Toledo (CA 133) - Naval Cruise Book

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Une of the highlights of the Philippines stay was Camp .lohn Hay rest camp at Baguio. Located high in the mountains of central Luzon. the rest camp and nearby city of Baguio is the Shangri-la of the Philippine Islands. Camp John Hay was a heaven after the hot, sun-baked ship in Manila Bay. lts location and high altitude. some 5,800 feet ahove sea level. give it a constant cool tem- perature. Travel to and from the camp was at times unique. Wie took a motor launch from the ship to Manila, a hus from the dock area to the Manila Port of Embarkation where a Greyhound bus took us to Clark Field and a plane for Baguio. The trip was also made by Greyhound bus from Clark, or an open Hsix-hyi' as one unfortunate party had, to the small village at the foot of the mountain on which Baguio is located. Arriving at the vil- lage, we piled into still another bus and finally reached our destination. We checked in at the rest center as if guests at a hotel. No one told us what to do, where to go, what time to report for a work- ing party or what time to get up. In other words-no Navy-we were living! Everyone was always on the go at John Hay. Bowling, tennis, golf, ping-pong, arch- ery, bicycle riding, tours, hiking, swimming and pool kept most every 'cguestn so occu- pied that few went into town. There was one drawback to bicycle riding . . . there were always more hills to climb than to coast down. Jeeps could he checked out to make trips to nearhy places of interest. Food was served cafeteria style at 3.40 per meal, the only cost while at the Camp. Each morning, we were greeted with a cheerful HGood morning, how many eggs do you want and how do you want them cooked ?', This idea was entirely new to TOLEDO person- nel, hut we got used to it quickly.

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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.

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U. S. Naval Station, Subic Bay, was TOLEDO's host twice. Combined operations with the British showed us their seamanship. Back af Sangley, trips fo Manila passed native huts. julie Baa... Joint operations with the British Far East Fleet were good practice, and from the .standpoint of liberty with their Navy at Subic Bay, a lot of fan. The kinks of unfamiliarity were soon ironed out, communica- tion difficulties overcome, and the joint force was operating like a single, sharp outfit. At Subic, ele- ments of the Argyll and Sutherland bagpipe.s .staged a retreat and pipe concert, both novel and entertain- ing for us, most of whom had never seen anything quite like it. Visits were exchanged by crews of the two navies' ships at Subic, a factor which definitely made for closer understanding and cooperation. Just plain Subic, though, still offered very little in the way of recreational facilities, and in the opinion of most, there was a worthwhile feeling behind the wartime favorite, We Won't Go Back to Subic Any- more. Back to Sangley we went and more and more to the hot, humid little area around Cavite. Those who ventured to go to Manila over the land route, brav- ing the dangers of the Huks and bad roads, saw a great deal of the real Philippine countryside. Grass huts like the ones in the geography books were plentiful, and the farmers could be seen guiding ancient water bujalo and caribou along their fur- rowed fields, pulling old upright wooden plows. Rural Philippineana and modern Wlanilag we were seeingltwo opposite sides of a many-sided country. Full-dressed ship for Washingfon's Birthday at Sangley.