U.S. Navy – Philippine-Sailor

Media Category: U.S. Navy

In my life as sailor, the Philippine-Sailor, I saw much of the world, thanks to the U.S. Navy. It was my life and it brought to my last harbor, the Philippine. This is the U.S. Navy category.

Zf840

A beautifully carved 19th century Santos of Saint Javier, or Saint Francis Xavier, known for bringing the Catholic faith to the Malay Archipelago, India, and Japan, in the early 16th century. From the Philippine Island of Panay. This is the same island on which a heroic American sailor, Telesforo Trinidad, was born. Devine providence? (Writer’s […]

Zf839

Bataan Death March starting point marker used to note the April 1942 journey from Mariveles to Camp O’Donnell on the island of Luzon. The Aeta helped POWs slip away.

Zf838

The Aetas of WWII Squadron 30 of the Luzon Guerrilla Forces (LGF), Southern Tarlac Military District under Capt. Bruce. Among those saved was Lt. Alex Vraciu. The Aeta and American Navy partnership began in 1905 with establishment of a Naval Station at Olongapo on Subic Bay.

Zf837

Early photo of Filipinos at sea in a pre-WW I unidentified ship.

Zf836

A 1655 etching of Manila Bay with a depiction of Subic Bay to the north. You can see the island of Corregidor, and also Grande Island at the entrance to Subic Bay. Shown are Manila galleons and “junks”, or in Spanish “junco”, the Chinese trading ships of the Xiang-li.

Zf835

For hundreds of voyages, Manila galleons crossed the Pacific in ships cramped with cargo and crew. No wardroom. No stewards. No gedunk.

Zf834

A 1655 etching of Manila galleons in the harbor of Acapulco.

Zf833

The Battle of Manila Bay took place on the first of May, 1898, and the U.S.F.S. Olympia printed the first detailed description of the battle in the ship’s newspaper, “The Bounding Billow”. Lacking paper, they “borrowed” a bundle from the Spanish on Cavite. As American troops began to arrive, “The Guide for Americans in the […]

Zf832

Zf831

In 1898, Acting Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt ordered the. Asiatic Squadron to sail to Hong Kong and prepare for a war with Spain. Soon the Cruiser USFS Olympia (C-6) with Commodore Dewey and his ships were about to make Philippine American history. (Chromolithograph, “Asiatic Squadron”, writers’ collection.)