THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 21, 1994 TAG: 9410210677
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LARRY W. BROWN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines
Allen B. Charles Sr. leaned on the gold railing in front of the MacArthur Memorial and looked toward the statue of its namesake, Gen. Douglas MacArthur.
``Chills went up and down my spine when I entered the theater and saw the model of my ship,'' Charles said, speaking of the Nashville, a cruiser that received 10 battle stars for World War II service. ``We're just so fortunate. The memories will always be with us.''
Charles, 70, was one of several hundred visitors to the memorial on Thursday as the 50th anniversary of Douglas MacArthur's return to the Philippines got underway. The ceremony, he said, is a perfect way to honor the general.
``I think it was wonderful,'' said Charles, of Richmond. ``I'm so happy I lived long enough to see the anniversary.''
Norfolk's three-day celebration is being touted as the largest of its kind in the United States. Other commemorations are being held across the country and in the Philippines. The recognition here concludes on Saturday at Ocean View Park with a re-enactment of MacArthur's Leyte landing and a Filipino Festival.
Charles, who donned his USS Tennessee baseball cap, rode on that Navy ship with MacArthur when he made his famous return to Leyte Gulf to reclaim the island from the Japanese. MacArthur had fled the islands two years earlier after they were conquered by the Japanese.
``The general was a great man. He was a gentleman's gentleman,'' Charles said.
Praise for MacArthur, who died in 1964, was the common theme at Thursday's opening ceremony. Norfolk is playing host to the event because it is the Army general's final resting place and home of the museum.
``I'm humbled to speak about a great man and a defining period in which we had to serve our country,'' said retired Vice Adm. John D. Bulkeley, who rescued MacArthur from Corregidor on a Navy PT boat.
The commemoration this year coincides with the ninth annual MacArthur Memorial symposium, a three-day event that opened Thursday with a discussion on MacArthur's strategy as commander of Allied forces in the southwest Pacific during World War II. He later served as commander of U.N. forces during the Korean War.
The commemoration attracted people from throughout Hampton Roads, Virginia and other states. Pearl Ibarra of Virginia Beach said the speeches about the bravery of those who fought for the Philippines made her proud of her Filipino roots.
``It served its purpose,'' Ibarra said. ``It reinforced the significance.''
Marion Phillips of Birmingham, Ala., enjoyed the opening ceremony, which included a performance by the U.S. Army Continental Band as well as the speeches.
``It was awesome,'' Phillips said. ``We're all impressed by the bravery of these men.''
Allen Charles, who brought his grandson, Jason Charles Harvey, to the celebration, said the anniversary can serve as a history lesson for those born after the war.
``It was interesting to see about an older generation's viewpoint,'' said Harvey, 13. ``A lot of that stuff was a living hell.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
GARY C. KNAPP
Former troops gathered Thursday to honor MacArthur and to relate
tales. From left: Lt. Gen. Ronald H. Griffith; Master Sgt. Francis
J. Salveron; Retired Col. Leon F. Punsalan, a former MacArthur aide;
and Philippine Ambassador Raul Rabe.
Graphic
EVENTS SCHEDULE
[For complete graphic, please see microfilm]
by CNB