FUN RHYME SERIES 321: THE ALLIEDBANK GRAND REUNION PARTY, PATOK NA PATOK NA RUMEPEKE

 

allied-bank-tarp

 

Ang GRAND REUNION ng AlliedBankers ay PUMATOK…

It will surely be for some time the town-TALK;

Sabi nga ni Ginoong Mario KATIGBAK,

“Matuloy lang, successful na at syempre SWAK na SWAK”!

MAR-KATIGBAK

Syempre naging elegante ang naging UMPISA…

May national anthem na tunay na KAKAIBA;

Sabi nga ni BENG SOLIS na “non-political” ang video na kanyang  KINUHA,

“STATESIDE” ang brand nung BAYANG MAGILIW video, nyang TALAGA!

basilio-singing

 

Nang matapos naman ang anthem ay may prayer-INVOCATION…

Aba may kasama itong dance INTERPRETATION;

Sa saliw ng THE PRAYER ni DIONE at ni BOCELLI,

Nag-ballet ang cute at magaling kong anak na si ALEE!

alee-ballet

 

Syempre ako ang pumapel na ala-BOCELLI…

At ang singing partner ko na si IRENE HALCON;

Siya naman ang nag ala-CELINE DIONE,

At nag-dancing nga nang so graceful itong, si ALEE!

Sentimental naman ang sumunod na YUGTO…

Silent prayer para sa mga yumao na nagdulot ng BUGSO;

May naluha at naalala ang mga departed COLLEAGUES;

Syempre napatungga ako ng konting inumin from one of the KEGS!

Umulit kami ng awit nitong anak kong LALAKI…

At ang singer model ko muli ay si BOCELLI;

ED SHEERAN  naman ang syang sambit ni ANTHONY,

At aming kinanta na nga ang PERFECT SYMPHONY!

At umawit din ang grupo ng ANGELOS…

Dinala sila ni CHARO YU, at para bagang may BONUS;

Tuloy-tuloy na umawit ng mga SONGS,

And they really amazed the GUESTS who came to the affair in THRONGS!

And the reunion party was truly well-ATTENDED…

Si MTG, si FGV at friend kong si ED;

Mga past Prexies na magigiting ay nandun DIN,

Si Prexy REY MACLANG at si former Prexy DING!

PETER-YAP-WITH-BELLES

Si LEONSO PE ay nandun din, at kasama ang gracious nyang MISIS…

Nabanggit ang RESTO ng anak nya, na kung saan daw ay masarap  ang TINUMIS;

Hinanap nya sa akin ang mga contemporary lawyers-FRIENDS NYA,

Ng Legal and Collection Department of ALLIED BANK THENCE!

JACKIE-LIM

 

Napabilib akong totoo kay JACKIE LIM…

Last posting nya was Manager of ABC’s branch in CEBU, MAMBALING;

Magaling na sa singing, magaling pa din sa DANCING…

A real trouper indeed who upped  the aura of ENTERTAINING!

 

MILES-CARLA-ME-ALMA

 

The GRAND REUNION truly gave us all the best OPTION…

To meet up all again after our respective work-TERMINATION;

Some I heard, did their last meeting-SEEING…

After almost 20 years when they ceased from their ABC’s WORKING!

CHARO-KAP-STANDEE

It’s good too to meet and see others who just did a RESIGNATION…

For all those ALLIEDBANKERS’ may have attained some kind  of successful FRUITION;

Most of them have gone though through an early DEMISSION,

Majority indeed have RETIRED as they indeed pined for “APOSTOLIC” FUNCTION!

MTG-GROUP-WITH-ME

Thanks indeed to all the ORGANIZERS…

For DANTE and BENG, as the event’s seeming KAISERS;

As they virtually headed and led the ASPIRATION,

For the holding and successful realization of the REUNION!

MTY-REY-MACLANG

 

BENG SOLIS did a lot of WORK…

Though already SENIOR, he could still do the TWERK;

Those door prizes that were DISTRIBUTED,

Mainly came from him, and even EMBROCATED!

CHRIS-DOBLES-GROUP

CHRIS DOBLES made us all PHOTOGENIC…

As he donated the PHOTO BOOTH, which was TERRIFIC;

Was the FIRST to be snapped by the booth’s PHOTOGRAPHER,

It really made all attendees unto the BOOTH so EAGER BEAVER!

 

MARGERY-ZENY-CO

 

PETER YAP gave us all the eager MOTIVE…

To really insure that the REUNION is held via a VOTIVE;

He started the ball rolling with the first DONATION,

That initial Php 10,000.00 pledge put us all in MOTION!

LEONSO-PE--GRP

LEN RAMOS could even be hailed as a GREAT COLLECTOR…

She was the one who espied on every prospective DONOR;

She really worked with ARDOR and VIGOR,

And we reached our collection goal with her hubby’s SUCCOR!

PETER-YAP-WITH-BELLES

CORA, ELLA and CHARO served as the CORE GROUP’s MUSES…

Continuously giving us inspiration, creative influence and much AFFLATUS;

CORA is EMCEE PAR EXCELLENCE,

With CHARO and ELLA, we could rely on help from PRINCESSES, PRINCES and FRIENDS!

CHARO-KAP-STANDEE

ALMA gave it all and even did a FAST…

For in her assigned task last night, she forgot to have a REPAST;

She was so busy doing quick COORDINATION,

To insure the success of the GRAND REUNION!

MARGERY-KAWSON-TOP-SIDE

ALBERT was a virtual  jack-of-all-TRADES…

But he was so tactfully prudent and would not want to do ABRADES;

He was full of hints, suggestions and TIPS…

He made sure that we won’t do unfortunate lapses and SKIPS!

DANDOT-WITH-GROUP

The skein of bonding, chatting, recounting, jesting, hollering  and SOCIALIZING…

In last night’s GRAND EVENT, was capped with the REUNION SINGING;

To the tune of “KAHIT MAPUTI NA ANG BUHOK KO”,

To all of you, my dear ALLIEDBANKERS, MERCI BEAUCOUP!

 

FLOR-GARROVILLO

FUN  RHYME  SERIES 320: AN ODE TO  BIRTHDAY CELEBRANT AMBASSADOR VICTORIA “VICKY” SISANTE-BATACLAN

 

 

VICKY1

[Our UP College of Law ’79 classmate, Ambassador Victoria Sisante Bataclan, attained the rank of an AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY AND PLENIPOTENTIARY. And it is the highest rank/title that could be bestowed upon a diplomat particularly unto those of topnotch caliber like Amba VICKY. Indeed, Amba VICKY feels plainly at home being on TOP; because, as always… she is TOPS.  To our esteemed, excellent and endeared classmate and friend, I most endearingly offer this ODE.]

 

A native of Magallanes, Cavite who’s  consistently TOPS at SCHOOL…

Her DAD developed her vocabulary as some convenient TOOL;

Perhaps looking forward that she’ll be a DECLAIMER,

Even perhaps a future LAWMAKER, or at least some FUN RHYME BLOGGER !

 

lawmaker-podium

 

My first impression about you, my dear AMIGA…

Is that you’re astute, clever and brilliantly BRIGHT;

You’re feisty, lively and high-spirited like LADY GAGA,

As UNIVERSITY COUNCILOR then, you were spry, akin to a seeming magical SPRITE!

 

 

VICKY2

 

But now you’ve truly developed an intellectual sense of JUSTICE…

As a VIRGO person that seems to be the TEST;

To determine indeed if you’ve imbibed such noble VIRGO TRAIT,

With your industriousness,  you’re fully VIRGO, ‘tis complete…’tis PARFAITE!

 

  virgo-woman

 

You are AMUSING and LITERARY TOO…

So pluckily BRAVE, a unique trait from your DAD, an INTREPID CAVITEÑO;

You’re deemed VERSATILE, that’s what your HOROSCOPE SAYS,

You’re quite SENTIMENTAL, remembering those HALYCON DAYS!

 

 

VICKY-DAD-COLLAGE 

 

In your younger years, I distinctly REMEMBER…

As you narrated the story of a seeming DYING EMBER;

You even pictured the scene as your MOM’s PIETA,

Cradled in her arms, your mortal DAD… shot by a GANGSTA!

 

pieta

 

 

And I too distinctly remember, your route to rural SCHOOL…

As though you, with much difficulty,  were untangling a knotty SPOOL;

Meandering your way through the woods, so KILOMETRIC…

Tired by much walking, your lunch box, would get prematurely FLICKED!

 

 

VICKY-UP-LAW

 

During our rally-filled and raucous UP UNDERGRAD YEARS…

You were then already a student leader garbed in BLUE JEANS;

As though one of the JOANS OF ARC of the DILIMAN COMMUNE EPOCH,

You showed much NATIONALISTIC FERVOR, as you truly walked your TALK!

 

dilimancommune-university 

 

You’re co-founder too of an excellent SORORITY…

Though it’s relatively young, it has attained POPULARITY;

Its membership looked as though a roster of EXCELLENCE,

‘Tis ARETE indeed, bonded together with unity in DIVERGENCE!

 

 

TAU-GAMMA-SIGMA 

 

The TAU GAMMA SIGMA with the TRISKELE as “SIMBOLO”…

An ornate motif of spirals with rotational symmetry as LOGO;

A sorority sis and co-founder has ascended unto the HIGHEST COURT,

Much honor you bestowed as ENVOY for RP, in EU you boldly held the FORT!

 

eUROPEAN-uNION

 

 

During our UP Law DAYS, in my vivid RECOLLECTION…

You were deemed as our LEADER in the school’s EVENING SECTION;

Though you were already indeed a married lass THEN,

You managed your time well and joined us even in our inebriating BENDER!

 

 

ANDA-CIRCLE

 

What I remember most is our casual chance MEETINGS…

You were working at SOUTH HARBOR while at the ANDA CIRCLE, unending WAITINGS;

I’d come from those row of NORTH PIERS in TONDO,

We’ll ride a public bus not far from BINONDO!

 

 

JD buses

 

The ride to UP DILIMAN though exhilarating, standing EVEN…

As a lady, thence you’d be offered seats by most GALLANT MEN;

Poring over your law book, I’d be so truly TEMPTED—

With hand on the stanchion, I’ll also do my READ! 

 

 

VICKY-AWARD-DFA

 

After TOPPING the FSO exam, and joining the FOREIGN AFFAIRS in SEVENTY-NINE…

The Philippine-DFA indeed discovered in you a GOLD MINE;

Your colleagues at the DFA are one in saying… you’re  TOP, BRIGHTEST and BEST,

In a tiff with your chief, your post got WRESTED, as you were sort of put to REST!

 

FSO exam

 

 

And as PREXY of the UNION OF FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICERS…

You showed your sedulous concern for country and your MEMBERS;

And your adverse position was ultimately HEEDED and  SUSTAINED,

Prexy GMA withdrew the appointment and STATUS QUO was MAINTAINED!

 

 

VICKY-OSCAR 

 

But as an elegant, eloquent and a most distinguished ENVOY…

In an international conference you served as our nation’s BOUY;

In BRUSSELS, at  the EUROPEAN POLICY CENTER TALKS,

You spoke to boost our country, amidst all of the RUCKUS!

 

 

brussels

 

 

Indeed, on that September 15, 2015 POLICY DIALOGUES…

You proudly heralded our country’s high GNP and GDP LOGS;

Intimated the indications of some kind of a FORECAST,

Espying that RP in 2050 will become 20th LARGEST ECONOMY at LAST!

 

 

VICKY-WITH-FAM

 

You’re honest, upright and even most SINCERE…

You showed your love of country with not a tinge of FEAR;

Though it was indeed MARCOS who gave you a diplomat’s PASSPORT,

When our country’s welfare was at stake, you withdrew from him POLITICAL SUPPORT!

 

 

chinese-zodiac-rabbit

 

Your CHINESE ZODIAC SIGN, is that of a RABBIT…

You are typed as RESPONSIBLE, PATIENT, and true KINDNESS — you’ve GOT IT;

Decent dressing is most important for YOU,

That fitting trait might have caused your POPULARITY as though in a CUE!

 

 rabbit-peace-prosperity-love

 

With your kids CHRISTIAN, MURIEL and VERONICA as SWELL…

The fruit of your LOVE with OSCAR, a doting HONEY, a first-rate “MIEL”;

You have shown and proven your LOVE to our dear MOTHERLAND,

Such promising kids, giving them intellect and FORTUNE, as though from your magic WAND!

 

VICKY-WITH-BIG-FAM

 

 

On your BIRTHDATE and NATAL DAY, my fair and just AMIGA…

So blest, as you’ve become to your kin a favor, a grace, a HANNAH;

Your clan is indeed proud of you and is truly ORGULOUS,

 Hope that I’ll be invited once again to the MAGALLANES FIESTA, as the ambience therein is  JOYOUS!

 

 

AND WE’LL SWILL WITH RORY MUCH BRANDY AND SO UNLIMITED PETRUS!

Speech of Maj. Maximo P. Young, PA, Ret. before the COMMAND and GENERAL STAFF COLLEGE, Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, Philippines

 

 

dad-max1

[At 1:30 PM on August 27, 2019 Daddy Max was invited to be the GUEST OF HONOR and SPEAKER at the COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF COLLEGE in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, Metro-Manila. Dad Max spoke before a class of Philippine military officers  (notable among whom are colonels and lieutenant colonels) including military officers from other countries who are undertaking one-year schooling to qualify them for promotion  to the generalship rank. The initial schedule actually was on August 22, 2019 at 10:00 AM but as Daddy Max was priorly scheduled to attend to another engagement, the event was moved to August 27, 2019.] 

 

Good morning! Thank you for inviting me to your college, as I share to you bits and pieces of my life as a simple Filipino army soldier.

 

DAD-MAX-COLLAGE

I have served our beloved country the Republic of the  Philippines, and fought to defend  freedom and democracy in three wars: World War 2, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

 

korean-war1

 

I fought her domestic enemies, the communist Hukbalahap and its   successor, the New People’s Army, from the 1940s to the 1960s.

  I began serving our beloved country, as a 19-year old soldier,  when the Second World War broke out in 1941.

 

I was conscripted by the USAFFE or the United States Army Forces in the Far East, for military    service after Japan attacked the Philippines on December 8, 1941.

 

 

I faced death against the Japanese forces   who sank the MV Legaspi where I was  a crew member. MV Legaspi was transporting    supplies and Filipino soldiers from the Visayas to Luzon to fight the Japanese when it was sunk off   Puerto Galera, Mindoro by two (2) Japanese      warships and I was captured.

 

But I escaped from the Japanese camp to later join the 72nd Infantry of the Military District of Negros Island.

 

silver-star-medal

 

Right after World War II, I was awarded the U.S. Silver Star, the United States Army Forces’ third highest military decoration for valor, for my service as crewmember of the MV Legaspi.

 

 

Seventy three years after World War II – on September 13,   2018 – I was one of the first together with other TWELVE (12) Filipino Veterans who received the US Congressional Gold Medal from US Ambassador Sung Kim . The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest civilian honor the US Congress can bestow to an individual.

 

10th BCT parades at Rizal Coliseum prior to deploying to Korea

 

And in the KOREAN WAR, my unit, the 10th BATTALION COMBAT TEAM, was the most     bloodied among all five (5) BCTs that served in the KOREAN WAR. The 10th accounted for over half of all Philippine casualties in the Korean War — 112 KIA, 229 WIA, 16 MIA and 41 POW.

 

And in the  Vietnam War, I was designated as Military Advisor of the Civil Operations and Revolutionary Development Support Group or CORDS. I was invalided home from injuries I suffered after almost being captured by armed men of the North Vietnamese militia.

 

PEFTOK-logo

 

 Now, let me tell you about my beloved Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea or PEFTOK.

 

There are fewer than 1,347 PEFTOK veterans   left alive today: 1,347 out of the 7,420 eager young men who set foot in Korea, seven decades   ago, to fight     in their country’s first foreign war.

 

 PEFTOK  was born in an era   where patriotism was so powerful as many Filipinos then were willing to sacrifice  their lives for our dear Motherland.

 

 Many of you perhaps will be surprised that tens of thousands of Filipino men volunteered to fight in Korea. Many of these patriots were ordinary civilian     men without military  experience. Many others were    brave Filipino   guerrillas who fought against    the Japanese.But only  7,420 were chosen.

 

COL-AZURIN

 

Our commander in the 10th BCT was the late Colonel Mariano Azurin. The 10th BCT  was   the only Philippine Army tank battalion in the Philippines then, as we had then a company of American-made tanks.

 

I was chosen by Col. Azurin because, in 1947 – three years before the Korean War deployment – I was  sent by the Philippine government to train for one (1) year on Armored Communications at Fort Knox, Kentucky USA.  Fort Knox then was home to the US Armor School and was used during those times by the US Army and Marine Corps to train crews on the M1 Abrams main battle tanks.

 

LUNETA

  A march-in-review was performed for the 1,468 members of the 10th BCT on September 8, 1950.  Around 50,000 people witnessed the event at the Luneta Grandstand in Manila.

 

We left Manila on September 15, 1950 .We arrived at  Busan aboard a U.S. Navy troop transport, the MS ANTOLAK,  after a rough  four day voyage. We set foot on Korean soil  on September 19, 1950, where the 10th BCT was  met by a loud band playing music actually a marching song, which I can not now recall. We felt like heroes being welcomed home.

 

 When we arrived in our destination, KOREA then was  experiencing its coldest    winter. We pitched    our tents on an open field and many of us – me included  – woke up with water    snakes in our tents. The   snakes apparently fled the cold and sought warmth beside our warm bodies.

 

 

Busan then was a world away from Busan now. When we arrived, the port  was a fortress geared for war.

 

It was at Busan that we first  came face-to-face  with frightened and thin Korean refugees, many of them children, begging us for food. One of my  enduring  memories of my first month in Korea was the seemingly unending  stream of Korean refugees fleeing the fighting. And there seemed to be so many parent-less children among these  refugees.

 

It was heartbreaking.

 

There are two major battles that the 10th BCT waged and saw action in the Korean War: the Battles of Miudong and Yuldong which I am going to talk about today:

 

THE BATTLE OF MIUDONG

 

 

From Busan, we moved into North Korea as part of the United Nations’ Command (USC) counter-attack that almost destroyed the North Korean People’s Army.

 

At the outskirts   of the town of Miudong in North Korea, the battalion fought its first   pitched battle, this was against a North Korean   battalion. The BATTLE OF MIUDONG was the   first battle fought, and won, by Filipino soldiers on foreign soil.

 

At the time of this victory, I was a First Sergeant and a Tank Platoon Commander of the Reconnaissance Company.

 

I commanded five (5) M24 Chafee light tanks each armed with a 75 mm gun. Our    secondary weapon was a .50 caliber heavy machine   gun mounted    atop the turret.

 

The mission given our battalion was to clear        and secure the town of Singye inside North Korea     just above the 38th Parallel.

 

We moved out  towards  Singye in a long column early  in the morning.

 

We were then hit by heavy fusillade of fire-power from North Korean  soldiers dug  on along the forward       slopes   of hills on our right flank.

 

I could not see the enemy positions from inside the tank. My gunner was yelling at me to tell him where to aim the tank’s 75mm cannon. There was      only one thing to do.

tank-korean-war

 

I flung open the turret hatch, clambered out of the turret, braced my feet against the metal hull and fired  the big .50 caliber machine gun at the enemy positions.  

 

The machine gun had no gun shield and I was fully exposed to enemy fire that continued to strike my tank.

 

 I fired and aimed at the enemy foxholes and watched the big .50 caliber rounds tear up the ground around those positions. I saw some of the enemy fall while others fled  their  trenches.

 

 The sound of my fire apparently roused our pinned down infantry, who rallied and began to pour heavier fire onto the disorganized North Koreans. 

 

The North Koreans ran. Our men chased the retreating North Koreans into Singye whose defenders, two battalions, fled before our attack.

 

On the enemy side, we  counted FORTY-TWO (42) enemy dead. We estimated some 100 more could have been wounded. We lost one man, who was killed and a few wounded.

 

I later learned that this battle was witnessed by several high ranking officers from of the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division and some foreign officers from atop the hill.  They later congratulated me.

 

I also received a  ‘’WELL DONE’’ from my battalion commander, Col. Mariano Azurin, and our Executive Officer, Major   Delfin Argao. I was awarded a battlefield   commendation for my role in the Battle of Miudong.

 

The_AFP_Gold_Cross_Medal (1)

 

Over 50 years  later, I was belatedly conferred the Philippines’ Gold Cross  Medal for this heroic combat feat. The Gold Cross is awarded only for gallantry in action and is the Philippines’ fourth highest military award.

 

THE BATTLE OF YULDONG

 

BATTLE-YULTONG-10TH

 

 After SIX (6) months since the Korean War broke out the Communist Chinese intervened militarily. On November 25, 1950, the People’s  Republic of China sent more than 200,000 men in what  it termed as the ‘’Chinese     People’s Volunteer Army’’ (the “CPV”) against the  United Nations Command (the “UNC”).

 

The CPV “volunteers’’ were battle hardened  regular soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army. They quickly defeated both the US Eight  Army and the US   Tenth Corps near  the border   of North    Korea and China.

 

Advancing southward, the CPV re-took Pyongyang and Seoul within the year.

 

The 10th BCT retreated with the UNC in this harsh winter of defeat, which men of the US Army derisively called ‘’The Big Bug Out’.

 

The 10th BCT spent its   first Christmas in Korea at the town of Suwon south of the Han River  during the retreat.

 

When the UNC launched its counterattack in February 1951, the 10th went on the offensive. In March and April 1951, the battalion was in continuous action, capturing hill after hill from the Communist Chinese.

 

By  April 14, 1951 the 10th was the northernmost of all UNC units. We were exhausted after close to two months of non-stop fighting but were in high morale. The 10th BCT was down to some 900 men.

 

Then came the great Battle of Yuldong.

 

The Battle of Yuldong is the greatest Filipino victory in the Korean War.

 

It was   one of many battles fought by the UNC in an effort to repel the biggest  offensive of the Korean War: the communist’s ‘’Great Spring  Offensive of 1951’’.

 

The CPV   and NKPA had massed some 400,000 men for this mammoth counter-attack. Their aim was to end the WAR  with a decisive communist   victory.

 

The 10th BCT mission was to defend a three-mile segment of Line Utah, the northernmost UNC   defensive line inside North Korea.

 

The enemy assault that triggered the Battle of Yuldong came under cover of darkness during the early dawn of April 23, 1951.

 

An entire Communist Chinese  army of 40,000 men struck hasty defensive firing positions, while there were only 900 Filipinos defending that line.

 

In hours of savage, close quarter-combat, we prevented the Communist   Chinese from overrunning our positions, thereby putting a fatal brake on the communist’s advance.

 

By 6:00 am of April 23, 1951, the 10th BCT was only one of three UNC units on the Western Front not overrun or wiped out by the tremendous Chinese    assault.

 

score-card-yultong-battle-new

 

In standing firm at Yuldong, the grossly outnumbered Filipinos helped prevent the Communists from winning  the Korean War.

 

 

 

 

 

As it turned out, the defeat of their Great Spring Offensive forced the communists to open peace      talks with the United Nations   Command.

 

During the Battle of Miudong and the Battle of Yuldong, I embraced and boldly professed and actuated the needed leadership traits to animate my men in the 10th BCT to action and eventually win the war.

 

Indeed, in any military mission the main and basic task of a leader is to ensure the success and the accomplishment of the mission as well as ensuring the welfare of his men.

 

 

I believe that I have done my best to measure up to those standards. In all those times, I never thought of FEAR anymore as there was no such time anymore to think about it. I instilled in my mind that I have to remain BRAVE,COURAGEOUS and LIONHEARTED.

 

I have been shot at and shelled. I have seen my friends die in battle and have killed my country’s enemies, in turn.

 

But by the grace of God, I am still here.

DAD-MAX-97TH-BDAY

 

I am now 97 years young, surrounded by a big family,  a total 62 loving family members that include my wife Mercy, my children, children-in-laws, grandchildren, grand-children in law, great grandchildren and the recently-born great great grandchild.

 

Mine has been a life well lived. It has been a purposeful and quite an exciting one.

 

   And I am a proud Filipino Soldier. Most important of all, I am a proud PEFTOKER.

 

As a post script to my Peftok career: On July 27, 2016, I received the FIRST TAEGEUK ORDER OF THE MILITARY MERIT MEDAL from the Prime Minister of South Korea, the highest military decoration for valor of South Korea.

 

taegeuk-medal
Photo shows SOKOR’s highest military decoration, the TAEGEUK Cordon.

I just learned recently that only FIFTEEN (15) personalities have received this honor from the South Korean government. 

 

Next to the United States of America, the Philippines is the second country that has reaped this MERIT MEDAL, more than once.

 

I was awarded in 2016, and another Filipino, who died in action in the KOREAN WAR, was also conferred  in 2018.  He is no other than my comrade-in-arms, the late Captain Conrado Yap.

 

In the last two decades, I have been involved as director of Peftok Veterans Association Inc. or PVAI.

 

In January of this year, I was elected as President of the Association.  In the twilight of my life, I commit to care for the living veterans, perpetuate our legacy and support a FREE KOREA. 

Live long and prosper.

Thank you very much. And good day to all!

 

 

FUN RHYME SERIES 319: AN ELEGY FOR A FRIEND’S HUBBY, JOSEPH YOSUICO

 

 

 joseph-with-fam

 [JOSEPH is shown here in this photo with a joyful gleam during his youngest son’s (i.e. JEREMY) high school graduation in 2012. JOSEPH succumbed to heart failure at around 7:00 PM last night. His remains lie in state at the Saint Peter’s Memorial Home along Commonwealth Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City. As JOSEPH, husband of my good friend MAYET (who conveyed JOSEPH’s last wish to me)  has earlier indeed wished an expeditious interment, his remains will be cremated at 9:00 PM tonight. MAYET aka Maria Theresa Lagac Yosuico is sandwiched by JEREMY to her right, and KJOE to her left.]

 

 

As was aptly said by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE…

‘Twas actually delivered by MARK ANTONY in his SPIEL;

“The evil that man do lives after them, the good is oft interred with their BONES…”,

JOSEPH could be deemed roughly as one of SHAKESPEARE’s notion’s CLONES!

 

mark-antony 

 

I first saw him once at CHATEAUBRIAND STEAKHOUSE…

As though the joy in him was sort of a FULL HOUSE;

JOSEPH was jolly, smiling and was fun-FILLED;

Through the sumptuous buffet table, around he MILLED!

 

chateaubriand-steakhouse-front 

 

He was a PILOT who has for long been based ABROAD…

Optionally retired from PILOTRY, so that he could be with his BROAD;

He also missed his kids: JEREMY and KEVIN aka KJOE,

Re-applied as PILOT based in RP, to earn for his fam more DOUGH!

 

 

mayet-with-kids

 

Early last week, he was so FRIENDLY…

So ULTRA-HELPFUL indeed and was so acting KINDLY;

Even offered a friend to a MEAL and to her DESTINATION,

It could indeed be some kind of ominous PREMONITION!

 

PREMONITION 

 

There may have been some SINS and PECCADILLOS…

Some spats, conflicts and ill-treatment done to mere HOBOS;

But a BIG and contrite heart must learn to FORGIVE,

For GOD indeed FORGIVES, unto HIM we all TRULY BELIEVE!

 

FORGIVENESS

 

No one is indeed PERFECT, as neither is there a FAM that’s PARFAITE…

PILOT life and far-away from home, is something to HATE;

That’s perhaps the reason JOSEPH went back HOME —

And now from his own DOME, he’ll return unto GOD’s WOMB!

 

GOD'S WOMB

ETERNAL REST GRANT UNTO JOSEPH ALMIGHTY GOD…AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON HIM…AS A LOVING DAD, HUBBY AND BROD….

 

 

ETERNAL-REST