I went to the Connor's house at 106 Militar, Ermita, to hold the fort until Joe Connor could come with a vehicle to salvage his belongings. Driving a few looters away, I entered and found that one of the most valuable private Philippine libraries had been wrecked. Piles of belongings, mementos and clothes were strewn haphazardly in the middle of the rooms. I spent a sweaty morning tidying things up, stacking what was left neatly for collection, picking up broken family photographs, torn letters, a book here and there.... The looters hadn't even left a chair for me to sit on.

Except for an unnerving burst of machine gun fire, the area was quiet. A few Americans kept looters at bay for the most part, but their scouts were around, ready to pounce at the first opportunity. Feeling like a sentry in no-man's-land, I toured the house. An American shell had hit one of the bedrooms, making a six-foot hole in the roof and spraying every room with shrapnel. Betty had died there. George discovered her several days ago and buried her. A lingering smell of death remained in some rooms. Outside, the streets around Malate were still strewn with partly burned Japanese corpses.

I had a chat with a couple of 37th Division boys who came in looking for a spot to work on their bottle of whiskey. Except for a 29-mile ride from San Fernando, they walked all the way from Lingayen, arriving in Bilibid at 0900. The Japanese sentries had locked-up and left earlier that day.

With no sign of Joe Connor by 1300, I went to the Syquia Apartments to talk to a Lt. Warren (145th Division, I believe). He agreed to post a guard at the Connors' until 1630. "Be sure to bring a pass from Col. Mueller, otherwise I can't let you take anything out." I went to Santo Tomas and found Joe stymied by red tape from the CIC, MPs and Santo Tomas. He was having trouble getting a pass to protect what was left of his valuables from looters who got around without passes.

. . . .

An American Colonel and an intelligence officer came by this morning to ask if we would rent our house out. Ma was polite but firm: We were willing to share if necessary. The Colonel was equally polite: "The house, was meant for a madam, and naturally, she would need the WHOLE house. But don't you worry, Madam ... and thank you very much," he said, bowing his way out. Quite a difference from the Japanese. MacArthur is the only one we'd give this house to, and maybe Sutherland or Krueger who are simpatico, but not Dunckel.

At 1700 I cooled down with a thirty-minute swim in the White House. Eventually one of eight Americans there asked me: "Are you from General Headquarters?"

"No, I'm your neighbor. Larry Wiltzius said I could come over."

"Oh ... so long as you know one of the boys."

When the boys went up for chow I went home ... to a house still without electricity or water.

...ooOoo...