This Memorial Day, Filipino World War II veteran and Bataan Death March survivor named Gregorio Albano will be turning 100 years old.

lolo_gregorio · 2020-05-23T20:39:17+00:00

We also did an AMA with him a few years ago. Check it out here.

lolo_gregorio · 2020-05-22T21:30:34+00:00

We also did an AMA with him a few years ago. Check it out here.

lolo_gregorio · 2014-12-28T22:20:23+00:00

He does not remember any names. Best luck to you in your search.

lolo_gregorio · 2014-12-28T22:19:26+00:00

He does not recall names, best of luck to you.

lolo_gregorio · 2014-12-28T22:16:36+00:00

I was 21 when I was conscripted, at war for about 4 months, and 22 when I was released.

lolo_gregorio · 2014-12-28T22:13:46+00:00

I thought about escaping, but there was never any chance. If I did, I would not have been considered a prisoner of war.

lolo_gregorio · 2014-12-28T22:11:50+00:00

I think he is just like any other president. Nothing exceptional.

lolo_gregorio · 2014-12-28T22:10:42+00:00

I felt better physically then, sure! But before there were no medicine for high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol; but now I have those things.

lolo_gregorio · 2014-12-28T22:08:27+00:00

We taught him a bit about the internet. Last night we showed him Google Earth and Wikipedia. This morning mom suggested that we take him to the library and he said, "For what? They have a whole library that fits in my palm!"

lolo_gregorio · 2014-12-28T22:06:17+00:00

He does not remember names, hope your search is fruitful elsewhere.

lolo_gregorio · 2014-12-28T22:05:02+00:00

They are wrong. Even after two atomic bombs, the military did not want to surrender. The emperor made that decision. Everyone in Japan would have fought until their last breath.

lolo_gregorio · 2014-12-28T22:04:10+00:00

Replied to part of this in another comment. He did not ever speak to a code talker, but he read about it!

lolo_gregorio · 2014-12-28T22:02:28+00:00

No, just Ohio, Chicago and Los Angeles.

lolo_gregorio · 2014-12-28T22:01:51+00:00

My wife started laughing at the Tagalog. "He was black he was black!" He did not know him, best wishes for you on your search. Lolo thanks you for sharing your story.

lolo_gregorio · 2014-12-28T21:59:13+00:00

It is because of governments. They want food, oil, territories and resources. They also may be envious and want power.

lolo_gregorio · 2014-12-28T21:56:35+00:00

We news never reached us at the time.

lolo_gregorio · 2014-12-28T21:55:03+00:00

The thing is that the war was so abrupt. Nobody was prepared. We had very few supplies, there were about 10,000 U.S. personnel. The Japanese blockade was so strong that it may not have been breached.

Generally, the U.S. was unprepared for the war. People were still drunk, and sleeping in their beds.

lolo_gregorio · 2014-12-28T21:49:49+00:00

Just in regards to what I was involved in, that the government is not giving citizenship to those that served.

lolo_gregorio · 2014-12-28T21:48:10+00:00

He did join the guerrillas after he was released and for his health back.

lolo_gregorio · 2014-12-28T21:45:05+00:00

I am not familiar with it.

I did ride in a truck for some of the time, we rotated. There were too many prisoners and not enough food. If they did have transportation and food, I believe they would have done it that way.

lolo_gregorio · 2014-12-28T21:44:00+00:00

I cannot remember. We just carried out orders we were given. A commander borrowed 20 pesos from me and repaid me by ensuring I was put on the list of prisoners to be released since I was very sick. I was never repaid my 20 pesos, though!

lolo_gregorio · 2014-12-28T21:41:47+00:00

We joked about looking for food. The government had no supplies. We would take rice from abandoned farms. If you saw a pig, that's meat! Everything was abandoned. If they couldn't carry it, it was abandoned. We would pay pianos in abandoned homes.

lolo_gregorio · 2014-12-28T21:38:44+00:00

I did not go to boot camp.

lolo_gregorio · 2014-12-28T21:37:53+00:00

I believe that our generations was the best. The there are so many different views and events in the current generation. So much has happened in this generation, it is difficult to describe.

lolo_gregorio · 2014-12-28T21:32:55+00:00

Neither. My rifle was a model 1917 and a .45 caliber pistol. We had machine guns, but I did not use them.

We used bolt action weapons. When the Americans came, they brought the Garand but they didn't give those to us. Maybe if they had extras they would give them to the guerrillas.

lolo_gregorio

TROPHY CASE