Toledo (CA 133) - Naval Cruise Book

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eve was the good old :hlll0l'll'ilIl jeep, but Marks and Mods no Bureau had ever desig- l nated. lt appeared that the entire Pacific theater's surplus jeeps had somehow found their way to Cavite and once there, had un- dergone a remarkable transition to becoine known as the jeepney. The canopy which covered the locally-installed seats in the back brought to mind the l'Surrey Wlith the Fringe on Topf' Whether the destination of the jeepney was the Copa, Sherron Cove, 4gBill's Place. the South Seas or any of the other 'tNew York-style night clubs, the ef- fect was the same. Always there was a small, very loud and very brassy band blaring forth slightly off-key, and the flock of host- esses waiting for the sympathetic souls who were to buy them drinks for the evening, at two peso per, one buck in anyone's language. The majority of men were reduced to drink- ing San Miguel, for the liberty in Cavite was quite expensive. Right after pay-day, these places boomed with Tuesday and Fri- day the big nights. Inside the gate at Sangley was the EM. l4Club Orientf, a nice place for a cool drink and chow after a dip in the nearby pool. The Club brought featured entertainers from Manila once a week for a floor show. The market-hardly the ALP. W' if an . X, ef. 'il if X c W3 ...j hx E Q1 jj as 'T' at S 1f . . I E fi' Li! EJ Z E fi, . Q! , -.,, .. 'I 3 , gf k,z S 5 , , , 12 , 3 ini- 15 Q, Q -lpsszw-, -f ey 1 21150167 V . Two San Miguel, please. The shoeshine boy-a Cavite fixture. 7thFlt Band sometimes played at Club Orient, the Sangley Point EM Club.

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Q .,,.5 .MA , 3 S H T I .4 , . W wig, , 3 B K W., .,.,,., M gf, M -f 'Vr. f 'L ij: 1 T ' A .A,W f 1 ' l l t T i , , -A 1 T' it p D M A i -' 1 A ' Striking a bargain with the ieepney driver-BEFORE the ride. Seats four, and sometimes more. Af least the SP's could have ice cream. F-80's, so well known. These, plus more gunnery, C.l.C., damage control, etc., drills than you could shake a man-hour at, gave us the undisputed title uThe most drilled ship in the Pacific Fleetfa By the time We left Guam enroute to Sang- ley Point, the uni'form of the day had changed to undress whites and then to Hwith- out jumpers. The hot weather was hard on everyone, but the sun was something new and very pleasant. As the ship threaded its way up the many islands which make up the Philippines, the many pairs of Japanese binoculars were well checked-out as puffs of smoke and odd looking buildings of nearby islands were given the once over. This was especially true with the looming up of Corregidor on the horizon marking the entrance to Manila Bay. The rock was passed and off in the distance, Sangley Point came into View. The first look consisting of quonsets and an air strip was nothing to rave about, and, in fact, as time went on, the look remained the same and the opinion became Worse. Once outside the gate, however, things be- gan to look up. The first object to meet the

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Three times during our stay in the Philip- pines, parties left the ship for a tour of Cor- regidor, the famous island guarding the approach to Manila Bay. Each time, coke, beer and sandwiches were taken along to turn the affair into a combined sight-seeing tour and picnic. After a two-hour 30-mile ride across the Bay, the groups tied up to a shell-pocked pier. Once modern and well-kept, it is now a mass of blasted concrete, rotting planks and rusting steel rails on which once ran cranes for unloading cargo. Native shacks made of ammunition cases clustered around the dock area. Cameras were given a workout as men posed beside the simple concrete slab at the end of the dock with the word uCorregidor etched across its face. The beaches to the right and left of the area are lined with rusting land- ing craft and ammunition cases, their con- tents strewn about rusting in the hot tropi- cal sun. V All buildings in the main area topside were crumbling heaps of cement and twisted steel. Gutted walls and huge gaping win- dows remained where modern buildings once stood. Time has laid a concealing hand on all the buildings on the island, for the rapid jungle growth is slowly obliterating the scars of war. Highlight of the trip was the ravaged Battery HD gun emplacement. Formerly a twin 16-inch gun battery guarding the sea approach to Corregidor, the bastion is a desolate, weed-covered area. One of the huge guns remai11s in place, rusting from lack of paint and proper care. Final stop was Malinta Tun11el. It was here the majority of the defenders gathered during the final bitter days of struggle. Then-president of the Philippines Manuel L. Quezon and his family remained here during the seige as did Gen. MacArthur and his family until they were evacuated.