to live, to love, to learn, to leave a legacy… and to laugh along the way
Coming home, marching out from those dark woods, I would appreciate more clearly why General Abadia insisted that officers must first prove themselves in the trenches before aspiring for higher commands. Men do not follow rank. They follow credibility. They follow leaders who have carried the same heavy pack, walked the same knee-deep muddy trails, endured the same sleepless, shivering nights, and shared the exact same mortal dangers.
By letting me glimpse the heavy burden behind the stars on his shoulders, he transformed my writing from simply efficient to deeply authentic. I was no longer just ghostwriting official correspondence or crafting strategic speeches; I was learning to articulate the heartbeat of the leader. That was when I found out that good writing isn’t measured by eloquence. It is measured by authenticity.
I had the rare privilege of knowing one of the these “Fighting Filipinos” when I joined the Scout Rangers back in 1978. MSgt Vic “Fatal Blow” Galvan was then the Sgt Major of the newly-revived Scout Ranger Group (SRG). He was such a stickler for hard training, always stressing that famous line: “The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in combat”. He would regale us with stories of the big war in Korea; of the dangers, the difficulties, and the pain of losing close comrades.
by: Erwin Mascarinas From Sunstar, Cagayan de Oro (May 4, 2014) (Erwin Mascarinas is a writer/photographer based in Butuan City. He is a jolly, outspoken individual
I know more about the American Civil War than my own country’s War for Independence. Sad but true. Having breathed and lived a full life
Two Philippine crews flexed their muscles in the prestigious 2013 Macau International Dragon Boat Race early this month. And both crews figured well in the
Color My World 