Veterans recall WWII horrors

SURIGAO CITY -- Retired Royal Admiral Guy Richmond Griffiths and David Henry Mattiskie, both part of the Australian Navy when the World War II broke out, arrived in town to join the three-day commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the historic Battle of Surigao Strait from October 23 to 25, in this city.

The Australians were allied with the United States and the Philippines that fought the Imperial Japanese forces.

Griffiths, now 97 years old and Mattiskie, 96, flew back to the Philippines to join the event.

“War is a dreadful part of civilization,” Griffiths told PNA in an interview as he expressed gratitude to those who sacrificed their lives for the peace that nations and their citizens are enjoying nowadays.

“You come from peace and suddenly, somebody wants to create war,” Griffiths recalled the time when Japan declared war against the US and bombed Pearl Harbor and parts of the Philippines, particularly Davao.

He said war remains a horrible experience for humans as millions die and countries enormously devastated.

Griffiths said that at his age, he could not still understand what anyone would get from the death of millions of people “and the colossal devastations of countries and communities.”

“My question is: what’s been achieved from these aggressions? Countries have to rebuild. Fathers, sons, daughters, and families were killed. It’s dreadful,” Griffiths asked.