idea here you must email Vic on this.
Here in southern California we have a rather big tank museum and several Air museums too. Chino, San Diego, March AFB Palm springs too. USMC recruitment Museum in San Diego, plus the USS Midway. I have a few of them in pics. When to the Patton Museum werre he had his desert tank warfare training base.
Philip
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Post by milspec on Jul 17, 2006 14:09:04 GMT -5
Good Afternoon Philip,
Boy, that was a quick response. I'll look for my MacArthur museum pictures and post them as soon as I can. A lot of my old photos ar still in boxes. We've moved around a lot in the past 15 or so years that we've been in the states. I should plan to put them in albums. I would like to see your AFP museum and the PAF museum pictures. I've lived on both East and West coast and have been to a couple of military museum. If been to Fort Lewis and Mcchord AFB in Washington State. I been to the Planes of fame Museum in Chino and the San Diego Air and Space Museum as well As the MRDC Marine Corp Museum in California. In the East Coast, I've seen the Intrepid Air and Space Museum, The West Point Museum, The Aberdeen Proving Grounds, The Quantico Marine Corp Air and Ground Museum, The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, and The MacArthur Museum. Mind you this I was able to do with the cooperation and permission of my wife. There are many I'd want to visit like the Armor Museum in Fort Knox Kentucky, The National Air Force Museum in Dayton Ohio. The D-Day Museum in New Orleans, The Nationa Navy Museum in Pensacola Florida, The Airborne Museum in Fort Bragg N.C. There suppossed to me some kind of Technology museum in California full of tanks, The Imperial War Museum in London, The Armor Museum in Munster Germany, The Saumur Tank museum in France. The Kubinka Tank museum in Russia. Too many museum not enough time and money. Maybe we can pool our resources and make a virtual museum of military museums. Just a thought.
Milspec
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Post by legionnaire on Jul 17, 2006 15:17:07 GMT -5
Now that you mentioned Museums,
Have pics of the Imperial war museum (mecca), Duxford airshow for the 60th Anniverasry of the RAF, Hendon RAF Museum.
In Paris, the Napoleons tomb, and the incredible French Military museum next to it.
will post them when I get a chance.
Philip
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Post by OneZero on Jul 18, 2006 9:13:01 GMT -5
d**n, i just LOVE those Willy's Jeeps..they always give me a hard on every time i see one..(oops, can i say hard-on in here?) anyways, thanks for sharing Legionnaire, very nice photos... i havent visited Mt. Samat memorial in Bataan yet but maybe someday...
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Post by VeeVee on Jul 18, 2006 11:40:36 GMT -5
Hi Philip, Were you able to climb up to the cross' view deck when you went to Mt. Samat in 2001?
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Post by legionnaire on Jul 18, 2006 11:44:03 GMT -5
Unfortunately no. There was not electricity for the elevator! I don't remenber if there were any stairs in it. Philip
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Post by VeeVee on Aug 24, 2006 9:30:12 GMT -5
Yes there are stairs going up to the cross' view deck. I climbed it back in 1987 because the elevator was out of commission even back then.
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Post by legionnaire on Aug 24, 2006 9:58:13 GMT -5
Thanks for adding in a link.
Philip
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