THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 27, 1994 TAG: 9410250102
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LARRY W. BROWN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
Lymon Hammond can now breathe a sigh of relief - Norfolk's 50th anniversary celebration of Gen. Douglas MacArthur's return to the Philippines was a success.
As executive director for the MacArthur Memorial and the anniversary's chief planner, Hammond said all the events went as planned.
``We're all very pleased with the events,'' he said. ``I'm quite relieved that it's over.''
The celebration began last Thursday with an opening ceremony featuring guest speakers and the U.S. Continental Army Band. Other highlights included the ninth annual MacArthur symposium and a commemorative ceremony at Nauticus.
Hammond said the symposium was so successful that they are planning to publish the results in a book.
The anniversary's crowning event, however, was the re-enactment at Ocean View Park of MacArthur's wading ashore to Leyte Beach in the Philippines. The re-enactment was followed by a Filipino festival that was filled with music, dance and food.
``The re-enactment went perfect,'' Hammond said. ``It was very realistic.'' Based on the number of brochures that were passed out, 2,500 to 3,000 people attended the Ocean View show, he said.
Visitors to the memorial last week were impressed by the scope of the celebration.
Jason Charles Harvey, 13, attended the opening ceremonies with his grandfather, Allen B. Charles, Sr., who served with MacArthur when he returned to the Philippines.
``It was interesting to see about the older generation's viewpoint . . . and learn from their mistakes,'' said Harvey of Glen Allen, Va.
Hammond said the Filipino community's response was favorable throughout the weekend as well. ``The Filipino community was really taken because it touched so close to home,'' he said. ``They just thought it was great.''
Hammond said he is already looking forward to next September, which marks the 50th anniversary of the Tokyo Bay surrender that ended the World War II. MacArthur presided over the signing of the surrender, Hammond said, and the memorial is planning to commemorate the event. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by BILL TIERNAN
Eric Gibson, right, portrays Gen. Douglas MacArthur in a
re-enactment of MacArthur's return to the Philippines. The
re-enactment took place Saturday at Ocean View Park in celebration
of the 50th anniversary of the historic event.
by CNB