Goldberg leads memorial
WORLD MARKS 70TH YEAR SINCE END OF WWII
SEVENTY years ago, the living room of the US Ambassador’s House at Camp John Hay was filled with personalities who shaped the outcome of World War 2 in the Pacific.
But neither Sabas Hafalla nor Graciano Clavano was among those present when Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita surrendered to the American forces marking the end of hostilities in the Philippines during the war.
Fast forward to September 3, 2015, Hafalla and Clavano were among the guests at the US Ambassador’s Residence in the Summer Capital to commemorate and remember the historical significance of the end of the war and reflect on the current international relations built since.
Hafalla, father of renowned photographer Tommy, served as guerilla from January 1945 to June 1946 under 1st Batallion C, company of the 66th Infantry division, Northern Luzon Liberation Campaign.
After his stint, Pri-
vate Hafalla became a recipient of two Purple Heart medals after suffering a gunshot wound during combat operations in Sablan, and grenade shrapnel injuries in Mankayan, both in Benguet province.
Clavano, on the other hand, originally from Dumaguete, served as guerilla from August 1943 to July 1945 and a member of the Combat Co. of the 75th Infantry Division, Zamboanguita, Negros Oriental with his unit providing security during the US forces landing in Negros Oriental.
“Seventy years ago on this date, in this room, the World War 2 in the Philippines has come to an end. We commemorate the courage and sacrifice of the Americans and Filipinos who liberated thee islands, many of them perished and were wounded,” said US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg during the simple commemoration.
“This is not a celebration but a commemoration of a solemn and central event in the history of our two countries,” added Goldberg.
According to history records, Baguio City was the first place in the Philippines to be bombed by the Japanese hours after bombing Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1942 and it was the Summer Capital where the Japanese troops led by Yamashita surrendered in the presence of Generals Jonathan Wainwright and Arthur Percival, both had been prisoners of war in Manchuria. Percival surrendered to Yamashita after the Battle of Singapore.
Goldberg, meanwhile, underscored after World War 2, Philippines and the US continue to benefit from the sacrifice of war veterans.
“It was the relentless and indomitable spirit of generation from both our nations that forged a great alliance – which is the oldest in the region and has preserve and protect the security and stability of the entire Pacific region,” Goldberg noted.
Seventy years after the war, Goldberg added the region remains stable as the Philippines, US and Japan moved on from the devastating effects of the war.
The US Ambassador continued that Japan, for example, has recovered and grew to be a world leader in terms of economy which has benefitted the whole world.
In honor of the heroics of the Filipino and US veterans, a wreath was also placed outside the US Ambassador’s Residence as a reminder of soldiers who gave their lives fighting side by side in defense of freedom and peace.