Revisiting the American Cemetery on Veterans’ Day

The United States observes Veterans’ Day every November 11. Having an uncle who died in World War II as a member of the Philippine Scouts – which was part of the US Army then – and being an ex-military man myself, I felt it was a good time to pay tribute and remember my uncle and the thousands of war heroes who served and sacrificed – even their very lives – to protect our values and beliefs, and to ensure our freedom.

On this occasion, I visited the American Cemetery here in the heart of Metro Manila once again. Despite having seen it so many times, it never fails to amaze me. With its vastness, its cleanliness, the precision the graves were laid out, the solemn atmosphere, the intricate war maps, the walls filled with the names of the missing, and so on.

For those of you who haven’t made it to the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, it is the largest American military cemetery outside of continental USA. Within its 152-acres of well-maintained and properly manicured rolling terrain, a total of 16,859 dead servicemen are buried, while the memorial walls read 36,286 more missing in action. It is a must-see for history lovers, particularly those who have special personal interest in World War II.

This time, however, I discovered that I had been missing a new feature, an exhibit/museum, which was built right underneath the new Visitor Center. All the while, I had thought that this small one-story affair at the back of the Chapel was just an office with a restroom. It turned out that the small structure was just the entrance to a huge basement exhibit/museum that I hadn’t seen before.

The exhibit was opened only in 2019, and it is truly fascinating. Apparently, the cemetery authorities did not want to build a facade that would take away from the beautiful landscape in place, hence they decided to build the exhibit underground. The exhibit tells a poignant story of the War in the Pacific: the preparations made, the sneak attack by the Japanese, the early debacles, and the slow, excruciating campaign to recover the lost islands. It even has a small theatre where rare footages of the War in the Pacific are played. From the start of Japan’s aggression in China and the Southeast, to the island-to-island counter-offensive led by the Americans. With special focus on the campaign in the Philippines.

But one of the features that touched me most was the personalized certificate they provide honoring any relative in the US Armed Forces who died during World War II. Truly a wonderful idea!

I could go on and on about this fascinating historical memorial, but I guess I’ll let the videos and pictures tell the story.

For more on the American Cemetery, please read: Where Heroes Rest by clicking on the link: https://cbholganza.com/2013/12/01/where-heroes-rest/

Cover photo courtesy of Wikipedia. Other photos courtesy of Fabulous Philippines, the American Cemetery Brochure, ABS-CBN News and cbholganza.