Mollycoddling Milksops of Manila

By Michelle Malkin

Here is a copy of my email to Michelle in regards to her artilce in CNS News.

Mrs. Malkin, I read you blog almost daily, watch you on Fox news regularly and agree with most of your views. So, please take this in the kindest way it is meant.

I can understand how upset you are with Arroyo’s decision to pull her troops out of Iraq early to satisfy the demands of the terrorists. It is definitely the wrong decision.

But this statement in CNS news bothered me.

“And remind me never again to brag about the proud fighting spirit of my ancestors.”

Michelle, I’m no history major but I served 20 years in the US Navy as a Cryptologic Technician; along side some proud sailors from the Philippines.

Up until 1991, the US Navy accepted people from the Philippines to serve in the US Navy. The United States Navy in the lives of Filipinos - Jul. 20, 2003

One woman, Eleanor "Connie" Mariano, reached the rank of Rear Admiral.

I’m not sure there are any Filipinos still serving in the Navy but if they are they may just be in Iraq fighting these same terrorists. But no matter where they are, if they are still some Filipinos in the Navy, you can be sure they are serving proudly in the War On Terror.

I had the privilege of visiting the Philippines on many occasions in the early 1980’s. Each time I flew into Clark Air Base, the base where Admiral Mariano was born.

I fell in love with the country and people immediately. They were the poorest people I had ever met but they never complained. They always had such a positive attitude and an infectious smile; just like yours. They were the hardest working, most industrious, and proudest people I had ever met and I’m an American.

During our visits to the Philippines, we would hire a “jeepney” ( in this case it was a WWII US Army jeep) to transport us around. We would stay for two weeks and this jeepney was at our beck and call 24/7 for a sum of $10. We went further than most G.I. s by providing our driver with room and board at our hotel.

On our first day I told our driver that we were not interested in seeing the usual GI attractions, we wanted to meet average Filipinos outside the cities. He asked if we wanted to visit his village. Sure! We replied, but could we take some food and drink for a BBQ? His broad grin was all the answer we needed. We had to hire a second jeepney to carry all the food and beer!

It is the most memorable time I have ever had in my life bar none! The entire village came to the BBQ! The village treated us like kings; they put on music, dance, and all manner of entertainment. They even brought in ice to cool our drinks. Trust me, ice is like gold in 100 degree heat, far out of town, in a village with no electricity.

When we arrived and started to set things up, I noticed a man and a water buffalo in the field next to us. He was using the animal to make a pile of bamboo trees. I asked our driver what in the world the guy was doing. “Building a house” he replied. Sure enough, the man worked from about 8 AM till sundown and built a bamboo house on stilts. Only when he was finished did he and his family come and join us.

No matter how rich we are and how poor they are, they are still a very proud people. You are very lucky to have such heritage.

Unlike Spain, Arroyo made the decision to pull her troops out of Iraq early, not the Filipino people.

Kindest regards,

Marc Landers, CPO, USN, Ret.

USS Neverdock
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