A day of disaster for an American B-24 over Manila: After dropping their eggs on Nielson, one of 25 to 30 B-24s started to trail white smoke. A few minutes later it pulled out of formation then burst into a solid ball of flames. Fragments landed in Mandaluyong, San Juan and Manila, while the main fuselage and one engine set two houses afire in Pinaglabanan. Part of one wing fluttered toward us but landed on the railroad yard nearby.

Two bailed out; only one lived: a short fellow with a mustache who landed on an Acacia tree between Valenzuela and V. Mapa — burnt, hurt, bruised, and perhaps wounded by Japanese potshots as he descended. Some say the airman who didn't survive fired back as he descended. The shots rippled so close that Altwegg and I retreated momentarily into the house.

The disgraceful shooting is the talk of the town. The American threw away his pistol to show that he was no threat. The Japanese took him down, stripped him completely, beat him up then threw him roughly into a jitney, where he sat bleeding on the floor until another vehicle could be found to push-start the jitney. Some five bodies were buried near the wreck. One inscription said: "J. LUCEY, 22, married August 22, 1944."

No electricity in our district so no radio news. Two days ago, a Domei man at the TVT said a convoy of 800 ships left Biak Island for here. The last I heard from Radio Tokyo was that three American convoys were approaching, and warships were already shelling the Lingayen coast. Meanwhile, looting has started on some of the houses here abandoned by the Japanese, including P.A. Meyer's for one.