The FReeper Foxhole Remembers The Philippine American War (1899-1914) - Mar. 23rd, 2003

http://www.msc.edu.ph/centennial/filam0.html ^

[SAMWolf]

Dear Lord,

There's a young man far from home,
called to serve his nation in time of war;
sent to defend our freedom
on some distant foreign shore.

We pray You keep him safe,
we pray You keep him strong,
we pray You send him safely home ...
for he's been away so long.

There's a young woman far from home,
serving her nation with pride.
Her step is strong, her step is sure,
there is courage in every stride.
We pray You keep her safe,
we pray You keep her strong,
we pray You send her safely home ...
for she's been away too long.

Bless those who await their safe return.
Bless those who mourn the lost.
Bless those who serve this country well,
no matter what the cost.

Author Unknown

.

FReepers from the USO Canteen, The Foxhole, and The Poetry Branch
join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time.

.

.................................................................................................................................

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The Philippine Insurrection

On July 1, 1898, American forces engaged in a fierce battle with the Spaniards at El Caney and San Juan Hill in Cuba. After the skirmishes, they occupied the high ground overlooking Santiago. On July 3, Admiral Pascual Cervera y Topete ordered his squadron to leave the harbor. The Spaniards attempted to escape toward the west along the coast. Then a running battle took place. All the Spanish ships either burned or sank. From there, American troops invaded and captured Puerto Rico, another Spanish possession.

As a result of these defeats, Spain sued for peace. On August 12, 1898, the day before the fall of Manila, Spain and the United States signed a peace agreement. Spain agreed to evacuate all her troops from and give up control over Cuba, cede Guam and Puerto Rico to the United States, which was also allowed to occupy Manila. The last condition was temporary while what was to be done with the Philippines was being determined.

1st North Dakota Infantry
San Isidro, Luzon, Philippine Islands -- May 6, 1899

In October 1898, representatives of Spain and the United States met in Paris to draft a peace treaty. One of the vital issues to be discussed was the status of the Philippines. Spain wanted the United States to return the Philippines to Spain because Manila had been occupied by the Americans only after the armistice had been signed on August 12, 1898, but to no avail. The United States insisted on obtaining the Philippines.

Treaty of Paris.

On December 10, 1898, the Treaty of Paris, was signed in Paris, France, by both Spain and the United States. It formally ended the war between them. Under this treaty, Spain recognized the independence of Cuba; ceded Guam, Puerto Rico and the Philippines to the United States; and received a $20 million payment from the United States for giving up the Philippines.

The treaty had to be ratified by the U.S. Senate before it could take effect. It, however, met opposition, mainly against the annexation of the Philippines. An Anti-Imperialist League was formed to rally American public opinion against the annexation. Some prominent Americans, such as former President Grover Cleveland, Andrew Carnegie, and Mark Twain, also opposed the ratification.

One of the reasons why the United States should not acquire the Philippines was that the Filipinos themselves were fighting the Americans in the Philippines. Such an act, they said, showed that the Filipinos did not want to be under American rule. They also reasoned that it was inconsistent for the United States to disclaim—through the so-called Teller Amendment—any intention of annexing Cuba and then annex the other Spanish colonies, such as the Philippines.

Annexation Fever

There were also many in the United States who saw the advantages of taking over the Philippines. Many missionaries, for instance, favored annexation. So did people who feared that Germany might get the Philippines if the United States did not. Some favored annexation to give America a “foothold” in the populous markets of Asia.



On February 6, 1899, the U.S. Senate, by a vote of 57 to 27, ratified the Treaty of Paris. The American people, in effect, also endorsed the treaty when they reelected President McKinley in the 1900 U.S. presidential elections. Thus, the Philippines formally came under the rule of the United States.

The Filipinos had become suspicious of the true motives of the United States in going to the Philippines. In fact, they were prevented by the Americans from entering Manila after its fall. Their suspicions were confirmed by the Treaty of Paris under which Spain ceded the Philippines to the United States. Neither Spain nor the United States gave Felipe Agoncillo, Aguinaldo’s special envoy, a chance to present the wishes of the Filipinos in the Paris peace talks. Suspicion turned to hostility, and war between the two sides became inevitable. The Filipinos were outraged when they learned that Spain, which no longer controlled the Philippines, had ceded the country to the United States.

Benevolent Assimilation Proclamation.

On December 21, 1898, President William Mckinley announced his decision to keep the Philippines as an American colonial possession.

Entitled “Benevolent Assimilation Proclamation,” the McKinley proclamation was announced in the Philippines on January 4, 1899. It stated clearly the intention of the United States to stay permanently in the Philippines. The mission of the United States was described by McKinley as one of “benevolent assimilation.” In the same proclamation, General Elwell Otis was named the commander of American ground forces in the Philippines, which was to “extend by force American sovereignty over this country.”



On January 5, 1899, Aguinaldo issued a counter-proclamation. He warned that his government was prepared to fight any American attempt to forcibly take over the country. This sounded like a declaration of war to the American military although Aguinaldo had no wish to get into a war with the United States. He knew that war would only cause untold suffering to the Filipino people. He was still hopeful that the situation could be saved by peaceful negotiations between him and the American military leaders in the Philippines. Aguinaldo wrote General Elwell S. Otis calling for peaceful negotiations.

On January 9, 1899, Otis appointed three American officers to meet with three Filipino military officials appointed by Aguinaldo. However, they didn't accomplish anything.

“Halt!” Then Bang! Bang! Bang!

The tension between the Americans and the Filipinos was so great that it was easy to precipitate a war. On the night of February 4, 1899, as described in Aguinaldo: A Narrative of Filipino Ambitions, (E. Wildman 1901, Norwood Press, Norwood, MA) an American sentry, Private William W. Grayson, with another soldier, encountered three armed Filipinos on a bridge in San Juan del Monte near Manila.

Recalling the incident, Grayson said:

About eight o’clock, Miller and I were cautiously pacing our district. We came to a fence and were trying to see what the Filipinos were up to.

Suddenly, near at hand, on our left, there was a low but unmistakable Filipino outpost signal whistle. It was immediately answered by a similar whistle about twenty-five yards to the right. Then a red lantern flashed a signal from blockhouse number 7. We had never seen such a sign used before. In a moment, something rose up slowly in front of us. It was a Filipino. I yelled “Halt!” and made it pretty loud, for I was accustomed to challenging the officer of the guard in approved military style. I challenged him with another loud “halt!” Then he shouted “halto!” to me. Well, I thought the best thing to do was to shoot him. He dropped. If I didn’t kill him, I guess he died of fright. Two Filipinos sprang out of the gateway about 15 feet from us. I called “halt!” and Miller fired and dropped one. I saw that another was left. Well, I think I got my second Filipino that time....

The Filipino troops fired back at the American lines and before the night was over, fighting had broken out between Filipino and American forces. Most of the Filipino commanders at that time were attending a dance in Malolos, Bulacan Province. When told of the outbreak of hostilities, they rushed back to their units, which were already shooting it out with American troops.

When war finally came, Aguinaldo still tried to stop it by sending an emissary to General Otis to appeal for an end to the fighting. But Otis responded, “fighting, having begun, must go on to the grim end.”



The American people, however, received a different version of how the war started. Newspaper reports made it appear that the Filipinos had started the fighting. This was the time when the Treaty of Paris was pending ratification in the U.S. Senate. Previously, because of strong public opinion against the U.S. annexation of the Philippines, ratification of the treaty was uncertain. But the distorted news that reached the United States, specifically that the Filipinos were the ones who started hostilities, changed the minds of several U.S. senators to vote for ratification. On February 6, 1899, the U.S. Senate ratified the Treaty of Paris.

Philippine Insurrection? Ouuuccccch. The Americans viewed the fighting as an insurrection, not a war. Hence, Americans refer to this episode as the Philippine Insurrection, not the Philippine-American War. The Spanish-American conflict that lasted only three months, is referred to as the Spanish-American War. But the Philippine-American conflict officially lasted three years and is known only as the Philippine Insurrection by America. Actually the fighting between American and the remaining armed groups of Filipinos, whom Americans branded as “bandits,” lasted 16 years (1899-1914).

James Loewen, a Washington, D.C.,-based scholar and author of a forthcoming book titled Lies Across the Landscape: What Our Historical Markers and Monuments Get Wrong, said, “What we call the Philippine Insurrection should be called the Philippine War. We had never conquered the Philippines, so you can’t call it a revolt.” Loewen’s comment was mentioned in an article published in the Star Tribune in Minnesota, in its issue of November 15, 1997.

After the refusal of General Otis to end hostilities following the San Juan bridge incident, General Arthur MacArthur ordered the advance of American troops toward Filipino positions in Manila and the suburbs. Regiments from Kansas and California captured Santa Ana and Makati. Troops from Nebraska and Utah occupied the San Juan Bridge. On the other hand, volunteers from Idaho and Washington massacred hundreds of Filipinos who were then trying to cross the Pasig River. The coastlines were pounded continuously by Admiral Dewey’s naval guns. Capturing Manila and the Suburbs. Several American soldiers who took part in the battles in Manila and the suburbs wrote letters telling about those battles to their relatives in the United States. These letters were published in local and national press in the United States by the Anti-Imperialist League in 1899 in the United States.



From Manila, wrote Private Fred B. Hinchman, Company A, United States Engineers:

At 1:30 o’clock, the general gave me a memorandum with regard to sending out a Tennessee battalion to the line. He tersely put it that “they were looking for a fight.” At Puente Colgante (suspension bridge) I met one of our company, who told me that the Fourteenth and Washingtons were driving all before them, and taking no prisoners. This is now our rule of procedure for cause. After delivering my message I had not walked a block when I heard shots down the street. Hurrying forward, I found a group of four men taking pot-shots across the river, into a bamboo thicket, at about 1,200 yards....

Narrating his exploits in Santa Ana, Manila, Captain Albert Otis, wrote:

I have six horses and three carriages in my yard, and enough small plunger for a family of six. The house I had at Santa Ana had five pianos. I couldn’t take them, so I put a big grand piano out of a second-story window. You can guess its finish. Everything is pretty quiet about here now. I expect we will not be kept here very long now. Give my love to all.

[SAMWolf]

Morning Antijen

[SAMWolf]

Morning Feather.

[SAMWolf]

1995 "How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" opens at R Rodgers NYC for 548 performances

I loved the movie thay made from the play.

[Soaring Feather]

SAMWOLF you be lazy today!! Up all night, hmmmmmm Mr. Wolf??

Inquiring minds want to know??!!! :-)

[SAMWolf]

The war in the Philippines was not one of our shining moments, was it?

No, it wasn't, the US has made it's mistakes in it's past but we've managed to always overcome our mistakes and grow as a Country.

[SAMWolf]

Yep, didn't get to bed until 3am my time. I'm still tired

[Soaring Feather]

aaaawwwwww, Let me pet your head wolfie!!

[Soaring Feather]

THE VETERAN


A protest raged on a courthouse lawn,
round a makeshift stage they charged on.
Fifteen hundred or more they say,
had come to burn the flag that day.
A boy held up the folded flag,
cursed it and called it a dirty rag.
A man pushed through the angry crowd
with an old gun shouldered proud.
His uniform jacket was old and tight,
he had polished each button, shiny and bright.
He crossed the stage with military grace
until he and the boy stood face to face.
Then the old man broke the silence.


"Freedom of speech, is worth dying for,
good men are gone, they live no more.
All so you can stand on this courthouse lawn,
and ramble on from dusk to dawn.
But before the flag gets burned today,
this old veteran is going to have his say.
My father died on a foreign shore,
in a war they said would end all wars.
Tommy and I weren't even full grown,
before we fought in a war of our own.
Tommy died on Iwo Jima's beach,
in the shadow of a hill he couldn't reach.
Where five good men raised this flag so high,
that the whole world could see it fly.
I got this bum leg that I still drag,
fighting for this same old flag.
There's but one shot in this old gun,
so now it's time to decide which one.
Which one of you will follow our lead,
to stand and die for what you believe?"


The boy who had called it a dirty rag,
handed the veteran the folded flag.
The crowd got quiet as they walked away,
to talk about what they heard that day.
So the battle for the flag this day was won,
by a loyal veteran with a single gun,
who for one last time,
had to show to some,
that these colors will never, never run.

It is the veteran, not the preacher,
who has given us freedom of religion.
It is the veteran, not the reporter,
who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the veteran, not the poet,
who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the veteran, not the campus organizer,
who has given us freedom to assemble.
It is the veteran, not the lawyer,
who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is the veteran, not the politician,
who has given us the right to vote.
It is the veteran, who salutes the flag,
who serves under the flag,
whose coffin is draped by the flag.

(Author Unknown)

[SAMWolf]

Thanks Feather.Good poem

[SAMWolf]

Thank you Cote.

[SAMWolf]

As our and coalition troops meet increasing resistance in Iraq,

Please stop for a moment and say a prayer for our troops. Of all the gifts you could give a US Soldier, prayer is the very best one.

"Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. I ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Amen."



Asking Divine Protection for Those In Service

O God, I beseech You, watch over those exposed to the horror of war, and the spiritual dangers of a soldier’s or sailor’s life.

Give them such a strong faith that no human respect may ever lead them to deny it, nor fear ever to practice it. By Your grace, O God, fortify them against the contagion of bad example, that being preserved from vice, and serving You faithfully, they may be ready to meet you face to face when they are so called: through Christ our Lord. Amen

Sacred Heart! Inspire them with sorrow for sin, and grant them pardon. Mother of God! Be with them on the battlefield during life and at the hour of death, and grant that they may live and die in the grace of thy Son. Amen. St. Joseph! Pray for them. May their Guardian Angel protect them. Amen.

Special Forces Prayer

Almighty God Who art the Author of Liberty and the Champion of the oppressed hear our prayer. We the men of Special Forces, acknowledge our dependence upon Thee in the preservation of human freedom.

Go with us as we seek to defend the defenseless and to free the enslaved. May we ever remember that our nation, whose oath "in God We Trust," expects that we shall requit ourselves with honor, that we may never bring shame upon our faith, our families, or our fellow men.

Grant us wisdom from Thy mind, courage from Thine heart, and protection by Thine hand. It is for Thee that we do battle, and to thee belongs the victor's crown. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power and glory forever. Amen!

The Marine Prayer

Almighty Father, whose command is over all and whose love never fails, make me aware of Thy presence and obedient to Thy will. Keep me true to my best self, guarding me against dishonesty in purpose and deed and helping me to live so that I can face my fellow Marines, my loved ones, and Thee without shame or fear. Protect my family.

Give me the will to do the work of a Marine and to accept my share of responsibilities with vigor and enthusiasm. Grant me the courage to be proficient in my daily performance. Keep me loyal and faithful to my superiors and to the duties my Country and the Marine Corps have entrusted to me. Help me to wear my uniform with dignity, and let it remind me daily of the traditions which I must uphold.

If I am inclined to doubt, steady my faith; if I am tempted, make me strong to resist; if I should miss the mark, give me courage to try again. Guide me with the light of truth and grant me wisdom by which I may understand the answer to my prayer. Semper Fidelis

Prayers For Our Soldiers

Almighty God, we commend to your gracious care and keeping all the men and women of our armed forces at home and abroad. Defend them day by day with your heavenly grace; strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for the US Navy

O eternal Lord, God, you alone spread out the heavens and rule the raging sea. Take into your most gracious protection our country's Navy and all who serve therein. Preserve them from the dangers of the sea and from the violence of the enemy, that they may be a safeguard unto the United States of America, and a security for such as sail upon the seas in peaceful and lawful missions. In serving you, O Lord, may our Sailors serve their country; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

A Soldier’s Prayer

Lord Jesus, Mighty Warrior and Prince of Peace, all glory and power is yours. I offer myself and my military career for the welfare of our nation and for your glory.

You said "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord"; make us mindful of our nation's heritage and of who we are. You said "Be strong and of good courage", this is my prayer. You said "A king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength"; be my protection and my strength. While I defend the nation, may all of Heaven safeguard my family back home.

Almighty God, when you will to safely return me home, help me to see in each member of my family all that I am willing to fight for- life, liberty, freedom and justice. Give me wisdom to share what experiences would lead my sons to Christ-like valor, my daughters to Christian compassion. When Mary witnessed you falling wounded to the ground, she reaffirmed her trust in God her savior. Fill my spouse with surety in your divine plan for me, our family and our nation. You called me to be a soldier. March along side me. Jesus, I place my trust in you. Amen.

Air Force Hymn

Lord, guard and guide the ones who fly,
Through the great spaces of the sky;
Be with them traversing the air
In darkening storms or sunshine fair.

You who keep with tender might
The balanced birds in all their flight,
Lord of the tempered winds, be near,
That, having you, they know no fear.

Control their minds with instinct fit
Whene'er adventuring, they quit
Firm security of land;
Grant steadfast eye and skillful hand.

Aloft in solitudes of space,
Uphold them with your saving grace.
Oh, God, protect the ones who fly
Through lonely ways beneath the sky. Amen.

Coast Guard Prayer

Almighty and Everlasting God, Whose hand stills the tumult of the deep, we offer our prayers for those who serve in our Coast Guard. We are mindful of their traditions of selfless service to the seafarers who make their ways to appointed ports.

Employ their devotions of good ends as they track the weather and search for the seas for those in extremity of storm, shipwreck or battle. Make their soundings and markings sure that safe passages may be found by those who go down to the sea in ships.

Encourage them, O Lord, as they stand guard over our coasts and the bulwarks of our freedoms. Graciously deliver them from threatening calamities in all their perilous voyages. Bless the keepers of the lights and be Thou their close friend in lonely watches. Keep the beacons of honor and duty burning that they may reach the home port with duty well performed, in service to Thee and our land. AMEN.

Night Stalker Prayer

Father of the heavens and the night; Stretch forth Your almighty arms to strengthen and protect us. Even as You gave Saint Michael, Your angelic warrior, power to do spiritual battle in the heavens, so give us power to command the darkened skies.

Guide and direct us in the defense of our country and in the maintenance of justice among the nations. Give us the courage to face all obstacles that might keep us from our time on target. Send Your holy Angels to protect the precious cargo which we carry; the elite Special Operations forces of the United States. Sustain us in the hour of danger with the knowledge of Your mercy and return us safely home.

Watch over our families when we can not. May Your presence give them comfort, and Your love lend them the courage to face each day, confident in the knowledge that You will never leave them nor forsake them. Protect them with Your unfailing mercy and grace. Grant that wherever we serve, we may be loyal to our proud heritage. Make us to choose the harder right over the easier wrong, and never to be content with a half truth when the whole can be won. May we ever embody the principles upon which the Night Stalkers are founded and serve proudly with the memory of those who have gone before. Give us the courage to fight to win and the faith to die rather than quit. Because, Night Stalkers Don't Quit!

Prayer For Absent Family Members

O God, whose fatherly care reaches to the uttermost parts of the earth: We humbly beseech you graciously to behold and bless those whom we love, now absent from us. Defend them from all dangers of soul and body, and grant that both they and we, drawing nearer to you, may be bound together by your love in the communion of your Holy Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

[GailA]

After noon FR FRiends..I'm to pooped to post much..GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS AND KEEP THEM SAFE.

[SAMWolf]

Good Afternoon Gail. Thanks for dropping by to say "hi" even though you're pooped. I appreciate it.

[WaterDragon]

"....the US has made it's mistakes in it's past but we've managed to always overcome our mistakes and grow as a Country."

Agreed. No other country questions itself and strives to grow as America does. This is seen by some as a weakness, but is clearly one of our greatest strengths because it is done honestly and openly, which means we don't indulge in superficial, phony, pointless guilt. Our goal is active improvement, which we accomplish.

[sonofron]

" Maybe you should make some friends from other countries,r races,religions. But you don't have to. You don't need to have all of that because I don't. "

ha ha. my study group consists of an ethiopian, an indian, and an african american. I got plenty of culture. i've got life long friends that are of mexican, and carribian(sp?) decent. I myself have spanish speaking ancestors.

"Why do you feel it's not going to solve anything? Do you think you're different from a black conservative? A black conservative would have more in common with you than say... a black gansta rapper who has no values. "

hmm, you know, to be honest i don't who have more in common with. i subcribe to a conservative political philosophy, but i'm an x-gang banger. in middle school i ate my meals with twenty black guys, walked the walk and talked the talk. people are who they are and we should not be on a mission to change them. we need to give everyone their own space to live like they want to live, that goes for the black muslims, soccer moms, and the hillbilly redneck.

[sonofron]

whoops, wrong thread. sorry.

[SAMWolf]

That's why we're where we're at afte 200+ years and the rest of the world is where it is.

[PhilDragoo]

U.S. Redefining Military Relationship With Philippines

Summary

U.S. military leaders are thinking of expanding training operations in the Philippines due to restrictions elsewhere in Asia. The Philippine military appears amenable to such a plan, since it would result in increased supplies, assistance and training for its troops. Having recently signed a logistics agreement with Manila, Washington appears to have found a way around political opposition in the Philippines to a more permanent military presence there.

Analysis

The United States is considering using the Philippines as a key military training area for its forces in Asia, the deputy chief of staff of the Philippine armed forces said Jan. 21. Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Teodosio said restrictions on U.S. military training at facilities in Japan, Hawaii and Thailand had caused Washington to look elsewhere, and that the Philippines provided an ideal place for U.S. troops to train for Asian or jungle contingencies. He added that Philippine soldiers also benefit from joint training exercises.

A decade after leaving the Philippines, the United States is gearing up for a more permanent military presence there. The Philippines was one of the first fronts in the war against terrorism, and U.S. troops have yet to leave the country since deploying in January 2002. Despite political concerns in Manila, it appears Washington is ready to redefine its military relationship with its former colony.

~~~

Had heard that Hackworth had answered the query, "Are we going back to Clark?" with "We're getting kicked out of Oki."

In view of the unbridled ambition of the PRC and the danger of its sock puppet the PRNK, it's good to be reexamining Clark.

Someone had said his son in the service was sent on an evaluation mission for the resurrection of that base.

We are now witnessing the execution of our PWs by Iraq, and have a 100-acre chemical weapons plant for starters--

Jiang and Hu are the extension of that plague which has killed 100 million to date.

Whatever was writ of the white man's burden a hundred years ago is now eclipsed by the dead earnest of Bush and Blair.

If not us, who? If not now, when?

On to Baghdad for victory and vengeance.

[SAMWolf]

Evevning PhilDragoo.

Time to start loading those B-52's with internal and external 750 and 1000 lb iron bombs and Rockeyes and start carpet bombing troop positions in wave after wave. No more trying to fight a PC war.