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This morning I took a Jeepney to the town of Dulag, about an
hour from Tacloban.
There's nothing special about Dulag. It sits on the black sand
of the Leyte Gulf, just a bit too far south to have been
involved in General MacArthur's 50th landing anniversary last
October.
I followed a sign that advertised the Gulf View Beach Resort.
The closer I got to the beach the sleazier the houses became,
and by the time I reached the beach the houses were little more
than hovels.
I found The Gulf View Beach Resort. It was a resort in name
only-a piece of black sand fenced with bamboo, and dotted with
tables and chairs. A picnic area; definitely not a resort.
I was watching fishermen repair their nets when an old woman
shuffled around the corner. She wore a blue shawl, flip flops,
and was clutching three empty plastic water bottles.
"Ah, American," she said. Here all foreigners are
Americans.
"Hello."
"Are you a veteran?"
"No, I was only a kid then." I should have said yes and kept
walking.
"I was 15 when the Americans returned," she said. "General
Douglas MacArthur landed right there." She pointed down the
beach.
"Oh, I thought he landed in Palo."
"The people of Palo lie. They want the glory. Douglas MacArthur
and President Osmena landed here together. With these eyes I
saw them raise the American flag."
Great. The entire Anniversary was based on a lie.
"What about the photos of the landing?"
"The photos are real, but they were taken here, not Palo."
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