NOBODY wants war, except maybe US President Donald Trump and his lapdogs. Many American friends, OTs meaning old timers, who made Angeles City their residence are calling Trump names. The implications of the war in the Middle East are being felt now all over the world. High prices of consumer goods, queue on gasoline stations, inflation, unemployment etc.
Nine out of 10 Filipinos have a relative living in the US, either as an immigrant or are now citizens there. My late Coyang Ben lived with the family in Rancho Sta. Margarita in Orange County. His two daughters, Carol, an auditor and Jane, an engineer are now comfortably settled there and are now American citizens. My youngest sister Myrna is an American citizen too and worked in New York City. She was comfortable living in the big apple but was so lonely and went back home for he was longing to hold on her apos.
There were violent incidents which every now and then we read on papers of Asians being attacked on subways,on the streets and malls. It seems to me that someone and sometimes, a nut is going crazy. This is the result of a multi racial population. Imagine shooting kids in schools. Shopping centers are not spared. Trump is one of a kind politician. Do you remember that several years ago a throng sympathetic to a loser-Donald Trump- stormed the capitol, the seat of their government and destroyed everything and were even intent to harmed congressmen and senators. What happened to the ole United States of America? Who wants to go the United States of America? Shit to the American dream. Now here’s the worst. Partnering with Israel and rained Iran with missiles and infected all countries that extreme hardship to us.
Let’s review history. Just to refresh the memory of senior citizens and for the benefit of the millennials. It was in August 1898 when Admiral George Dewey with his fleet engaged the Spanish armada which is now in the history books and described it as the Battle of Manila Bay. It didn’t take long for the Americans to subdue the Spaniards. So the Spanish government said: ‘You only won Manila, and if you want the whole archipelago you have to pay us’. So the American government in agreement paid $20 million and this was contained in the Treaty of Paris.
If you happen to visit Clark Freeport, drop by at the museum and slices of history of how the American cavalry started their journey before the turn of the century from Manila on their way to dig gold in the mountainous province of Benguet. It was the enormous gold deposit why the Americans agreed in the first place to pay the Spaniards $20 million. They got the better end of the bargain, so to speak.
They made a stopover in Culiat town (now Angeles City) and encamped there meanwhile. One of the horses of the cavalry, as the story unfolded, went astray. And when it was found it was near barrio Sapangbato wherein around was an abundance of lemon grass which was used as fodder for their horses. So they moved their camp there and named it Fort Stotsenberg. The cavalry stayed there permanently, until the aviation era dawned and remained the camp to Clark Air Force Base. So it can be said it was the fault of that sh—t horse why we became neighbors to the American GIs.
Thank God there’s no more Clark Air Force Base in our province and not worried of missiles dropping in our neighborhood.