BOB LEE'S EXPERIENCE IN THE VIETNAM WAR

BOB LEE'S  BATTLES IN THE Vietnam War The U.S. offensive against the North Vietnamese near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), that lasted from August 3 to October 27, 1966. An estimated 1,329 Americans were killed during the operation.

BEHIND THE PICTURE '60s Gunnery Sgt. Jeremiah Purdie, a blood-stained bandage tied around his head — appears to be inexorably drawn to a stricken comrade. Here, in one astonishing frame, we witness tenderness and terror, desolation and fellowship — and, perhaps above all, we encounter the power of a simple human gesture to transform, if only for a moment, an utterly inhuman landscape. The longer we consider that scarred landscape, however, the more sinister — and unfathomable — it grows. The deep, ubiquitous mud slathered, it seems, on simply everything; trees ripped to jagged stumps by artillery shells and rifle fire; human figures distorted by wounds, bandages, helmets, flak jackets; and, perhaps most unbearably, the evident normalcy of it all for the young Americans gathered there in the aftermath of a firefight on a godforsaken hilltop thousands of miles from home. Americans remember Vietnam War 40 years after last US troops were pulled from bloody battlefield. It's been forty years since the last of America's troops left Vietnam. While the fall of Saigon two years later - with its unforgettable images of frantic helicopter evacuations - is remembered as the final day of the Vietnam War, Friday marks an anniversary that holds greater meaning for the Americans who fought, protested or otherwise lived the war. As the remaining US soldiers boarded their flights home on March 29, 1973, as like many who went before them, they were advised to change into civilian clothes because of fears they would be accosted by protesters after they landed. In the four decades since then, many veterans have embarked on careers, raised families and in many cases counseled a younger generation emerging from two other faraway wars. Exit: In this March 29, 1973 photo, Camp Alpha, Uncle Sam's out processing center, was chaos in Saigon Many who fought in Vietnam are encouraged by changes they see. The U.S. has a volunteer military these days, not a draft, and the troops coming home aren't derided for their service. People know what PTSD stands for, and they're insisting that the government take care of soldiers suffering from it and other injuries from Iraq and Afghanistan. Former Air Force Sgt. Howard Kern, who lives in central Ohio near Newark, spent a year in Vietnam before returning home in 1968. He said that for a long time he refused to wear any service ribbons associating him with southeast Asia and he didn't even his tell his wife until a couple of years after they married that he had served in Vietnam. He said she was supportive of his war service and subsequent decision to go back to the Air Force to serve another 18 years. Boarding: In a curious ending to a bizarre conflict, American troops boarded jets under the watchful eyes of North Vietnamese and Viet Cong observers in Saigon Kern said that when he flew back from Vietnam with other service members, they were told to change out of uniform and into civilian clothes while they were still on the airplane in case they encountered protesters. 'What stands out most about everything is that before I went and after I got back, the news media only showed the bad things the military was doing over there and the body counts,' said Kern, now 66. 'A lot of combat troops would give their c rations to Vietnamese children, but you never saw anything about that - you never saw all the good that GIs did over there.' Kern, an administrative assistant at the Licking County Veterans' Service Commission, said the public's attitude is a lot better toward veterans coming home for Iraq and Afghanistan - something he attributes in part to Vietnam veterans. 'We're the ones that greet these soldiers at the airports. We're the ones who help with parades and stand alongside the road when they come back and applaud them and salute them,' he said. Chaos: Lines of bored soldiers snaked through customs and briefing rooms as they left Vietnam He said that while the public 'might condemn war today, they don't condemn the warriors.' 'I think the way the public is treating these kids today is a great thing,' Kern said. 'I wish they had treated us that way.' But he still worries about the toll that multiple tours can take on service members. 'When we went over there, you came home when your tour was over and didn't go back unless you volunteered. They are sending GIs back now maybe five or seven times, and that's way too much for a combat veteran,' he said. He remembers feeling glad when the last troops left Vietnam, but was sad to see Saigon fall two years later. 'Vietnam was a very beautiful country, and I felt sorry for the people there,' he said. For a Vietnamese businessman who helped the U.S. government, a rising panic set in when the last combat troops left the country. A married father, Tony Lam was 36 on March 29, 1973 and had spent much of the war furnishing dehydrated rice to South Vietnamese troops. He also ran a fish meal plant and a refrigerated shipping business that exported shrimp. Long war: Most were thrilled the Vietnam War, which had lasted more than a decade, was over for the US (photo from 1965) As Lam, now 76, watched American forces dwindle and then disappear, he felt a sence of panic started to build within him. His close association with the Americans was well-known and he needed to get out - and get his family out - or risk being tagged as a spy and thrown into a Communist prison. He watched as South Vietnamese commanders fled, leaving whole battalions without a leader. 'We had no chance of surviving under the Communist invasion there. We were very much worried about the safety of our family, the safety of other people,' he said this week from his adopted home in Westminster, California. But Lam wouldn't leave for nearly two more years, driven to stay by his love of his country and his belief that Vietnam and its economy would recover. When Lam did leave, on April 21, 1975, it was aboard a packed C-130 that departed just as Saigon was about to fall. He had already worked for 24 hours at the airport to get others out after seeing his wife and two young children off to safety in the Philippines. Gruesome: The Vietnam War was wisely televised in the US and returning troops were targeted by protestors (photo from 1969) War: In this 03 Aug 1965 photo, an aged woman injured by a U.S.-Vietnamese air strike on a Buddist monastery 40 miles southeast of Saigon is carried to a hospital by airborne private Carl Champ of Furgitsville, West Virginia Like many who came home from the war, Reynolds is haunted by the fact he survived Vietnam when thousands more didn't. Encountering war protesters after returning home made the readjustment to civilian life more difficult. 'I was literally spat on in Chicago in the airport,' he said. 'No one spoke out in my favor.' Reynolds said the lingering survivor's guilt and the rude reception back home are the main reasons he spends much of his time now working with veteran's groups to help others obtain medical benefits. He also acts as an advocate on veterans' issues, a role that landed him a spot on the program at a 40th anniversary ceremony planned for Friday in Huntsville, Alabama. It took a long time for Reynolds to acknowledge his past, though. For years after the war, Reynolds said, he didn't include his Vietnam service on his resume and rarely discussed it with anyone. 'A lot of that I blocked out of my memory. I almost never talk about my Vietnam experience other than to say, "I was there," even to my family,' he said. Many who fought in the war bore resentment to the other side for years, after the brutality they witnessed. Fear: In this 15 May 1965 photo, a Vietnamese mother and her son hide in bushes near Le My to escape fighting as U.S. Marines go past after clearing the village of Viet Cong forces But a former North Vietnamese soldier, Ho Van Minh, says he bears no ill will towards his former enemy. He says he heard about the American combat troop withdrawal during a weekly meeting with his commanders in the battlefields of southern Vietnam. The news gave the northern forces fresh hope of victory, but the worst of the war was still to come for Minh: The 77-year-old lost his right leg to a land mine while advancing on Saigon, just a month before that city fell. 'The news of the withdrawal gave us more strength to fight,' Minh said Thursday, after touring a museum in the capital, Hanoi, devoted to the Vietnamese victory and home to captured American tanks and destroyed aircraft. 'The U.S. left behind a weak South Vietnam army. Our spirits was so high and we all believed that Saigon would be liberated soon,' he said. Minh, who was on a two-week tour of northern Vietnam with other veterans, said he doesn't harbor resentment to the American soldiers even though much of the country was destroyed and an estimated three million Vietnamese died. Bored: In this March 27, 1973 photo, an American GI takes a nap atop his luggage as he and other troops wait to begin out processing at Camp Alpha in Saigon If he met an American veteran now he says, 'I would not feel angry; instead I would extend my sympathy to them because they were sent to fight in Vietnam against their will.' But on his actions, he has no regrets. 'If someone comes to destroy your house, you have to stand up to fight.' Friday's anniversary is an important day for Marine Corps Capt. James H. Warner who just two weeks before the last troops left was freed from North Vietnamese confinement after nearly 5 1/2 years as a prisoner of war. He said those years of forced labor and interrogation reinforced his conviction that the United States was right to confront the spread of communism. The past 40 years have proven that free enterprise is the key to prosperity, Warner said in an interview on Thursday at a coffee shop near his home in Rohrersville, Md., about 60 miles from Washington. He said American ideals ultimately prevailed, even if our methods weren't as effective as they could have been. Don't forget the flag: In this March 29, 1973 file photo, the American flag is furled at a ceremony marking official deactivation of the Military Assistance Command-Vietnam (MACV) in Saigon, after more than 11 years in South Vietnam  'China has ditched socialism and gone in favor of improving their economy, and the same with Vietnam. The Berlin Wall is gone. So essentially, we won,' he said. 'We could have won faster if we had been a little more aggressive about pushing our ideas instead of just fighting.' Warner, 72, was the avionics officer in a Marine Corps attack squadron when his fighter plane was shot down north of the Demilitarized Zone in October 1967. He said the communist-made goods he was issued as a prisoner, including razor blades and East German-made shovels, were inferior products that bolstered his resolve. 'It was worth it,' he said. A native of Ypsilanti, Mich., Warner went on to a career in law in government service. He is a member of the Republican Central Committee of Washington County, Md. Another story comes from Denis Gray, who witnessed the Vietnam War twice - as an Army captain stationed in Saigon from 1970 to 1971 for a U.S. military intelligence unit, and again as a reporter at the start of a 40-year career with the Associated Press. Getting out: In this March 27, 1973 photo, surrounded by luggage of other departing GIs, U.S. Air Force airman reads paperback novel as he waits to begin processing at Camp Alpha on Saigon's Tan Son Nhut airbase in Saigon as troop withdraw 'Saigon in 1970-71 was full of American soldiers. It had a certain kind of vibe. There were the usual clubs, and the bars were going wild,' Gray recalled. 'Some parts of the city were very, very Americanized.' Gray's unit was helping to prepare for the troop pullout by turning over supplies and projects to the South Vietnamese during a period that Washington viewed as the final phase of the war. But morale among soldiers was low, reinforced by a feeling that the U.S. was leaving without finishing its job. 'Personally, I came to Vietnam and the military wanting to believe that I was in a - maybe not a just war but a - war that might have to be fought,' Gray said. 'Toward the end of it, myself and most of my fellow officers, and the men we were commanding didn't quite believe that ... so that made the situation really complex.' After his one-year service in Saigon ended in 1971, Gray returned home to Connecticut and got a job with the AP in Albany, N.Y. But he was soon posted to Indochina, and returned to Saigon in August 1973 - four months after the U.S. troops withdrew from Vietnam - to discover a different city. Viet Cong: In this March 28, 1973 photo, a Viet Cong observer of the Four Party Joint Military Commission counts U.S. troops as they prepare to board jet aircraft at Saigon's Tan Son Nhut airport 'The aggressiveness that militaries bring to any place they go - that was all gone,' he said. A small American presence remained, mostly diplomats, advisers and aid workers but the bulk of troops had left. The war between U.S.-allied South Vietnam and communist North Vietnam was continuing, and it was still two years before the fall of Saigon to the communist forces. 'There was certainly no panic or chaos - that came much later in '74, '75. But certainly it was a city with a lot of anxiety in it.'  The Vietnam War was the first of many wars Gray witnessed. As AP's Bangkok bureau chief for more than 30 years, Gray has covered wars in Cambodia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Rwanda, Kosovo, and 'many, many insurgencies along the way.' 'I don't love war, I hate it,' Gray said. '(But) when there have been other conflicts, I've been asked to go. So, it was definitely the shaping event of my professional life.' Harry Prestanski, 65, of West Chester, Ohio, served 16 months as a Marine in Vietnam and remembers having to celebrate his 21st birthday there. Air force: In this March 27, 1973 photo, Viet Cong and North Vietnamese members of the joint military commission, foreground, shoot photos of U.S. troops as they board an Air Force plane for the flight home from Saigon's Tan Son Nhut Air Base He is now retired from a career in public relations and spends a lot of time as an advocate for veterans, speaking to various organizations and trying to help veterans who are looking for jobs. 'The one thing I would tell those coming back today is to seek out other veterans and share their experiences,' he said. 'There are so many who will work with veterans and try to help them - so many opportunities that weren't there when we came back.' He says that even though the recent wars are different in some ways from Vietnam, those serving in any war go through some of the same experiences. 'One of the most difficult things I ever had to do was to sit down with the mother of a friend of mine who didn't come back and try to console her while outside her office there were people protesting the Vietnam War,' Prestanski said. He said the public's response to veterans is not what it was 40 years ago and credits Vietnam veterans for helping with that. Over: In this April 2, 1973 photo, President Richard Nixon and South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu are in profile as they listen to national anthems during arrival ceremonies for Thieu at the Western White House in San Clemente, Calif 'When we served, we were viewed as part of the problem,' he said. 'One thing about Vietnam veterans is that - almost to the man - we want to make sure that never happens to those serving today. We welcome them back and go out of our way to airports to wish them well when they leave.' He said some of the positive things that came out of his war service were the leadership skills and confidence he gained that helped him when he came back. 'I felt like I could take on the world, he said. But the war didn't just affect those who were living it, it also deeply affected the children of veterans, many of whom were struggling to deal with the trauma of what they'd experienced.  Zach Boatright's father served 21 years in the Air Force and he spent his childhood rubbing shoulders with Vietnam vets who lived and worked on Edwards Air Force Base in California's Mojave Desert, where he grew up. Yet Boatright, 27, said the war has little resonance with him. Welcome: In this Thursday, March 30, 1973 photo, the last 55 troops to leave Vietnam debark their Air Force C-141 at Travis Air Force Base 'We have a new defining moment. 9/11 is everyone's new defining moment now,' he said of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on U.S. soil. Boatright, who was 16 when the planes struck the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, said two of his best friends are now Air Force pilots serving in Afghanistan. He decided not to pursue the military and recently graduated from Fresno State University with a degree in recreation administration. People back home are more supportive of today's troops, Boatright said, because the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are linked in Americans' minds with those attacks. Improved military technology and no military draft also makes the fighting seem remote to those who don't have loved ones enlisted, he said. 'Because 9/11 happened, anything since then is kind of justified. If you're like, "We're doing that because of this" then it makes people feel better about the whole situation,' said Boatright, who's working at a Starbucks in the Orange County suburbs while deciding whether to pursue a master's degree in history.

Robert J. Lee was a US Army volunteer in the Infantry during the Vietnam war. The 4th Infantry Division deployed from Fort Lewis to Camp Holloway, Pleiku, Vietnam on September 25, 1966 and served more than four years, returning to Fort Carson, Colorado on December 8, 1970. Two brigades operated in the Central Highlands/II Corps Zone, but its 3rd Brigade, including the division's armor battalion, was sent to Tay Ninh Province northwest of Saigon to take part in Operation Attleboro (September to November, 1966), and later Operation Junction City (February to May, 1967), both in War Zone C. After nearly a year of combat, the 3rd Brigade's battalions officially became part of the 25th Infantry Division in exchange for the battalions of the 25th's 3rd Brigade, then in Quang Ngai Province as part of the division-sized Task Force Oregon. Throughout its service in Vietnam the division conducted combat operations in the western Central Highlands along the border between Cambodia and Vietnam.   Father and son Jason Lee both served in combat. By 1967 October, US intelligence reported that PAVN was withdrawing regiments from the Pleiku area to join those in Kontum Province, thereby dramatically increasing the strength of the local forces to that of a full division. In response, the 4th Infantry, began moving in more forces. On 29 October, the remainder of the 173d Airborne Brigade was brought in as reinforcement. They were joined by more ARVN units. In addition, the division was assisted by the 40th Artillery Regiment as well. The goal of these units was the taking of Dak To and the destruction of a "large American unit." This intelligence was bolstered by other means. The actions around Dak To were part of an overall strategy devised by the PAVN leadership, primarily that of General Vo Nguyen Giap. The goal of North Vietnamese operations in the area, according to a captured document from the B-3 Front Command, was "to annihilate a major US element in order to force the enemy to deploy as many additional troops to the western highlands as possible.   To Hell and Back Robert Lee during the Tet Offensive. Fighting erupted on 3 and 4 November when companies of the 4th Infantry bumped into PAVN defensive positions. Two days later the same thing occurred to elements of the 173rd. The following morning Bravo Company was relieved by C/4/503, supported by two companies of D/1/503. Task Force Black (as the combined unit was known) left Hill 823 and moved out on patrol. Before 0800 on 11 November, the force was ambushed by the 3rd Battalion, PAVN 174th Regiment and had to fight for its life. C/4/503 drew the job of going to the relief of task force. They encountered fire from all sides, but they made it, reaching the trapped men at 1537. US losses were 20 killed, 154 wounded, and two missing. The commanding officer reported an enemy body count of 80, but was told to go out and count again. He then reported back that 116 enemy soldiers had been killed. He later stated that "If you lost so many people killed and wounded, you had to have something to show for it Reaching Out: Wounded Marine Gunnery Sgt. Jeremiah Purdie (center, with bandaged head) reaches toward a stricken comrade after a fierce firefight Battle: A dazed, wounded American Marine gets bandaged during Operation Prairie Fallen: Four Marines recover the body of Marine fire team leader Leland Hammond as their company comes under fire near Hill 484. (At right is the French-born photojournalist Catherine Leroy) Burrows himself suffered a tragic end as he worked on the front lines, he was killed on February 10, 1971 over Laos when his helicopter was shot down. He was 44-years-old. Fellow photographers Henri Huet, 43, of the Associated Press, Kent Potter, 23, of United Press International and Keisaburo Shimamoto, 34, of Newsweek were also killed in the crash. Ralph Graves, then LIFE magazine's managing editor, remembered the Englishman as 'the single bravest and most dedicated war photographer I know of,' in a moving tribute he wrote following Burrows' death. 'He spent nine years covering the Vietnam War under conditions of incredible danger, not just at odd times but over and over again.' 'The war was his story, and he would see it through. His dream was to stay until he could photograph a Vietnam at peace,' Mr Graves added in the 1971 issue dedicated to the fallen correspondent. Forging ahead: U.S. Marine Phillip Wilson as he fords a waist-deep river with a rocket launcher over his shoulder during fighting near the DMZ. Five days after this photograph was taken, he was killed in combat Comrade: American Marines tending to a wounded soldier during a firefight south of the DMZ The U.S. offensive against the North Vietnamese near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), that lasted from August 3 to October 27, 1966. Fifty years ago, in March 1965, 3,500 U.S. Marines landed in South Vietnam. They were the first American combat troops on the ground in a conflict that had been building for decades. The communist government of North Vietnam (backed by the Soviet Union and China) was locked in a battle with South Vietnam (supported by the United States) in a Cold War proxy fight. The U.S. had been providing aid and advisors to the South since the 1950s, slowly escalating operations to include bombing runs and ground troops. By 1968, more than 500,000 U.S. troops were in the country, fighting alongside South Vietnamese soldiers as they faced both a conventional army and a guerrilla force in unforgiving terrain. Each side suffered and inflicted huge losses, with the civilian populace suffering horribly. Based on widely varying estimates, between 1.5 and 3.6 million people were killed in the war. This photo essay, part one of a three-part series, looks at the earlier stages of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, as well as the growing protest movement, between the years 1962 and 1967. Tomorrow, a look at the later years as the war wound down. Wounded: U.S. Marines carry the injured during a firefight near the southern edge of the DMZ, Vietnam, October 1966 Worn down: An American Marine during Operation Prairie Bloody: Marines carry an injured soldier back to the medics for treatment following an assault on Hill 484, Vietnam, October 1966 (left). An American soldier (right) with a bandaged head wound looking dazed after participating in Operation Prairie just south of the DMZ An estimated 1,329 Americans were killed during the operation. More than 58,000 Americans lost their lives in the conflict in Indochina that ended in 1975. One of the most famous images in the collection by Burrows is the shot 'Reaching Out,' the moment when wounded Gunnery Sgt. Jeremiah Purdie, photographed with a blood-stained bandage tied around his head, is drawn to his fellow soldier, who lays wounded on the ground. Though some of the pictures by the renowned war photographer did appear in the magazine in the 1970s, some never made it to publication and are being seen for the first time in the LIFE.com gallery. The war correspondent has been praised for his indefatigable commitment to chronicle the conflict through pictures that communicated the horror of the fighting and honored the lives lost in the conflict in a way words just never could fully transmit. Reaching Out: Wounded Marine Gunnery Sgt. Jeremiah Purdie (center, with bandaged head) reaches toward a stricken comrade after a fierce firefight Read more: Battle: A dazed, wounded American Marine gets bandaged during Operation Prairie Fallen: Four Marines recover the body of Marine fire team leader Leland Hammond as their company comes under fire near Hill 484. (At right is the French-born photojournalist Catherine Leroy) Burrows himself suffered a tragic end as he worked on the front lines, he was killed on February 10, 1971 over Laos when his helicopter was shot down. He was 44-years-old. Fellow photographers Henri Huet, 43, of the Associated Press, Kent Potter, 23, of United Press International and Keisaburo Shimamoto, 34, of Newsweek were also killed in the crash. Ralph Graves, then LIFE magazine's managing editor, remembered the Englishman as 'the single bravest and most dedicated war photographer I know of,' in a moving tribute he wrote following Burrows' death. 'He spent nine years covering the Vietnam War under conditions of incredible danger, not just at odd times but over and over again.' 'The war was his story, and he would see it through. His dream was to stay until he could photograph a Vietnam at peace,' Mr Graves added in the 1971 issue dedicated to the fallen correspondent. Lance Cpl. James C. Farley, helicopter crew chief, Vietnam, 1965. Read more: http://life.time.com/history/vietnam-photo-essay-by-larry-burrows-one-ride-with-yankee-papa-13/#ixzz2J552mX00 Forging ahead: U.S. Marine Phillip Wilson as he fords a waist-deep river with a rocket launcher over his shoulder during fighting near the DMZ. Five days after this photograph was taken, he was killed in combat Comrade: American Marines tending to a wounded soldier during a firefight south of the DMZ Though the lost photographers were mourned, their remains were not discovered until 37 years later thanks to the tireless effort spearheaded by AP writer Richard Pyle. The remains of Mr Burrows, Mr Buet, Mr Potter and Mr Shimamoto now sit in a stainless-steel box beneath the floor of the Newseum in Washington, D.C., part of a memorial gallery honoring journalists killed in the line of duty. A total of 2,156 individuals, dating back as far as 1837, are included in the museum's memorial. Wounded: U.S. Marines carry the injured during a firefight near the southern edge of the DMZ, Vietnam, October 1966 Worn down: An American Marine during Operation Prairie Bloody: Marines carry an injured soldier back to the medics for treatment following an assault on Hill 484, Vietnam, October 1966 (left). An American soldier (right) with a bandaged head wound looking dazed after participating in Operation Prairie just south of the DMZ

But Johnson ordered U.S. bombers to "retaliate" for a North Vietnamese torpedo attack that never happened.

Prior to the U.S. air strikes, top officials in Washington had reason to doubt that any Aug. 4 attack by North Vietnam had occurred. Cables from the U.S. task force commander in the Tonkin Gulf, Captain John J. Herrick, referred to "freak weather effects," "almost total darkness" and an "overeager sonarman" who "was hearing ship's own propeller beat."
One of the Navy pilots flying overhead that night was squadron commander James Stockdale, who gained fame later as a POW and then Ross Perot's vice presidential candidate. "I had the best seat in the house to watch that event," recalled Stockdale a few years ago, "and our destroyers were just shooting at phantom targets -- there were no PT boats there.... There was nothing there but black water and American fire power."
In 1965, Lyndon Johnson commented: "For all I know, our Navy was shooting at whales out there."
But Johnson's deceitful speech of Aug. 4, 1964, won accolades from editorial writers. The president, proclaimed the New York Times, "went to the American people last night with the somber facts." The Los Angeles Times urged Americans to "face the fact that the Communists, by their attack on American vessels in international waters, have themselves escalated the hostilities."
An exhaustive new book, The War Within: America's Battle Over Vietnam, begins with a dramatic account of the Tonkin Gulf incidents. In an interview, author Tom Wells told us that American media "described the air strikes that Johnson launched in response as merely `tit for tat' -- when in reality they reflected plans the administration had already drawn up for gradually increasing its overt military pressure against the North."
Why such inaccurate news coverage? Wells points to the media's "almost exclusive reliance on U.S. government officials as sources of information" -- as well as "reluctance to question official pronouncements on `national security issues.'"
Daniel Hallin's classic book The `Uncensored War' observes that journalists had "a great deal of information available which contradicted the official account [of Tonkin Gulf events]; it simply wasn't used. The day before the first incident, Hanoi had protested the attacks on its territory by Laotian aircraft and South Vietnamese gunboats."
What's more, "It was generally known...that `covert' operations against North Vietnam, carried out by South Vietnamese forces with U.S. support and direction, had been going on for some time."
In the absence of independent journalism, the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution -- the closest thing there ever was to a declaration of war against North Vietnam -- sailed through Congress on Aug. 7.

(Two courageous senators, Wayne Morse of Oregon and Ernest Gruening of Alaska, provided the only "no" votes.) The resolution authorized the president "to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression."
The rest is tragic history.

With a country in shambles, as a result of the Vietnam War, thousands of young men and women took their stand through rallies, protests, and concerts. A large number of young Americans opposed the war in Vietnam. With the common feeling of anti-war, thousands of youths united as one. This new culture of opposition spread like wild fire with alternate lifestyles blossoming, people coming together and reviving their communal efforts, demonstrated in the Woodstock Art and Music Festival.
"All we are asking is give peace a chance," was chanted throughout protests, and anti-war demonstrations. Timothy Leary's famous phrase, "Tune in, turn on, and drop out!" America's youth was changing rapidly.
Never before had the younger generation been so outspoken. 50,000 flower children and hippies traveled to San Francisco for the "Summer of Love," with the Beatles' hit song, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band as their light in the dark. The largest anti-war demonstration in history was held when 250,000 people marched from the Capitol to the Washington Monument, once again, showing the unity of youth.Counterculture groups rose to every debatable occasion. 

University of the Philippines Prep High 

Their hearts have not grown old;Passion or conquest, wander where they will,Attend upon them still.

U. P. Prep High School... this is the story of a particular Class at U.P. Prep in the period from1957 to 1961

In the twilight of age all things seem strange and phantasmal,   As between daylight and dark ghost-like the landscape My heart goes back to wander there, And among the dreams of the days that were,   I find my lost youth again.     And the strange and beautiful song,     The groves are repeating it still:   "A boy's will is the wind's will, And the thoughts of youth are long, long thoughts." I should not be withheld but that some day into their vastness I should steal away, Fearless of ever finding open land, or highway where the slow wheel pours the sand...RF

The University of the Philippines Prep High School was established in U. P. Manila campus encompassing Padre Faura to the breakwaters of Roxas Blvd.

Their hearts have not grown old; Passion or conquest, wander where they will, Attend upon them still. BACKGROUND OF THE FORMATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES AND THE SIGN OF THE TIMES IN THE ERA FROM 1939 TO 1975

These vibrant comic book covers appear to be the epitome of science fiction, but within their eye-catching illustrations are scarily accurate predictions of life in the 21st century. I was born during this time frame and witness the horrors of the turmoils of the times.The eagle above has the likeness of a Phoenix. The phoenix has long been presented as a symbol of rebirth, immortality, and renewal. From the ashes, we were born during those extraordinary times, in the crucible of World War II, then in later years, the most changes and perhaps the last of the innocent generation. The years from 1943 to 1945 are considered to be the silent (war babies) generation, between the so called hero and the baby boomer generations. The war years, reflected my perception of this period that significantly impacted everybody. If not for the war and the turn of events, maybe we would not be even here. In truth, it is our trademark as war babies. How we and our parents survived the trials and tribulations of that era maybe a feat worthy to be written in the book of adventures. The retro covers imagine a world where plastic surgery is common place, man walks on the moon and patients are fitted with artificial hearts. And although these subjects may not seem that groundbreaking today, all of the covers were published more than 80 years ago between 1929 and 1939. The retro covers imagine a world where plastic surgery is common place, man walks on the moon and patients are fitted with artificial hearts. On the left is a 1939 cover depicting a fountain of youth which rejuvenates the human body in a beauty parlour of the future. The left image of World without Women depicts a robot saving humanity from extinction. It was published in 1939 For instance, the now infamous moon landing of 1969 was predicted 40 years earlier in the Moon Strollers comic of 1929. That same year, illustrators predicted that in the future scientists would develop machines that read the subconscious mind and project its thoughts as images, titled Into the Subconscious. A number of breakthroughs in this field were made just last week. A student from the University of Washington, fitted with an EEG cap, successfully controlled the hand of a friend sitting half a mile away. The two students played a game in which cannons had to be fired on-screen. The ‘sender’ thought about firing the cannon, which then moved the hand of the ‘receiver’.  Yesterday, Google-owned Boston Dynamics unveiled its latest version of the Atlas robots, and the tech giant is developing software that acts like a human.These areas of research will pave the way for the Robot A.1, featured on a comic book cover in 1939, which shows a giant robot controlled by a human brain (left). Pictured on the right is an 1932 illustration of what a city on Mars might look like   This retro cover of Kidnapped into the Future shows a man from the year 4230 travelling by time machine back to mid-20th century Meanwhile, the '#scanners' project allows users to manipulate a digital art installation using a headset that creates a visual record of a person's subconscious mind. An animator in Manchester said it will give people a glimpse into a dream world, and it uses a £100 ($150) headset developed by technology company NeuroSky.  The collection - from titles including Marvel, Amazing Stories and Wonder Stories - also includes a host of recognisable scenes including one cover, created in 1939, called World Without Death. On the left is Secret of the Buried City, a 1939 comic about how the Earth is destroyed to make way for a better civilisation. The right image of 4-sided triangle, also from 1939, shows a scientist cloning the body of a young woman in his laboratory These vibrant comic book covers appear to be the epitome of science fiction, but within their eye-catching illustrations are scarily accurate predictions of life in the 21st century. For instance, the now infamous moon landing of 1969 was predicted 40 years earlier in the Moon Strollers comic of 1929 (pictured) CAN BODIES PREDICT THE FUTURE? Deja vu, unexplained shivers down the spine, hairs on the back of your neck...people have always believed the body has many ways of telling you something that is about to happen. But a recent scientific research paper claims to have discovered that your body can predict the future.  Scientists said that during tests they found proof people can anticipate events, or realise something is about to happen, without cues. The paper, in the Frontiers of Perception Science journal, claimed that after studying people's reactions in different tests, they found that subjects could 'predict' that something out of the ordinary was about to happen. But some scientists said the findings showed scientists were looking for evidence of 'presentiment' and didn't actually prove that it existed. In the image, a doctor is seen fitting a patient with an artificial heart - reminiscent of Matthew Green, who become the first Britain discharged from hospital with a completely artificial heart in 2011. Yesterday, Google-owned Boston Dynamics unveiled its latest version of the Atlas robots, and the tech giant is developing software that acts like a human. These areas of research will pave the way for the Robot A.1, featured on a comic book cover in 1939, which shows a giant robot controlled by a human brain. During this year’s World Cup, for example, a paraplegic used a mind-controlled exoskeleton to walk on the pitch and kick the first ball of the tournament. And last month, scientists revealed two patients fitted with radical new mind-controlled artificial limbs that link directly with their skeleton and nervous system. While many of the covers appear to be a fairly accurate prediction of the future, others are thankfully yet to come to fruition.  One comic, dubbed Cities in the Air, sees New York become an airborne city, elevated above the Earth’s surface to avoid pollutants and Secret of the Buried City, in which Earth is destroyed to make way for a better civilisation. Another retro cover of Kidnapped into the Future shows a man from the year 4230 travelling by time machine back to mid-20th century America.  Scientists may not have achieved time travel yet, but that hasn't stopped it being source of fascination for science fiction writers and illustrations, today, as it was back in the 1930s.   Illustrators predicted that in the future scientists would develop machines that read the subconscious mind and project its thoughts as images, titled ‘Into the Subconscious’. A number of breakthroughs in this field were made just last week. A student from the University of Washington, fitted with an EEG cap, successfully controlled the hand of a friend sitting half a mile away One-Way Tunnel shows the American city being destroyed while the Statue of Liberty looks on, published in 1935. (left). The World without Death by Polton Cross, published in 1939, shows a doctor fitting a patient with an artificial heart (right). This is reminiscent of Matthew Green, who become the first Britain discharged from hospital with a completely artificial heart in 2011 The 1929 Cities in the Air comic shows New York as an airborne ‘travelling city’, elevated above the Earth’s surface to avoid pollutants (left). On the right, the 1935 Phantom Monsters comic shows a diver finding marine life in the depths of the ocean SKYLINE OF PADRE FAURA TODAY AND THE CARILLON AT THE DILIMAN CAMPUS The years leading up to the declaration of war between the Axis and Allied powers in 1939 were tumultuous times for people across the globe. The Great Depression had started a decade before, leaving much of the world unemployed and desperate. Nationalism was sweeping through Germany, and it chafed against the punitive measures of the Versailles Treaty that had ended World War I. China and the Empire of Japan had been at war since Japanese troops invaded Manchuria in 1931. Germany, Italy, and Japan were testing the newly founded League of Nations with multiple invasions and occupations of nearby countries, and felt emboldened when they encountered no meaningful consequences. The Spanish Civil War broke out in 1936, becoming a rehearsal of sorts for the upcoming World War -- Germany and Italy supported the nationalist rebels led by General Francisco Franco, and some 40,000 foreign nationals traveled to Spain to fight in what they saw as the larger war against fascism. In the last few pre-war years, Nazi Germany blazed the path to conflict -- rearming, signing a non-aggression treaty with the USSR, annexing Austria, and invading Czechoslovakia. Meanwhile, the United States passed several Neutrality Acts, trying to avoid foreign entanglements as it reeled from the Depression and the Dust Bowl years. Below is a glimpse of just some of these events leading up to World War II. Japanese forces use flame-throwers while attacking a fortified emplacement on Corregidor Island, in the Philippines in May of 1942. (NARA)  Billows of smoke from burning buildings pour over the wall which encloses Manila's Intramuros district, sometime in 1942. (AP Photo) # American soldiers line up as they surrender their arms to the Japanese at the naval base of Mariveles on Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines in April of 1942. (AP Photo) # Japanese soldiers stand guard over American war prisoners just before the start of the "Bataan Death March" in 1942. This photograph was stolen from the Japanese during Japan's three-year occupation. (AP Photo/U.S. Marine Corps) # American and Filipino prisoners of war captured by the Japanese are shown at the start of the Death March after the surrender of Bataan on April 9, 1942, near Mariveles in the Philippines. Starting from Mariveles on April 10, some 75,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war were force-marched to Camp O'Donnell, a new prison camp 65 miles away. The prisoners, weakened after a three-month siege, were harassed by Japanese troops for days as they marched, the slow or sick killed with bayonets or swords. (AP Photo) # American prisoners of war carry their wounded and sick during the Bataan Death March in April of 1942. This photo was taken from the Japanese during their three year occupation of the Philippines. (AP Photo/U.S. Army) #    It was the final stage of the tragic death march and a concentration camp with an open field which served as the dumping grave site of Filipino and American soldiers who died with debilitating diseases. It has witnessed the endless sufferings of the sick and the neglected only to die, then dropped in mass with three and half feet depth and those who survived the darkest moments of their lives, they narrated with tears clouding their eyes, the traumatic experiences encountered during their detention, as they gasped with depression and sadness and said CAMP O” Donnell, that was. An American soldier stands tense in his foxhole on Bataan peninsula, in the Philippines, waiting to hurl a flaming bottle bomb at an oncoming Japanese tank, in April of 1942. (AP Photo) #   Evocative: This photograph showing American soldiers boarding a Chinook helicopter is one of 2,000 taken by Charlie Haughey during his tour of duty Tough: Soldiers wore towels around their necks to wipe away sweat in the relentless jungle heat Locals: Vietnamese children peer through a gate at the American photographer during his tour in 1968-9 Time out: Soldiers enjoy a brief moment of relaxation as they ride a Chinook over Vietnam More than 58,000 Americans lost their lives in the conflict in Indochina that ended in 1975. One of the most famous images in the collection by Burrows is the shot 'Reaching Out,' the moment when wounded Gunnery Sgt. Jeremiah Purdie, photographed with a blood-stained bandage tied around his head, is drawn to his fellow soldier, who lays wounded on the ground. Though some of the pictures by the renowned war photographer did appear in the magazine in the 1970s, some never made it to publication and are being seen for the first time in the LIFE.com gallery. The war correspondent has been praised for his indefatigable commitment to chronicle the conflict through pictures that communicated the horror of the fighting and honored the lives lost in the conflict in a way words just never could fully transmit. Reaching Out: Wounded Marine Gunnery Sgt. Jeremiah Purdie (center, with bandaged head) reaches toward a stricken comrade after a fierce firefight Battle: A dazed, wounded American Marine gets bandaged during Operation Prairie Fallen: Four Marines recover the body of Marine fire team leader Leland Hammond as their company comes under fire near Hill 484. (At right is the French-born photojournalist Catherine Leroy)

FORMATION OF THE UNIVERSITY The University began with the College of Fine Arts, the College of Liberal Arts, and the College of Medicine and Surgery occupying buildings distributed along Padre Faura (Ermita district) and R. Hidalgo (Quiapo district) in Manila as well as a School of Agriculture in Los Baños, Laguna.  A few years after, the university opened the College of Law and the College of Engineering in Manila, as well as academic units under the College of Agriculture and Forestry in Los Baños. It became necessary for U.P. to establish more academic programs, as well as to expand its facilities.  The Board of Regents approved the need to look for a larger site, and a 493-hectare lot was acquired by the university in Diliman, then a town under the province of Rizal. Construction of the new campus immediately began in 1939  UP Prep was created in 1954, when the UP Board of Regents authorized then UP President Vidal Tan to open a first class high school in Manila.  The school’s high standard curriculum was designed for secondary school graduates with the aptitudes and intellectual talents for university level education. Emphasis on a special curriculum focusing on science and mathematics while forwarding the graduates into UP college programs. The faculty was carefully selected for these advanced subjects, and oh, how I love my teachers… Ms. Galang in Math, Ms. Dayap in Biology and Chemistry, Ms. Cortez in History and many others who deeply instilled in me the value of education. It was only by passing a battery of rigorous examinations could a student get in, and once accepted, he or she had to hurdle to pass each of the four tough years of the highest standard of education ever given to high school students in the Philippines before one could graduate.  This was a small close knit school among students, where everybody knew each other, and where proper decorum was expected by the upperclassmen from the lower years. Seniority was respected, as if the atmosphere was inside a military academy.  Unfortunately, due to limited resources, in 1973, after graduating 20 classes — comprised altogether of 1500 graduates — UP Prep was merged with UP High School to later become what is now known as UP Integrated High School. A poignant oblation photo. My interpretation of my last look and parting with "UPPHS". "Paalam" Prep High 1960: At UP Los Banos with mom and siblings, me in uniform of UP Prep High, khaki pants and white top with logo on left breast. (Photo by papa UPLB BS Forestry class'40). It was a rare event when we all could gather and pose for a moment. They are grown up, mother have left our midst. The glimpse of all of us together brings the emotions of close family ties. 1960: I became aware of my family's heritage at UP Prep and began preparation for entry at Fort Del Pilar (PMA), a military academy in Bagiuo named after my granduncle. A period in my teen years in High School that I remember fondly, of the hectic days, dashing thru the corridors catching my schedule of classes at Rizal Hall. I recall my bag loaded with books, eager, wide eyed, and quick to learn the tenets of math, and the sciences. I remember past friends and stormy situations that most teenagers weathered through. As in life surviving the unspoken pecking order of bigger classmates and the so called in crowd was the rule. That lone wolf streak that kept me apart, which peers seemed to see as a weakness was a measure of heritage that set me off from the current teenage precepts of the day. Later, when of age after further studies, having ever spurred curiosity, like my ancestors did, aspired a life of adventure, of soldiering and foreign lands. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way........Therefore when I see the flowers before me blocking my view, I jump at the thoughts of my youth and then smile to myself... Tip toe thru the tulips with me Tip toe from your pillow To the shadow of the willow tree And tip toe thru the tulips with me Knee deep in flowers we'll stray We'll keep the showers away And if I kiss you in the garden In the moonlight, will you pardon me Come tip toe thru the tulips with me. Manila Harbor, Manila City, and Intramuros, Philippines, early 1960s Notice that this photo was taken before much rebuilding in Intramuros and there is lots of empty land showing just how much of the city was cleared after WWII. The US embassy and the Manila Hotel are shown on the upper right. I relished and missed the traditions followed in a military base (MNS) about a mile to the right of this picture, now occupied by the Central Bank of the Philippines. The site of the old Fort San Antonio Abad was demolished, in favor of the bank, another sacrilege. My recollections of waking up in the morning to the bugle calls to the colors remained fresh in my mind.   A Mini of Class 61 in Northern California. After 47 years we finally meet up with Alex and his lovely wife Marissa. And to think they were living only three blocks away from Cap up to about 3 years ago! It really takes a mini to reconnect. Thanks to Joe for driving all the way from Dublin. Missed Mayette.Thanks to Augie and Violet for finally finding Cap's house while avoiding launching divorce proceedings on the way. The company makes me fully support the plan to organize a reunion as soon as possible. A cruise would be an excellent opportunity to bond once more. Remember we're all in the"pre-departure lounge." ..RC; We give thanks to our host Melchor and Helen for the successful reunion in Vallejo. Most of all to the classmates who came from afar RC and Dudi, Joe de Guzman/son, Augie Capulong and Violet. Our reunion went well all the way to 10PM. The lively discussions were mostly about Politics, about you not present and the next reunion somewhere, sometime soon...ASC RIZAL HALL UPPER LEFT 52 YEARS AGO (1960 AFTER LIBERATION WWII) REBORN LIKE THE PHOENIX When we were young we saw the world through simple, hopeful eyes. We knew what we wanted to be, we had no biases or concealed agendas. We liked people who are positive. We avoided unkind people. All have high hopes for the future, but me, preparations were structurally rigid to a fault. Tomorrow was not left to chance.  One teacher introduced a letter in class just in passing. The classic lines, words and thoughts attracted my attention to abide by it, but not all, to be honest. Although it was gender specific, it applies somehow. Here, I posted it, for the sake of others, who missed that class…. A transgenerational letter from Barcelona, dated 13 of March 1889 My dearest niece,  The vagaries of life, which Providence in its most inscrutable design has alloted to me, had taken me away from that beautiful land where I have left behind the treasures of my life without even giving me a chance to say goodbye to the people I cherish and appreciate. In this letter to you, I shall try to make amends for my precipitate flight, by sending through you this my humble message to the young women of Bulacán. I feel convinced that you have been chosen, and on you depends the regeneration, the rebirth of our town. For there is no doubt of the strength and scope of a women’s influence on the family. Daughter, sister, wife, or mother — a woman offers the balm of solace that makes endurable the rigors of everyday life. More than that, she is the element that guides men to paths of virtue and courage or to the pitfalls of wrongdoing and cowardice. In all these countries that I have now visited, I have found eloquent proof that where women are virtuous, vice is timid and dignity predominates in the life of man. But when feminine frivolity reigns, the men are taken up in immorality and the abandonment and disregard of the sacred duties of man is the popular way of life. It is your duty to God to develop your mind and your reason by education; it is your duty to your fellowmen to share the knowledge that you possess, that they may use it to better their lives. Do not forget, dear niece, that an untutored mind is like a lighthouse without light, useless to guide the sailor to his port. I shall recommend to you the diligent study of the Spanish language, because knowledge of Spanish will open to you the opportunity of wide reading which in turn solidifies your education. For this reason alone you should, and the other women of Bulacán with you, devote yourselves to the mastery of the Spanish idiom. Studying Spanish is not a luxury reserved for a few and denied to the indigent and the female. To study it is not a useless activity to be passed up in indifference and carelessly exchanged for a few idle hours of gossip everyday. You, my dear niece, and your friends who will be the mothers of tomorrow, do not throw away this treasure. Cherish knowledge not only for yourself but that posterity may have received it from you and bless you for this legacy. Surely, for this you may well sacrifice a few hours a day, the few hours you waste so carelessly in “panguingue” and idle gossip. For this reason, I have written you from across the sea. For this I plead with all my soul — will you not do this out of love for our town of Bulacán, our unhappy town that had cradled our birth, had sheltered our youth and now shares with us the bitter and the sweet of life’s memories? Look not with indifference at my plea for the weal of Bulacán is linked with yours and those of your children. Study, spread the love of learning, uplift yourselves, and you shall yet uplift your town. And I beseech you for the sake of this goal, to learn to work as one in spirit and determination. Forget and set aside petty rivalries that frequently becloud your little groups. Be ready to sacrifice your little prides in the bigger altar of common good and your noble purposes shall have a better chance of survival. Build up, my dear niece, the honor and prestige of Bulacán by spreading the love of learning among your compatriots. For the mind enlightened and elevated is better than a temple of stone; it is a living sanctuary reflecting the magnificence of its Omnipotent Creator. M.H. DEL PILAR Dr. Imelda O. Andres RIP The physical reflection,known as me: A fleeting thought of me may cross your mind And if you reach beyond the boundary line ,that holds your conscious thought,there I will be:For only in the passing do we grow to know,the meaning of the life that let us go; Love is the only thing that matters there or here. Charmaine is our school song, and it begins like this… I wonder if you will remember? Prep High, Prep High I WAS READING SOME OLD 61 EMAILS AND CAME ACROSS THE NICKNAMES. I WOULD SAY IT WAS HILARIOUS TO READ THIS AND HOW CLASSMATES REMEMBER EACH AND EVERY ONE. YOU WERE VERY KIND, SOME NAMES ARE X-RATED AS I RECALL, BUT  YOU DID A GOOD JOB RECALLING THE SANITIZED MONICKER. After 38 years, not an easy task. Kaya pala si Kardinal ang na-assign na mag-recall: mahirap na medyo delikado pa.Mahirap dahil hindi ako saksi sa lahat ng pangyayari sa lahat ng sections. Delikado dahil baka may sugat na manariwa. Pero katuwaan lang ito. Sana lahat matuwa at walang mapikon--after all trabaho lang ito at " recaller" lang ako hindi "namer" o baptizer".Bato-bato sa langit, ang matamaan mag-email agad. Jose Acevedo. Babe, Baba, Ali Baba.2.Godofredo Alaras. Godofredo. Corazon Amante. Cora. Pipit( from Joey) Andrew Ang.Ang. Undress Ang( from Oca V.) Arlene Aquino +. Arlene, Stitch, Stitch. 6.Vilma Bala. Vilma. Bambi. Lourdes Balderrama. Dudi. > 8.Alipio Baluyut+. Alip. > 9.Frine Bautista. Frine.  10.Eldora Bella. Dhoree.  11.Jose Buenaventura. Joey. Yat. > 12.Melinda Caparas. Melinda. It. > 13.Melchor Capili. Melchor. Cap. Ohab( from Ping) > 14.Augusto Capulong. Augie. > 15.Nemesio Ceralde. Jr. Boy. Boyd. Tenggoy Jr.  16.Jesus Ching. Ching. > 17.Renato Constantino, Jr. RC. Yat. One Beer Kid. Wangbu. > 18.Carol Corpus. Carol.Carole. > 19.Cynthia Cuevas. Cynthia. Cindy. > 20.Rogelio Cuevas. Cuevas. Roger. >   21.Alexander Custodio.Alex. Tojo. Manuel Edralin. Manny. Edra. Antok. > 23.Jose Fargas. Ping. 24.Evangeline Farolan. Eva.  25.Wilhelmina Fernandez. Mimay. Curly Bangs. > 26.Romeo Fojas. Fojie. > 27.Evelyn Fontanilla. Evelyn.  28.Nilda Fulgencio. Nilda. FT.French Twist. 29.Carlos Garcia. Itoy. Bukol.  30.Nelia Gonzales. Nelia. Nel.   31.Jose Guzman. Guzman. Joe.  32.Rene Herbosa. Rene. Pompoy. > 33.Romeo Imbuido. Imbuido. Romy. Imbudo. > 34.Marilyn Jamias. Marilyn. > 35.Rodnel Javier. Rodnel.  36.Lilia Laqui. Lilia.  37.Macrina de Leon. Macrina. Macre. > 38.Wilfrido de Leon. Willy. Daga. Tenga. > 39.Hector Lumberio. Lumberio. Hec.  40.Mamerto Madella+. Madella.  41.Carmelo Madrid. Madrid. 42.Eduardo Maglaque. Ed. > 43.Bayani Mandanas. Yani. Bondy. Bondat. > 44.Emmanuel Manalac+. Emmy. Emong.  45.Eduardo Manalac. Ed. Eddie.  46.Manuel Medina. Medy. Manny.  47.Bonita de Mesa. Bonita. Bonnie. > 48.Paul Montalban. Paul. > 49.Leopoldo Moral, Jr. Pol. Moral.Neggy. Cardinal. > 50.Juliana Nable. Juliana. Julie.  51.Teresita Narciso. Tessie. Kumbinto. > 52.Edgar Navarro. Ed > 53.Imelda Ocampo. Imelda. > 54.George Olivar, Jr. George. Diyords. > 55.Marcelita Ordonez. Marce.  56.Lualhati Pablo. Lulu. Usec Pablo.  57.Angelita Pasamba.Angelita. Lita. Angge. > 58.Cesar Pascual. Cesar. Sandok. Sandy.  59.Quintin Pastrana. Quintin. Bakya. Q. > 60.Mildred Patino. Mildred.  61.Jose Pecache+. Pec. Jay.  62.Nicolas Pelaez+. Pelaez. Nic.Negro.  63.Amado Punsalang, Jr. Amado. Dodie.  64.Josefino Quiambao. Quiambao. Pepe.+ > 65.Barbara Ramirez. Babs. >   66.Corazon Ramirez. Cora. Corkie.  67.Erlinda Ramos. Erlinda.  68.Helen Reantaso. Helen.  69.Oscar Recto+. Oca. Torecs. > 70.Irma Remo. Irma.  71.Deo Reyes. Deo.  72.Nestor Rivadelo. Vads.Sleeping Vads. > 73.Roberto Roa. Boots. > 74.Rosalinda Roa. Rosalinda. > 75.Romeo Salvador. Romy. >  AlbertoSan Agustin. Bert. Roberto San Juan. Johnny. Bot. San Juan.  Honorio San Pedro. Nori. Honorio.  79.Amado Santos, Jr. Dong. Jun. > 80.Jose Sason. Sax. Negro. Kulot. Nonoy. Saxon. Saxophone. >  > 81.Zenaida Seva. Zeny. > 82.Ma. Lourdes Saguil. Hedy. > 83.Elsa Cristina Sevilla. Elsa. Sister. MS.  84.Edgardo Silverio. Ed. Silver. Kabayo.  85.Milagros Suva. Mila.   86.Arthur Tan. Atot.  87.Ernesto Tan-Gatue.Boy. > 88.Victoria Tolentino. Vicky. Toyang. > 89.Lilac Umali. Lilac.  90.Oscar Valenzuela. Oscar. Oca.  91.Dolores Vergara. Dolores. Dolly. 92.Virgilio Vergara. Vius. Ilyong. Ronnie.  93.Pascual Veron-Cruz Jr. Pascual. Kalbo. Pasky. Jun. Melanie Villanueva. Melanie. Lani.  95.Ernesto Villareal. Pong. Ponga. 96.Pablo Villavicencio. Pablo.Bing.  97.Rosalita Vizconde. Rosalita. Its. 98.Cynthia Catindig. Cynthia. > 99.Evangeline Gabriel. Evangeline.  100.Lourdes Gacad. Lourdes. JOSE QUIAMBAO I wonder if you will remember? Prep High, Prep High. I wonder when Prep High is calling, Will you come back again? I wonder if you'll keep on striving For the welfare of our land? I hope you will keep e'er alight The bright flames Of leadership learned at Prep High You'll go away graduation day We know you have to go 'Mid tears and cheers we'll let you go Prep High must let you go. When old leaves turn to new Prep High will call on you.

My entry to UP Prep began in 1957 without knowing that I was a Legacy Student or sons and daughters of UP alumnae who are the main beneficiaries to become students of this select High School. Even then, I took a battery of entrance exam and interviews to get in. My dad graduated UP Los Banos class 1940 BS Forestry. It was in the Summer of 1950, 5 years after WWII, when I began schooling. The limited amount of classroom space was clearly evident then for the newly established Parochial School. We just emerged from a destructive war, some of the destroyed edifices were still around. It did not bother me about the location, maybe of my innocence on the specter of death, as we have our class inside the catacombs located at the basement of Espirito Santo Church. The recently completed elementary education passed by like a breeze under mother superior, but here in High School it got rougher. Competition was tougher. Nowhere are the nuns there to protect a secluded life, you are left alone to decide for yourself, as adults. For me,  U.P. Prep High, was another passage to adulthood.  We learned more about classmates from the best among the best, chosen from different walks of life. You apply yourself to a diverse bunch of kids, invariably they were not from the same parish, like back in the elementary. My little world  expanded by the distant location (two jeepney rides) of Padre Faura. Fascination in the field of Sciences and Mathematics from Liberal mentors instead of  Religion gave me a glimpse of my future career. Disallowed text by the catholic church, accessed freely in High School, and devoured voraciously, led to the knowledge of my heritage, and our true history. My sensibility changed and it became more acute in the unequal treatment of less influential classmates by superiors. I accepted that life is not always fair but this observations led  to my human inquiry about rural justice. The news of the era was about the HUK rebellion. We were led to believe by the mainstream Western Media, that all agitation against the central government are evil. We were  brainwashed to think that people who fight to uplift themselves from social oppression were all bad. To look at the true story of the  Insurrection in the Philippines, is to open both sides of society, the poor and the rich. I was born in a military family, so all these were of prime importance. In 1948 a full 75 percent of Luzon's population were peasants and, for these people, the postwar government had done little to mitigate their plight. Tenancy had returned, landlords ignored laws that established debt ratios for the farmers, and the courts invariably decided in favor of influential landlords. The gap between the Philippine upper classes and the peasant majority had widened since the war and independence, not contracted as many had hoped. Nick Pelaez my partner in crime, proved to be a true friend to the end. May his soul RIP. Add c1st row: Manuel Edralin,Wilfredo de Leon, Cynthia Cuevas, Eldora Bella,Nilda Fulgencio, Araceli Mindoro, Lourdes Gacad, Rosalita Vizconde, Melanie Villanueva,Lilia Laqui,Frine Bautista, Rosalinda Roa Edgardo Cruz 2nd row: Roma Clemente,Roberto San Juan, Oscar Recto, Milagros Suva, Lilac Umali, Elizabeth Stuart, Melinda Caparas, Erlinda Ramos, Lourdes Balderrama, Bilma Bala, Roberto Roa, Romeo Fojas3rd row: Romeo Miclat, Paul Montalban, Virgilio Vergara, Jose Acevedo, Jose Fargas, Amado Santos, Philip Kastner,Jesus Ching, Melchor Capili, Pascual Veron Cruz, Eduardo Maglaque and Rodnel Javier Picture taken Jan 26, 2011 at RC's place Panay Ave, during the 50th anniversary of UP Prep class 61. Nilda passed away April 26, 2011. Nilda's breast cancer, from which she had about a six-year remission, has returned and has metastasized to her stomach.Perhaps you sent or spoke kind words. As any friend could say; Perhaps you were not there at all Just thought of us that day. Whatever you did to console the heart We thank you so much, whatever the part……Nilda Diamonds Are ForeverA 60th Anniversary Celebration U.P. Preparatory High School The U.P. Prep High School will celebrate its 60 thfoundation anniversary with a generalreunion and festivities Tuesday, February 18, 2014 at 4 p.m. at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza,Manila. This grand anniversary celebration is truly a “diamond” opportunity to reconnect with ourbatchmates, and other batches from our school to reminisce the years we spent together as youngstudents. It will be marked with fun, nostalgia and pride as we walk the memory lanes of U.P.Prep - the country’s “Best High School”.  Ms. Emma Pangilinan My Art Teacher Ms. Roma Clemente, one of my best teacher at UP. Billets were in a gymnasium with rows of cots and mosquito nets. I do not know where the girls were, but the energy was ever flowing from the boys…as shoes were flying everywhere in the dark, landing safely at the mosquito nets. Above Pictures of the boys in a later field trip  (1960) to Bagiuo and Pampanga High School Ms. Nympha Galang My kind Math teacher The University of the Philippines made this field trips available to the student body under the supervision of Mr. Rubio. I remember our trips to Bagiuo and Bicol by train. The later, I was not able to avail. students start the term with a trip to various High Schools, either to a resort, an American base, or towns in Luzon. School life is also enriched by additional field trips to such places important to the nation’s infrastructure, like dams, markets, military base and institutions like PMA.  I will cherise the memories of Melchor as a classmate, a neighbor, about 9 houses away in Vallejo and also a fellow border town mate in Rizal, he from Pililla and me from Tanay. It is sad to see him go at a fairly young age. I remember how we shared the same ride in our J.S. Senior Prom. We did not have any dates then, so my father fetched us on our way home. Although, we did not attend the same University, we pursued Engineering. In our careers as registered professional engineers, he worked with the City of San Francisco, as an inspector and me as an inspector with the State of California.  I marvel at the almost parallel lives, But most of all, I will miss the jokes and laughter of a dear friend. ..ASC  Melchor Capili, P.E. RIP    Early 1960:I remember the old beautiful architectural lines of the Manila Hotel, not the new monstrous addition as it is now.  it reinforces the fact that much of the loss of the quality of life in the metropolis owes to crass commercialism, slapdash development, and the regulated chaos that makes up for urban planning in the otherwise overly regulated and bureaucratized regime in the Philippines. I reflect the times in High School when we trek on to this site from Padre Faura, Rizal Hall to the US Embassy Canteen to buy our ice cream cone for 10 centavos. Pleasant memories too of my first exposure to teen age westerners on one to one basis in this Hotel at pool side parties. These songs jogs the memory lane.   Auf Wiedersehen,Until we meet again! That is the meaning Of the familiar words, that men repeat At parting in the street. Ah yes, till then! but when death intervening Rends us asunder, with what ceaseless pain We wait for the Again! The friends who leave us do not feel the sorrow Of parting, as we feel it, who must stay Lamenting day by day, And knowing, when we wake upon the morrow, We shall not find in its accustomed place The one beloved face....HWL.....A Toast to Class61... Dewey Blvd: The jetty potruding to Manila Bay is the future Cultural Center, on the other side of Dewey is the Manila Naval Station (MNS) where we lived from 1965 to 1966. the headquarters of the Philippine Navy was relegated to a small block of land south of the Manila Yacht Club. The original plan was to reclaim the site of the cultural center(CC) to replace the location of the MNS by the Central Bank. Imelda Marcos, saw this valuable real state and confiscated the plan for her project the now CC. The yacht club remained, the Navy base (MNS) was transferred to Fort Bonifacio. Pasay City, Aristocrat (Barbecue Plaza) Plaza, Dewey Blvd: So called, as barbecue stands abound from twilight to dawn. Scenes of fights between warring gangs during the evening and where ladies of the night sell their wares. Not to be outdone, my father indirectly thru his books, and literature, who most probably wanted me to follow his footsteps instilled in my mind, this speech from a well known soldier. "Duty, Honor, Country: Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be. They are your rallying points: to build courage when courage seems to fail; to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith; to create hope when hope becomes forlorn. Unhappily, I possess neither that eloquence of diction, that poetry of imagination, nor that brilliance of metaphor to tell you all that they mean. The unbelievers will say they are but words, but a slogan, but a flamboyant phrase. Every pedant, every demagogue, every cynic, every hypocrite, every troublemaker, and I am sorry to say, some others of an entirely different character, will try to downgrade them even to the extent of mockery and ridicule. But these are some of the things they do. They build your basic character. They mold you for your future roles as the custodians of the nation's defense. They make you strong enough to know when you are weak, and brave enough to face yourself when you are afraid. They teach you to be proud and unbending in honest failure, but humble and gentle in success; not to substitute words for actions, not to seek the path of comfort, but to face the stress and spur of difficulty and challenge; to learn to stand up in the storm but to have compassion on those who fall; to master yourself before you seek to master others; to have a heart that is clean, a goal that is high; to learn to laugh, yet never forget how to weep; to reach into the future yet never neglect the past; to be serious yet never to take yourself too seriously; to be modest so that you will remember the simplicity of true greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, the meekness of true strength.  They give you a temper of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions, a freshness of the deep springs of life, a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity, of an appetite for adventure over love of ease. They create in your heart the sense of wonder, the unfailing hope of what next, and the joy and inspiration of life. They teach you in this way to be an officer and a gentleman."… Gen. Douglas McArthur Our Field trips to Bagiuo: The University of the Philippines made this field trips available to the student body under the supervision of Mr. Rubio. I remember our trips to Bagiuo and Bicol by train. The later, I was not able to avail. students start the term with a trip to various High Schools, either to a resort, an American base, or towns in Luzon. School life is also enriched by additional field trips to such places important to the nation’s infrastructure, like dams, markets, military base and institutions like PMA.  BURNHAM PARK Bagiuo below photos Burnham Park, where we rented roller skates, and then, shared one of these tricycles with an upper class junior. I held both her hands, no names please, a boyish romantic encounter. Surely an unforgettable Chance Encounter for a boy of 13,  as she shifted towards me. We cuddled and continued to ride in the cool afternoon fog. 1st row: Manuel Edralin,Wilfredo de Leon,Cynthia Cuevas,Eldora Bella,Nilda Fulgencio, Araceli Cruz (?),Lourdes Gacad,Rosalita Vizconde,Melanie Villanueva,Lilia Laqui,Frine Bautista, Rosalinda Roa Edgardo Cruz 2nd row: Roma Clemente,Roberto San Juan, Oscar Recto, Milagros Suva, Lilac Umali, Elizabeth Stuart, Melind Caparas, Erlinda Ramos, Lourdes Balderrama,Bilma Bala,Roberto Roa,Romeo Fojas 3rd row:Romeo Miclat,Paul Montalban,Virgilio Vergara,Jose Acevedo,Jose Fargas,Amado Santos,Philip Kastner,Jesus Ching, Melchor Capili, Pascual Veron Cruz, Eduardo Maglaque and Rodnel Javier 1960: I became aware of my heritage in my junior year at UP Prep and began preparation for my appointment as a cadet of the PMA at Fort Del Pilar. This was a period in my teen years that I remember fondly, memories in my High School, of the hectic days, dashing thru the corridors catching my schedule of classes at Rizal Hall. I recall my bag loaded with books, eager, wide eyed, and quick to learn the tenets of math, the arts and sciences. I remember past friends and stormy situations that most teenagers weathered through. As in life surviving the unspoken pecking order among bigger classmates and the so called in crowd was the rule. That lone wolf streak that kept me apart, which peers seemed to see as a weakness was a measure of heritage that set me off from the current teenage precepts of the day. Later, when of age and after further studies, having ever spurred curiosity, whetted my appetite for a life of adventure, of soldiering and foreign lands. IN THIS PHOTO ALONE ALMOST ONE THIRD  (TEN)  DEPARTED TO ANOTHER DIMENSION BEGINNING WITH MISS GALANG, NICK PELAEZ, JOSE QUIAMBAO..MELCHOR CAPILI..MAMERTO MADELA...NESTOR RIVADELO...EVANGELINE GABRIEL... MANUEL EDRALIN....CARLOS GARCIA...ERNESTO VILLAREAL Hello Cap and Helen, Alex and Marissa, Maraming salamat! Kahit aanim lang tayo, (Si Augie and Violet missing-in-action and much missed) masaya at busog na busog kami sa ating salu-salo. Pati ang mga anak namin, sina Karmina at Noel, walang katapusang rave sa ginisang munggo ni Helen at yung broiled catfish niya (to die for talaga ang sarap!!!). Thanks Alex for the many tips o various matters and MARISSA! for the beautiful music. Ang galing-galing mo palang mag-piano. And Helen, your shopping tips are invaluable. I will really take you up on your offer na sa next tagpuan natin, e, sa city na tayo magkita. PERO, kailangan pagdating ninyo sa Pilipinas, (sa Marso, alam ko,nandito kayo) bigyan naman ninyo kami ng isang araw para kami naman ang mag-host ng mini sa inyo. Pasusundo namin kayo sa Morong. Ayan, wala na kayong excuse. Let us know when you are back in the Pilipinas Islands so we can schedule it.  Again, our thanks to all of you. Helen, mamaya ko na ipadadala ko yung galing kay Karmina. Mag lalast day labas muna kami nila RC, Noel and Karmina. Of course, kaladkad namin ang mga bata. Dudi and RC After a terrific night in Vallejo, Dudi and I just got up after lazing away in bed practically the whole morning

 Marcelo H. del Pilar y Gatmaitán

 

  

Rizal Hall, University of the Philippines, September 1950. A photo album on the UP Carillon Tower before and after restoration (and with new bells)by the UP Alumni Association in time for the 2008 Centennial of the University of the Philippines. University of the Philippines Prep High School Yearbook A great deal of important learning takes place outside the classroom. Traveling together making use of community resources, and exposing the students to a variety of new environments is all part of bringing the learning experience into the community setting. The University of the Philippines made this field trips available to the student body under the supervision of Mr. Rubio. I remember our trips to Bagiuo and Bicol by train. The later, I was not able to avail. students start the term with a trip to various High Schools, either to a resort, an American base, or towns in Luzon. School life is also enriched by additional field trips to such places important to the nation’s infrastructure, like dams, markets, military base and institutions like PMA. Market place Bagiuo Right photo. Ms. Nympha Galang Nebrida May Her Soul RIP Benguet Road, Zigzag Kenyon Road. We came in contact with the Igorots shown above. The Igorots are in six ethno-linguistic groups, the Bontoc, Ibaloi, Isneg (or Apayao), Kalinga, and the Kankana-ey. Their habitat is the Northern mountains of Luzon, called the Mountain Province. We were introduced to the Tongali at Bagiuo High. It produces sound when air is blown into the instrument shown at left. The next video was the old Baguio we saw back in 1957. It saddens me that the next generation will never see and experience what we did as children. I hope something is done to stop the devastation of Bagiuo City. Preserve what was once a beautiful and natural Summer Place... Old San Lazaro Hospital Ruins. Shrine of St. Lazarus, Avenida Rizal cor. Tayuman, Manila. The Manila Jai Alai Building was a building designed by American architect Welton Becket that functioned as a building for which jai alai games were held.[1] It was built in the Streamline Moderne style in 1940 and survived the Battle of Manila. It was considered one of finest Art Deco buildings in Asia. It was demolished on 2000 upon the orders of the Mayor of Manila Lito Atienza amidst protests, to make way for the Manila Hall of Justice, which was never built Old San Lazaro Hospital Ruins Shrine of St. Lazarus, Avenida Rizal cor. Tayuman, Manila Paco Park ( Manila). Visita Iglesia during vacation in the Philippines. Paco Park's Chapel of San Pancratius is where the remains of Spanish colonial Governor General Ramon Solano was interred. The park was originally designed by Nicolas Ruiz as a cementery of the Spanish colonial elite. It was built in the later years of the 1700s making it one of the oldest, if not the oldest, cementery in the Philippines. The GOMBURZA martyrs- Fr. Mariano Gomez, Fr. Jacinto Zamora, and Fr. Jose Burgos- were buried here after their execution in 1872. Twenty-four years later in 1896, the executed Dr. Jose Rizal was also secretly buried in the cemetery. His remains were later exhumed in 1912 and moved to what his now his grand monument at the Luneta. Interment in the cemetery was probihited in 1912 and most of the remains of those who were buried were moved out. The cementery became a national park in 1966. Paco Park, Manila. A cross now marks the burial site of the GOMBURZA martys inside the park. Paco Park (Manila) Dr. Jose Rizal was secretly buried in the park after his execution. His remains were later exhumed and interred beneath the Rizal Monument at the Luneta. San Juan, Metro Manila.Unique to the San Juan church is the massive buttress walls covering its facade. Butress walls are usually the side walls in the case of most Philippine colonial churches. Paco Church, Manila. food market and a toy market side-by-side divisoria market  Tanay Lighthouse San Lazaro Leisure Park Race Track San Lazaro Leisure Park Race The Jesuits built the firstRoman Catholic Church in the area where the present Santa Cruz Parish stands on June 20, 1619. The Jesuits enshrined the image of the Our Lady of The Pillar in 1643 to serve the pre-dominantly Chineseresidents in the area. The image drew a lot of devotees and a popular cult grew around it. On June 24, 1784, the King of Spain gave the deeds to about 2 km² of land that was part of the Hacienda de Mayhaligue to the San Lazaro Hospital which served as a caring home for lepers in Manila at that time. At the Santa Cruz Parish, a small park was built that linked the area into the headquarters of the Spanish cavalry, the building that once was the College of San Ildefonso, operated by the Jesuits. The district in the Spanish times also had a slaughter house and a meat market and up north was the Chinese cemetery. The Franciscan fathers were given the responsibility to care for the lepers of the city and specifically the San Lazaro Hospital. A Fr. Felix Huertasdeveloped San Lazaro into a refuge for the afflicted and it became a famous home for those afflicted in the north side of the Pasig River.   San Juan, Metro Manila.  San Miguel, Manila. The Jesuits probably built the first parochial structures during their administration of the San Miguel ecclesiastical district in 1603 until 1768. The Franciscans took over the mission in 1777 and in 1835, Fr. Esteban Mena (OFM) was reported to have started building a church. Fr. Francisco Febres (OFM) made repairs and improvements after the 1852 earthquake. The church was destroyed during the 1880 earthquake and rebuilt by Fr. Emilio Gago (OFM) in 1886. It was rebuilt IN 1913 through the patronage of the Roxas clan and was disegnated by Msgr. Michael O’Doherty as a Pro-cathedral of the Archdiocese of Manila after it was inaugurated in 1913. Market place Bagiuo Right photo. Ms. Nympha Galang Nebrida May Her Soul RIP Plaza Miranda-Quiapo 1950's-1970's Metro Manila Jai Alai  San Lazaro Leisure Park Race Track Hauling Manila hemp fiber to market, Binondo Church is located in Manila's Chinatown at the western end of Ongpin Street, Binondo. This church was founded by Dominican priests in 1596 to serve their Chinese converts to Christianity. The original building was destroyed by a bombardment by the British in 1762 during their brief occupation of Manila at that time. The current granite church was completed on the same site in 1852 and features an octagonal bell tower which suggests the Chinese culture of the parishioners. Binondo Church was greatly damaged during the Second World War, although fortunately the western facade and the octagonal bell tower survived. Binondo Church is also known as the Minor Basilica of San Lorenzo Ruiz. It was named after the sacristan, San Lorenzo Ruiz, who was born of a Chinese father and a Filipino mother, trained in this church and afterwards went as a missionary to Japan and was executed there for refusing to renounce his religion. San Lorenzo Ruiz was to be the Philippines' first saint and he was canonized in 1989. A large statue of the martyr stands in front of the church. Masses are held in Filipino, in Chinese dialects (Mandarin, Hokkien), and in English. The Philippine General Hospital located on Taft Avenue beside my High School at Padre Faura was a public hospital but regardless was fortified by the Japanese in violation of the Geneva Convention.  Inside there were many Filipino patients and several thousand Filipino refugees that were seeking what they thought would be safe shelter. On the roof on both ends there were large white circles with large red crosses. From Feb. 14 to Feb. 17, 1945 the Americans shelled the area. Some of the shells hit the buildings and many innocent Filipinos were injured and many lives were lost. Notice that the right end of the building was hit with an exploding shell. And notice a hole through the roof on the left end of the building in the white circle area close to the red cross where a shell hit but did not explode. Tutuban Railroad Station This was the train station where we started our Field trips in Luzon, both the Bagiuo and the Bicol destinations. I remember how parents said their goodbyes, as if in the movies, like us going to a long journey to war. Though, my imagination here was running wild, it served me well, to learn the independence of traveling, even within a group of classmates. The construction of a railway line traversing the island of Luzon was initiated according to a plan submitted by Don Eduardo Lopez Navarro, then head of the Public Works Office. The line stretches from Tondo, Manila to Dagupan, Pangasinan. On July 31, 1887, the cornerstone of the Tutuban Station was laid by General Emilio Terrero, marking the start of the railroad track. When the PNR began its operations on November 24, 1892, Tutuban Station became a place of business. It opened its doors to businessmen coming from different parts of Manila. Commerce played a large role in awareness about Tutuban, and it served as an important trading complex due to its very strategic location in Divisoria. Produce coming in by bulk from several provinces are unloaded in the station, and then distributed to retailers awaiting at the station. The etymology for the name “Tutuban” was believed to have come from the sounds made by the locomotives stationed in the area. However, the word actually comes from “tuba,” the name of the local alcoholic drink made from coconuts, since previously Tutuban was the center of production of this beverage. Natives referred to the place as Tubaan ... meaning a place where the "tuba" (native alchoholic beaverage) came from. Tutuban Station is also famous for being the birthplace of the revolutionary Andres Bonifacio. In commemoration, a monument stands in the current mall's plaza. The song below “Love me Tender” was pure nostalgia. I missed the warmth and openness of the girls from Tanay during my Summer vacations and the beauty of its mountains. Their hearts have not grown old; Passion or conquest, wander where they will, Attend upon them still. She graduated Summa Cum Laude BSBA Class '67 Saint Theresa's College. I believe music reinforces the efficiencies of the brain's connections, it is also true that being wise is inherited from good stock. Although, the selection process is eternally perplexing, the myriads of likes and dislikes filter our personalities to no end. However, never mind that, as I believe that the merging of our lives was that of fate and destiny in the cosmic design inherent in all living things. Whether or not you believe it to be true, I dreamt of her 15 years before we met, the street where she lived and the likeness of the child that she was. The music alone is a gift, music alone shall live never to die in our hearts. The next morning we had tamales for breakfast hosted by Mrs. Roa who incidentally cut her finger preparing the tamales. Then lechon for lunch and a series of songs from Mrs. Pangilinan, in appreciation for hosting us, the location this time is hazy.The next billet is at Urdaneta High School below. The same as the last night, boys will be boys as Mr. Toralba and Lazaro kept the peace. NESTOR RIVADELO MAY HIS SOUL REST IN PEACE

MY FIRST CAR

We wanted to see life without violence. We wanted media that contained truth. Some of us risked our lives to find out what the government was doing and let the underground press know. We wanted to talk about things in print that we were not allowed to discuss in our culture of origin. We wanted to live without stupid, arbitrary rules, either for ourselves or for our children. Some of our children, as adults today, say they wish we had been more protective of them, or offered more structure.It was a moment in history when a mushroom explosion of consciousness began altering the life force. Through that explosion, we broke down the prison walls of "intellect as the ultimate".  We focused on the heart, and by doing so, reopened our cookie jar of possibilities·politically, socially, sexually and spiritually. The effects of that explosion have permeated our culture.

My first car, that I bought from my parents. I called her “Black Beauty”. She fulfilled my love for cars and girls. It had a 292c.i. 2BBL 125 H.P. Flat Head V-12, 3 Speed Manual Transmission,  Stock Rear Axle & Gear Ratio. The video above is  the same as my first car. Like any boys yearning to have his wheels and freedom, I learned  to drive at the age of 14 barely reaching the gas pedal and my head above the dashboard. Later I bought the car from my father at the measly sum of 100 pesos.

Pamintuan House at Angeles Pampanga. My Church in the town of my birth:Tanay, Built in 1778, the church was named after the Archbishop Ildefonso of Toledo, Spain, who was consecrated during the year 657 AD. ROAD TO BAGIUO ABOVE, THE KENNON ZIGZAG ROAD  The Sixties Graduation from College and time to reflect the next path of life Top Hits of 1966 The Hippie Generation Vietnam War Protest Q...Memories of our field trip to Bagiuo in 1957. First stop was Angeles, Pampanga, where we toured Clark with Dr. Roa. I remember the doctor riding in a brand new 1957 yellow Chrysler with all the high fins typical of the cars of the late 50’s. The day was not over yet, a jam session in the moonlight at a basket ball court at the school grounds. The seniors and teachers alike did enjoy the ball hosted by the Pampanga High School. I remember the single Ms. Roma Clemente talking about her repertoire of dances and how she enjoyed it. Me, I stayed behind, as I do not dance yet, but was busy talking to local high school girls. I found out the beddings belong to them. Thinking this time, how UP Prep can reciprocate. Billets were in a gymnasium with rows of cots and mosquito nets. I do not know where the girls were, but the energy was ever flowing from the boys…as shoes were flying everywhere in the dark, landing safely at the mosquito nets. Above Pictures of the boys in a later field trip (1960) to Bagiuo and Pampanga High Schoo l With Dr. Andrew Ang

Burnham Park above, where we rented roller skates, and then, shared one of these tricycles with a junior, held both her hands, no names please, a boyish romantic encounter. Surely an unforgettable Chance Encounter for a boy of 13,  as she shifted towards me. We cuddled and continued to ride in the cool afternoon fog.

Ambuklao Dam, newly constructed then, Photo of Bay Area Prep 61 and songs of 1957

The next morning we had tamales for breakfast hosted by Mrs. Roa who incidentally cut her finger preparing the tamales. Then lechon for lunch and a series of songs from Mrs. Pangilinan, in appreciation for hosting us, the location this time is hazy.The next billet is at Urdaneta High School below. The same as the last night, boys will be boys as Mr. Toralba and Lazaro kept the peace.

Burnham Park above, where we rented roller skates, and then, shared one of these tricycles with a junior, held both her hands, no names please, a boyish romantic encounter. Surely an unforgettable Chance Encounter for a boy of 13,  as she shifted towards me. We cuddled and continued to ride in the cool afternoon fog. Ambuklao Dam, newly constructed then, Photo of Bay Area Prep 61 and songs of 1957

  

Market place, Baguio, Pines Hotel where we stayed for two nights

View of the Bagiuo Cathedral from my hotel room located adjacent to Pines Hotel.

The eagle above has the likeness of a Phoenix. The phoenix has long been presented as a symbol of rebirth, immortality, and renewal. From the ashes, we were born during those extraordinary times, in the crucible of World War II, then in later years, the most changes and perhaps the last of the innocent generation. The years from 1943 to 1945 are considered to be the silent (war babies) generation, between the so called hero and the baby boomer generations. The war years, reflected my perception of this period that significantly impacted everybody. If not for the war and the turn of events, maybe we would not be even here. In truth, it is our trademark as war babies. How we and our parents survived the trials and tribulations of that era maybe a feat worthy to be written in the book of adventures.  http://

U. P. Prep High School 1961 Rizal Hall... I have passed over 70 years of my life, but I still have vivid memories of the halls, and classrooms at Rizal Hall. I can not deny my deep feeling of warmth to this great school. Among the colleges that I have attended in the Philippines and in the USA during my academic life, my particular fondness is always with the University of the Philippines. I and like every alumni of the U. P. Preparatory High School should be so proud of this University and the rich traditions that it represents…ASC When we were young, we were in a hurry to grow up The future a dream and now the reality These were icons of our mind as kids Now we know and we have learned Tomorrow, the tomorrow is uncertain With unknown script You don't know how Life can bring it Because everything is passing And what will happen tomorrow Nobody knows. Now that our wish came true To become adults, our life is complete Time is not enough for our dreams anymore Our childhood is gone…Greek