Somewhere the Sun Is Shining: Look for the Silver Lining

By Alexis Strong and Norma Strong

This is the story of two families and their survival in the Philippines in the dark days of WWII.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jul 25, 2016
• ISBN: 9781483577050

Book preview

Island

Chapter 1

December 7, 1941:

•    Sunday morning, Japanese aircraft bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; they also attacked the Philippines, Wake Island, Guam, Malaya, Thailand, Shanghai and Midway.

December 8, 1941 Monday morning. We were at Silliman University, in Dumaguete city, Negros Oriental, Philippines Islands. The city lights had been on for three hours and we were having breakfast, residential power was turned off at 10:00PM each night and restored at 5:00 AM the next day. Glenn Miller’s Sunrise Serenade was on the radio. At 8:00AM, the music stopped playing, and the radio announcer said, We interrupt this program for a special bulletin. Japanese aircraft have bombed the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor - standby.

The music came back on; there was a moment of silence, then my brother Tom, who was 15 years old, turned to my brother Jim (21 years old) and asked, Where is Pearl Harbor? Someplace in the Hawaiian Islands I believe, Jim replied. As we waited for the next bulletin, Jim said, You guys get ready for school, war or no war, school is still on! My friend Harry Parrett (Jim`s brother in law), Harry’s younger brother Henry and I walked to the elementary school which was just two blocks away.

When I got to my fifth-grade classroom there were no teachers around, and the kids were running wild chasing each other as you would expect 11 to 12-year-olds to do when unsupervised. After a while, the principal Mr. Macasieb, showed up and told us, You are all to go home, there will be no classes today. Tell your parents we will notify them when classes will resume. There was a general cheer, Hooray! We were on vacation!

That afternoon some of our friends came to our house, Sam and Jesse Villanueva, the Governor’s sons and their cousins.

At the time, we were living in the upstairs of a two-story house that had a twin right next to it, where the Goni (Gon-yeh) family was living. Their niece, Tita, was one of our playmates. As she joined the group, I asked her what happened to her cousin, the girl I had noticed in black sitting at the top of the back stairs and not joining us back in the summer of 1941. She said, That was Norma, she was only here after her Mother died, then she went back home.

In the area between those two houses was a clear area of hard packed earth that we used as a playground. We set up a badminton net, marbles court and Pick Patid (a game very much like ‘kick the can’). Another very popular game in the Islands was known as Bulan-Bulan (meaning ‘moon-moon’), because it is usually played at full moon. A circle was made, ten feet more or less, depending on how many children or grownups were participating. The circle would be made by pouring water on the ground. The last loser of paper, scissors, and rock determines who is it. All the others, as many as 20 participants, get inside the circle. It has to stay on the circle line and try to tag somebody.

As expected, this is a very noisy game. A game rule that I believe is unique to the Philippines, is when a person is declared Anak Bulan (‘child of the moon’); that is when a child is allowed to play with the older children but does not count as he or she cannot be it, which was very aggravating to the younger ones. I know, as I was there.

We spent the rest of the afternoon playing. Then we went swimming, for the seashore was just 100 yards away from where we lived.

That night we experienced our first blackout. Guy Hall, the three-story men’s dormitory across the street from us, was dark and quiet, when usually there was banter and guitar music. The only sound we could hear was the lapping of the waves of the South China Sea against the breakwater and the occasional clip clop of horses as they drew the Tartanilla (Tarta-nila) which passed for taxi in the city.

We reminisced about the summer visit of the President of the Philippines, Manuel Quezon, to our home in Latuan accompanied by the usual retinue of political officials, this time joined by Marshall of the Philippines General Douglas MacArthur and author Florence Horn who was writing a book about the Pacific, Orphans of the Pacific.

I remember the crowd but not the details. I have included an excerpt of her book about that visit.

On page 236: "Dr. J.W. Strong, potentate or at the very least the leading resident of the small island of Basilan which lies just south of Zamboanga in the Sulu Sea. A motor launch will get you to Basilan from Zamboanga in a couple of hours. His big house with its gracious gardens and wide veranda and big white Frigidaire is a surprise in this faraway part of the archipelago.

"The doctor married a Filipina and raised a large family of strapping healthy looking sons and daughters. His last child is only a few years older than his grandchildren are. His hospitality is prodigious and elastic.

When Manuel Quezon travels down Zamboanga way, and is expected with the retinue of six but turns up with a party of 20 the well-stocked Larder of the Strong household is not overtaxed.

This was my first year away from home in Latuan after graduating from the fourth-grade at the American Rubber Company School. I was a very excited 12-year-old going to Silliman for the first time.

Latuan 4th-grade class. With me are Nancy Brown and Sheila Strong my nieces, from the front, 2nd row 3rd from the right.

December 9, 1941:

    We listened to President Roosevelt’s address to the joint session of Congress.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhtuMrMVJDk

"Yesterday, December 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with the government and its Emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.

Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the United States and his colleagues delivered to the Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. While this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or armed attack.

It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. Very many American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday, the Japanese government also launched an attack against Malaya.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Guam.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.

Last night, the Japanese attacked Wake Island.

This morning, the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.

As commander in chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense.

Always will we remember the character of the onslaught against us.

No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.

I believe I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that, we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make very certain that this form of treachery shall never endanger us again.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces - with the unbounded determination of our people - we will gain the inevitable triumph - so help us God.

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire."

Upon hearing President Roosevelt’s speech, Jim immediately went next door to the telegraph office to send a telegram to Father, who was in Manila on his monthly business trip and Christmas shopping. The operator said, Sorry sir, but only military traffic is allowed. Unbeknownst to us, Father had the same problem in trying to send a telegram to Mother. Whenever he went to Manila, he stayed at the Manila Hotel that also happened to be the penthouse home of General Douglas MacArthur, his wife Jean and toddler son Arthur. On Father’s business trips to Manila, he enjoyed playing bridge, and one of his bridge partners was Douglas MacArthur so they knew each other.

As Father was talking to the telegraph operator, another officer greeted him, Lt. Col Richard Sutherland. Father said, It looks like you have taken up all of the communication, I been trying to send a telegram to Mrs. Strong and I was told only military traffic was allowed. Sutherland turned to the operator and authorized the sending of Father’s telegram. The Lt. Col. was General MacArthur’s Chief of Staff. His predecessor Lt. Col. Dwight D. Eisenhower rotated back to the states in 1939. Eisenhower also visited Latuan with President Quezon.

December 10, 1941:

•    Japanese invaded the northern Philippines at Appari and seized Guam

Silliman University

SILLIMAN UNIVERSITY is an American Mission school and members of my family had been attending it from the early 1900s. This time I was with my brother Jim, his wife Lily, and my brother Tom. Also with us was our nephew Eddie Estrada, along with Harry and Henry Perrett, Lily`s younger brothers. Next door to us was the city telegraph and post office. Jim was concerned that the telegraph office could be a target, and so started looking around for a safer place for us. It so happened a dentist friend of Jim’s, Dr. Matta, was moving to the next province to be closer to his family so he let us live in his house.

On the weekends, Jim allowed us to roam the city and even go to Silliman Farm, just a mile north of Dumaguete with its beautiful white sand beach. However, he told us to stay close to home. Even though the movie theatres were still open, they only showed movies during the day. We went to the movie if an adult accompanied us. The city took on the semblance of an agitated anthill, as people were moving around almost frantically. The local grocery stores, run by Chinese, were very busy. People were starting to hoard in anticipation of the shortages that were surely coming. On December 16, Lily had a baby girl who they named Lily Elizabeth (Lilibeth).

December 16, 1941:

•    Passenger liner SS Corregidor strikes a mine in Manila Bay and sinks

    Father trapped in Manila

Because of the bombing of Manila, Father stayed with some friends at the Calamba Sugar Estate partly owned by the Spreckles Sugar Company, about 20 miles south of Manila. On December 16, 1941 he booked passage on the SS Corregidor scheduled to leave at midnight on the way to Mindanao.

S.S. Corregidor

On the morning of December 16th, Father left for Manila but because of enemy aerial activity, they had to make frequent stops and take shelter beside the road. The ship was scheduled to leave at midnight but because the captain feared the air raids that were ongoing, he decided to leave at 10:00PM. When Father got to the pier at 11:00PM, the ship was gone.

This was very fortunate for father, because at 1:00AM, just south of the island of Corregidor, the ship struck an American mine and sank. There were massive casualties among the 1,500 passengers. My niece Estela (Nene) her husband Jaime Jesus (Monong) and her father-in-law, the Governor of Negros Oriental, H. Villanueva, were on board.

This is Estella’s first-hand account of the incident as she related to me: When we left at 10:00PM, I was concerned about Grandfather Strong being left behind. Most of the passengers were out on the promenade deck with their lifejackets on; my father-in-law was not feeling well and was laying down in the cabin. When the ship struck the mine, the force was so great that a lot of us were thrown overboard. Monong found me and swam towards a life raft blown off the ship. On board was a friend, Bell Raymond, who helped me up. Monong said, ‘I’ll go back and look for Father.’ That was the last I saw of him.

Estella was three months pregnant.

Official report on the sinking of the Corregidor:

"At 22:00 on 16 December 1941, Corregidor left its dock in Manila in total darkness, loaded to overcapacity with Filipino civilians seeking to escape to the southern Philippines. Between 1,200 to 1,500 people were on board, including approximately 150 Philippine soldiers, 7 Americans, 5 Philippine legislators, and hundreds of college students who were traveling home after their schools had closed. Also aboard were military supplies as well the entire artillery complement of the Visayan-Mindanao Force of the Philippine Army. The owners of the ship failed to inform the Navy’s Inshore Patrol of the ship’s plan to leave Manila Bay.

Although Captain Apolinar Calvo of the Corregidor had prior experience navigating the mined entrance to Manila Bay (the mines had been in place since July), the Navy had changed its procedures. Rather than post a gunboat near the safe channel as they had in days previous, lighted buoys were used to guide boats through. As the Corregidor sailed close to the island of Corregidor to pass through the channel at around 01:00, the ship was observed turning toward the electrically controlled minefield. Some officers posted at the Army’s Seaward Defense Command headquarters on the island recommended that the mines be temporarily disarmed so that the ship could pass through the minefield. A number of accounts state that Seaward Defense Commander Colonel Paul Bunker ordered that the mines be kept active."

The Army and the Filipino skippers had long been butting heads. All the channels out of Manila Bay had been mined for many months. At this time, the mining was strictly up to date and operational. At 1:00AM on 16 December, the SS Corregidor, carrying 760 refugees, attempted to go thru the minefield without asking clearance. This request would have been granted. The Lieutenant who was on watch in the mine casement, on sighting the SS Corregidor called his superior, who in turn, called the seaward defense commander, Col. Bunker, requesting information as to whether he should de-activate the contact mines in the channel. With a lifetime of experience with the Filipino, going back to the ’98 Insurrection, Col. Bunker said No! Col. Bunker continued, My first knowledge of this affair came when my duty watch called me at 12:55AM. The Corregidor had struck one of our mines and in the four or five minutes it took to reach my battery command post, the vessel had sunk; thereafter, we had no trouble with unauthorized Filipino boats attempting to traverse the channel.

Captain George Steiger writes the following:

A POW Diary

"When the Corregidor entered the minefield, there was a large explosion on the starboard side of the vessel. The overcrowded ship quickly began to sink, with many people trapped below-deck. Survivors stated that the ship sank so quickly that there was no time for large-scale panic to set in. Searchlights from Corregidor Island illuminated the scene that aided the rescue effort. Sailors of MTB Squadron 3 posted at Sisiman Cove heard the explosion and left on three PT boats (PT-32, PT-34 and PT-35) to investigate. When the boats arrived, they found survivors in the water and were able to retrieve 282 survivors. Seven of the rescued passengers later died from their injuries.

The incident was never investigated due to the Japanese invasion. Later, some Army officers reported that the remote-controllable mines were set to the safety position immediately after the explosion occurred. The total number of victims is unknown. It has been estimated that 900–1,200 lost their lives. Among the dead were the captain and most of the crew, two of the legislators, and one of the American passengers. At the time, the sinking of the Corregidor was the most significant maritime disaster in Philippine history, and one of the greatest maritime disasters in the world that did not occur because of military or naval action."

Rescue of the survivors of the sinking of SS Corregidor by PT boat Squadron 3:

This is an excerpt of the firsthand account of the rescue of the survivors of the SS Corregidor by Lieutenant John D. Bulkeley, Commander Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 3 and Lieutenant Robert B. Kelly as narrated to W.L White in his book "They were Expendable pages 31-34. Robert B. Kelly starts the narration (he was in the hospital in Corregidor Island with an injured hand): The first influx of patients we had at my hospital was survivors from the interisland steamer Corregidor full of refugees, mostly natives, leaving Manila. She’d run smack into one of our own mines and sunk like a rock. I do not know whose fault. Maybe she had not bothered to get a chart of the minefield. Maybe the chart the army gave her was inaccurate. Anyway, we heard the explosion even in the hospital. It came at one at night, Bulkeley went on. I had my three boats out there by 1:30. Funny thing, that old ship had been an aircraft carrier in the battle of Jutland, first boat ever to launch a plane in actual battle. She survives the whole German Imperial fleet and more than twenty years later end up on an American mine field halfway around the world. When we got there the survivors were so thick we did not have to zigzag to pick them up our boat managed to rescue as many as 196. Had them lying and standing every place.

Meanwhile back at Silliman University, we heard air raid sirens in the morning. The sirens would sound usually after we already heard the airplane. Because of the alarms, we dug ourselves an air raid shelter in our backyard. It was just about 5’ wide, 10’ long, 6’ deep with sandbags on the perimeter and an L-shaped entry to deflect any nearby explosion.

On one side of the wall, we dug a niche for Lily and the baby. Every morning we would hear an airplane, afterwards the sirens would sound, then we would walk down to the air raid shelter and wait for the all clear. This went on for about a week or so that sometimes I would walk out to the shelter and wake up when I got there. Most evenings we would talk about home and the fun we had. We were sure of the past, but the future was unknown.

Vinta

Another hot topic was how to get back from where we were, for we were 200 sea miles from home. The closest point between Negros Island and the main land of Mindanao was at Zamboangita about 30 miles distant, but because it was so narrow, the tide flowing from the Mindanao Sea to the South China Sea was swift. Jim, Tom and Eddie, with the help of the Duminado brothers, experimented with a large outrigger Vinta, (outrigger boat) to attempt sailing to Mindanao.

They even attached 50-gallon drums on the side of the outriggers for added floatation but the surf was too heavy and the current so swift that repeatedly they were swept westward along the southern