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19jan02
10:28 p.m.
it is a pleasant surprise when friends complain that i haven't updated my
site...because then i get a clue that it is actually being read! so,
complain on...i might start updating more than once a month..hehe. just to
make it easier for me (and maybe for you, reader), i've decided to revive my blogger account, which i
can easily update from the office when i'm bored, or when the boss isn't
looking over my shoulder :P find the link above...i will
(as ben said, 'do', not 'try') update that at least once a week.
***
the eerie looking lamp above is found in my artist uncle's payag in iligan. why this image? as in les mis,
"red...the blood of angry men,
black...the dark of ages past..."
this symbolizes the recurring theme i've been hearing, seeing, and
reading about these past few months...war and men.
last december, i was able to watch in full the hbo miniseries 'band of
brothers.' as an account of the story of easy company, a group of elite
paratroopers who were at the forefront of the war in europe, it
demostrated how men can be their best and worst in times of war. a young
medic, despite exhaustion and severe lack of supplies, manages to run to
every person who calls for help, dodging bullets and putting himself in
danger every time. a once tough lieutenant breaks down when two of his
friends are blown to bits by a mortar shell. a sergeant keeps his unit
together by boosting their morale, despite a severely incompetent leader.
a private momentarily goes blind, not due to any injury but because of his
paralyzing fear of battle. a lieutenant rightly gets promoted for leading
the company through the toughest situations by his courage, skill, and
compassion. when war seemed senseless, the only thing they relied on, the
only thing that mattered most, was their brothers, their comrades in arms,
and getting each other out of there alive.
early in january, i was able to read about our local counterpart for WWII
in "closer than brothers: manhood in the philippine military
academy." it told the history of two significant batches in the pma:
class '40 and class '71. class '40 was plunged into WWII right after
their graduation, defending the philippines against the japanese
invasion. as the author said, these men were 'heroes in their own
time.' unlike easy company, they were assigned to different stations, from
the army, navy, and the airforce. in the bitterness of defeat, the
classmates of class '40 found each other in the death march, and helped
each other get through the horrors of the prison camp that came after.
some found their way into the mountains to lead the guerilla resistance,
which was instrumental in defeating the japanese when mc arthur finally
came. i read this the last day before i came back to manila, and i was
hooked, because so far it was the only historical account i'd ever read of
what it was like on the ground during the war here, and more significantly
through the eyes of those who fought it.
fantasy often mirrors real life. last january 11, the two towers, the
second installment of the lord of the rings trilogy, opened in philippine
cinemas. the war of sauron has come to men, and the members of the
fellowship have to help defend their kingdom. the climax of the movie
occurs when an army of 10,000 assaults the fortress of helm's deep.
during the last seemingly hopeless moments, the king and his
remaining men decide to ride out to meet the enemy, in a last heroic
stand. the characters in this story fight for valor, for their friends,
for their people, and as sam said, for the good that is still in this
world.
today i received in my email a draft of a statement being formulated by
the 'filipino youth for peace' against the war in iraq. it is but part of
a bigger anti-war movement that is gathering strength
internationally. the movies and books i've read lately have given me
a new sense of respect for the people in the frontline, for those who have
to face the 'enemy.' in this day and age, however, we must work harder
than ever not to have to put people in combat. fighting makes exciting
movie action, but in reality talking it through takes more work.
peace is not an end, it is THE WAY.
in the documentary accompanying 'band of brothers,' major richard winters
talks about a german officer who surrendered his gun during the end of the
war. what he found extraordinary was that the gun had never been fired. he
has kept it, as a reminder of what we strive for, and in his hands, he
said, it will not be used again.
previously...
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