February 1945

The month of February is associated in my mind with several events, some tragic, some happy. One of the happy events was the entry of the American troops into Manila in February 1945 to drive away the Japanese invaders. Speaking of it as a whole, that was a happy episode, although it was accompanied by terrible things, some of them tragic.

The advance troops entered Manila on February 3 and occupied two key places. One was Malacanang, the other the University of Santo Tomas campus, because that was where American civilians were interned. Both of these were on the north bank of the Pasig.

On February 10 they crossed the Pasig at Mandaluyong by constructing a pontoon bridge (all the bridges had been blown up). They came to our campus called "La Ignaciana" at Santa Ana. It had been a retreat center, especially for "obreros" (workers), but during the Japanese Occupation a very large number of persons were living in that compound. The Jesuit community consisted of over 40 persons: some old priests and lay brothers, the majority very young men (novices and junior scholastics). There were also three bishops who had taken refuge with us, One was the Apostolic Delegate (an American Jesuit). A third was the Bishop of Jaro, a very old American who was then in his second childhood.

We also had 300 refugees.

The refugees were a pitiful lot. They were residents of Ermita, Malate and Paco, who had lost everything when the Japanese burned their houses. They had come to us at La Ignaciana, with nothing but the clothes they were wearing.

To that Santa Ana compound, teeming with people, the advance squadron of the First Cavalry Division came and asked if they could use our compound as their headquarters. They have chosen it because it was surrounded by a stone wall. I told them that we were overcrowded (they could see that for themselves) but that they were most welcome if they did not mind the overcrowded conditions. They stayed with us many days.

That was a happy day, February 10, the coming of those American soldiers. Most of them were young, some of them wearing Rosaries around their necks to show they were Catholics. Their arrival was the most welcome thing that happened to us since the War began in December 1941. The American officers were very fine persons. They have a Catholic Chaplain who was instantly made a member of the Jesuit community.

In the days and weeks that followed, not everything was happy. The Japanese held out in Intramuros, and the American troops would come back in the evening to Santa Ana, some of them in tears. They had lost a ‘buddy’ or a well-loved officer. Almost every day they had losses. It was a bloody battle.

I remember one group of "GIs" crowded around a jeep, listening to the news broadcast from the United States. The announcer said, "In Manila, there is only a simple mopping-up operation." One American soldier said, "Mopping up hell. This is a full-scale battle. Many of our men have died."

Also tragic was the indiscriminate shelling of the city by American artillery. So many public buildings and so many private homes were thus needlessly destroyed (including the buildings of the Ateneo at Padre Faura), and many people killed by shells. There was absolutely no excuse for that indiscriminate shelling.

Eventually the First Cavalry Division moved out of La Ignaciana compound, and then we ourselves were subjected to shelling. Many shells landed on the ground. Some landed in the river. One shell cut down a palm tree. One shell landed on the roof of the building, but it was a dud and did not explode. I think it was by a special divine protection that none of the Jesuit community and none of the 300 homeless refugees was hurt.

So, February is a month of both happy and sad memories, but most of all a month of thanksgiving. On the 10th of February every year, or as near that as possible, I offer a Mass of thanksgiving. But also a Mass for the many who died in those terrible days.