Aurelio's son, Sergio, said the Japanese had deliberately set fire to houses in a scorched earth policy. Both agreed that there were three Japanese commanders who were particularly inhuman. The first was the commander in the La Salle area (right in front is the Campos house — both places were the scene of atrocities), the second was the Padre Faura and Pennsylvania area, and the third was the Herran and Paco sector where René Rius was.

As for the Campos house, Aurelio's second son went there on the 19th with some war photo officers. Numerous pictures were taken amidst exclamations like: Get that shot there ... that shows a bayonet wound.... Here's one ... almost sure she was violated. Sergio said only 10 of 150 survived, but when I asked him how many bodies did he really see he said only 15 in the garden. "I didn't enter the house, the stench outside was awful."

The Montinolas spent twelve days inside the lines, and survived despite moving to the evacuation center and back during the thick of it. Several times on the way back they began to cross a street only to be shouted back by the Japanese. They simply stopped and waited for another opportunity. The Japanese didn't ordinarily make such requests so they were lucky to not have been shot.

. . . .

I had to go to Paul Meyer's house so I went home first, stopping for a 15 minute swim in the "General's pool." We're still without water at home although Larry Wiltzius said that three Colonels know about it already so it won't be long in coming.

According to Paul, more than one high-ranking American officer seem puzzled by the number of Filipinos who've been to Bataan. "Every Filipino I met was at Bataan," said one. "That Bataan must be an awfully big place.... From now on I'm going to ask: 'When?'"

As usual, I'm writing by candlelight tonight and I have to close the doors to keep the flame steady. The heat is tough — I have to rest my writing arm on a handkerchief to avoid sweating on the notebook. Every twenty minutes, I retreat to the porch to cool off. Tonight there's a musical comedy show at the General's; yesterday it was an Errol Flynn picture. I'm missing it all.

MFP: "The Japanese pocket of resistance in South Manila has been reduced to a single holdout group in the Finance Building, with occasional snipers being routed from the wrecks of sunken ships in Manila Bay."

...ooOoo...