Bataan Day

I take this opportunity to salute the heroes who gave so much in the defense of Bataan and Corregidor in 1942. Bataan heroes day was celebrated here on April 9 with a ceremony honoring the veterans at Mount Samat. Mt. Samat is a commanding terrain feature somewhere in the middle of the Bataan peninsula and was subject to a terrific bombardment when the Japanese Imperial Army finally broke through the lines in early April 1942. As my family comes from Bataan, I took trips to the war memorial during the summer months of my childhood.

This year, my re-enactor friends from the Asia Airsoft Alliance joined the veterans' ceremony in the Mt. Samat memorial. The ceremony was also attended by active service members of the Philippine Armed Forces and visiting servicemen of the US Pacific Command. I'm still regretting that I wasn't up to joining my comrades after recovering from a long bout of respiratory infections and my asthmatic cough.



It was unusually foggy and wet at the start of the day when our group took positions at the memorial. Nonetheless I found this scene so apt as to produce a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by those who fought, bled and even died here so many years ago.

My humble thanks remain with the gallant generation who served with armed services of the Pacific Theater of Operations during the last World War, in particular, to the heroes of the United States Armed Forces of the Far East (USAFFE) and the guerilla fighters who kept fighting the good fight after the fall of Bataan and Corregidor. Your sacrifice allowed us to enjoy the freedoms we should never, ever take for granted today.

You will never be forgotten.

New Acquisition

Apart from RPG-ing, I'm trying to get some gaming time in for airsoft. I believe this is also called 'skirmish' in other countries. Airsoft guns (or automatic electric guns- AEGs) are replica-type battery powered airguns which fire 6mm plastic pellets. We form up in teams, put on our gear (and masks!) and take to the hills for a day of exercise and fun. My doctor says I need to exercise more so I'm going back to this old interest of mine.

Things got more interesting now as I joined up with some friends who are part of a world war II re-enactors' group. I thought this was impossible in Asia but was recently glad to be proven wrong. We have such a group here after all!

There's a big 'Axis vs. Allies' game set for this Sunday and I'm trying to assemble my kit to be able to join in. So far, I have the gun. The pictures I am posting are of my recent acqustion: a 1:1 scale converted airsoft PPSH 1941 submachinegun. As you may have guessed, I'm assembling a reenactor's kit for a Soviet infantryman, circa 1943.

This AEG started life as an all-China made (ACM) M14. My friend Jimmy is a master craftsman who, apart from reenacting also rebuilds and converts existing AEG models into world war II smallarms. He had the barrel shroud machined and fitted it into the weapon's forestock which he replaced. The drum magazine is a joy since I figure it holds about a thousand bbs. It is an integral drum so I'll just be pouring in the bbs instead of slapping a new mag or ammo drum into the gun.

I can't wait to get my uniform later this week. If the hobnail boots aren't ready by then, I'll have to stick to puttees and a pair of brown shoes. I'm not sure this will be good for trekking in the jungle....