Zf707. Here is an old picture of the First Line of Defense Layac Monument by Gilbert Dizon and from this web page, click here:
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The First Line of Defense Layac Monument is finished now and I shot these pictures on the 8th of June 2022. B
Before I show the pictures of the newly renovated First Line of Defense Layac Monument I have share with you a Great Disappointment. The authorities renovated the monument alright but not the other two historical markers!!! Why not????
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Zf708. On the 21 Dec. 2021 the monument caught my attention that the authorities are renovating the First Line of Defense Layac Monument and I told myself to keep an eye on the progress of this project.
Zf709. Where is the First Line of Defense Layac Monument? In 2007 I walked the Death March Route, but in small sections, and posted a page for the Death March Marker #68 which is located within the First Line of Defense Layac Monument site. The SCTEC was not built yet but I marked it into this map where I believe it would run and of course the location of the monument. It came from this posting with 18 images, click here:
The First Line of Defense Layac Monument is finished now and I shot these pictures on the 8th of June 2022. B
Before I show the pictures of the newly renovated First Line of Defense Layac Monument I have share with you a Great Disappointment. The authorities renovated the monument alright but not the other two historical markers!!! Why not????
Zf710. With the Battle of Layac Junction Plaque which is at the Dinalupihan end of the First Line of Defense Layac Monument NOTHING WAS DONE. This is how it looks now, what a disappointment! The Plaque tells the history of the battle of the First Line of Defense. It mentions the award of the Medal of Honor to Sgt. Jose Calugas and the award of the Distinguished Service Cross to Lt. Julian Q. Choa and C. A. Garcia. Felcito Payumo is mentioned in the Tagalog/Filipino half of the plaque. Four Filipino Heroes, by name, and the authorities could not hire an artist and fill in the writings on the plaque? What a disappointment.
Zf711. This is how the Battle of the Layac Junction Plaque which is at the Dinalupihan end of the First Line of Defense Layac Monument looked like on the 21st Dec. 2015.
Zf712. This is how the Battle of Bataan Plaque which is at the Dinalupihan end of the First Line of Defense Layac Monument looked like in 2007.
Zf713. This is how the Battle of Bataan Plaque, the English Half, which is at the Dinalupihan end of the First Line of Defense Layac Monument looked like in 2007.
Zf714. This is Death March Marker #68, which stands inside the Battle of the Layac Junction First Line of Defense Monument site and that is how it looks now. Again, a disappointment, why could the authorities at the same time of the renovation of this monument also scrape the old paint smooth and repaint the Death March Marker, why not?
Zf715. This is the upper portion with the sponsors of the Death March Marker #68, which stands inside the Battle of the Layac Junction First Line of Defense Monument site and that is how it looks now. Again, a disappointment, why couldn’t the authorities at the same time of the renovation of this monument also scrape the old paint smooth and repaint the Death March Marker, why not? The plaques on this marker tell us what the memory of this site is all about.
Now the 9 images of the now freshly renovated Battle of the Layac Junction First Line of Defense Monument in 2022. It seem the monument was painted with a darker color and they may have corrected parts the statures but I cannot tell
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Now the 9 images of the now freshly renovated Battle of the Layac Junction First Line of Defense Monument in 2022. It seem the monument was painted with a darker color and they may have corrected parts the statures but I cannot tell
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Now a few other historic reminders
Zf724a. Did you know that in 2007, the Layac Junction still had two islands dividing the traffic coming from Dinalupihan and Zambales? The island in this picture divided the traffic, right of the island going to Bataan and left having to make a left turn to San Fernando and Pampanga.
Zf725. The 38th Division has this plaque at this Battle of the Layac Junction First Line of Defense Monument site. That is an historic unit who made history in liberating Zambales and Bataan. It captured the very hard nuts to crack, the islands of Fraile, the concrete Battle Ship, Caballo Island, the sister island of Corregidor. It wiped out the Japanese (2000+ dug in with tanks and 120mm mortars over Olongapo) in very bloody and difficult fighting in the Battle of the Zig-Zag Pass.
Zf726. This is the cover page of the 38th Div. Battle Report of liberating Olongapo, Bataan and the Manila Bay islands, this division gained the name the “Avengers of Bataan”. The Division had to fight and bleed more for the liberation of Pampanga, liberate the areas of the Wawa Dam and other areas of the Sierra Madre Mts. to help secure the water supply for the people of Manila.
Zf727. LAYAC JUNCTION ROADWORK was completed in 2015; the FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE MONUMENT IS OK!
All year roadwork has been going on at the Layac Junction in 2015, all around the First Line of Defense Monument, built by the 38th Inf. Div according a Bataan Government webpage. It was difficult because of the heavy traffic that has to pass here into and from Bataan and Zambales. The roadwork is completed, not only around the First Line of Defense Monument but also several bridges have been widened and that work is complete also. Recently, 2015-11-21, I had reason to visit Death March Marker Km 67 which is only 1 Km south of the Layac Junction First Line of Defense Monument.
So, in 2015 I took the young people in my household to the site. This is one picture of the visit and I posted 12 pictures in this Photo Bucket album, click here: