My War Story

I am trying to recollect my childhood days as far back as I can. I remember being in an air raid shelter somewhere around Manila. It must have been when the American forces had just started liberating the Philippines from the Japanese before the end of WWII. I was four years old. Bombs were falling and exploding around us. My mother wanted me very close to her while she was saying the rosary with other women in the shelter. I was too young to be scared. I can’t remember how long we stayed in the shelter.

The next thing I remember was when there was no more bombing and I was playing with other kids in the streets of Manila. Occasionally, military jeeps would pass by loaded with GI’s and we would attempt to chase them yelling “victory Joe, victory Joe”, our arms raised with the ‘V’ finger sign for victory. They would toss Hershey’s chocolate bars at us. It must have been a fun experience because I can still remember it.

Fast forward to 1984. I was in the U.S. Coast Guard working at the Electronics Engineering Center (EECEN) in Wildwood, NJ. I worked with Joe Daly, who was one of the design engineers at the Center. He had been employed at EECEN for 20 years or so and he was close to retirement.

One Friday afternoon after work, Joe and I were talking shop over a beer at Crest Tavern, a favorite hang out just outside the Center. After a few beers, our conversation drifted to relating our life experiences. He was amazed to hear my story on how I joined the Coast Guard from the Philippines and how I became a Coast Guard officer. Then he told me his story.

Joe was a WWII veteran. He was in the Army Air Corp and flew bombing missions in Manila. I told him that while he was dropping bombs at 30,000 feet I was in an air raid shelter below, and if just one of his bombs had hit us I wouldn’t be at the Crest Tavern having beer with him 40 years later! Joe gave an indulgent smile. We finished our beer and went home.