Comments on: History challenge

By: Marcus Auerlius

Marcus Auerlius — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:23:59 +0000

My first encounter with Pinoys on the big boats was back in ‘92 in the UAE. The Nimitz was in port (Jebel Ali near Dubai) and some colleagues received an invite from a sailor to tour the ship. That was crazy, very very awesome was that ship!

Anyway, I did not know at the time Pinoys were actively recruited into the USN and saw a number of them on board some who were definitely enlisted individuals and some who it seems may have higher up as their duds were more formal (I have been informed those were probably chief uniforms).

Anyway, Richard, I sent you an e-mail (the cat’s gmail address) with the e-mail of a woman from Mindanao who works at the UW Milwaukee who most likely can assist your correspondent.

By: phil

phil — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 13:10:52 +0000

Here’s a link to the website of the Association to Commemorate the Chinese Serving in the American Civil War.

http://hometown.aol.com/gordonkwok/accsacw.html

Here’s a link to a site with info on Asians who served in the Union and Confederate navies:

http://www.tfoenander.com/asians.html

A list of possible Maoris and Australian Aborigines who may have served in the Union Navy:

http://www.tfoenander.com/anz.html

By: Herbert Wilkins

Herbert Wilkins — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 21:41:38 +0000

Asians in the Navy!

Don’t know if you know much about the Masonic fraternity.
There are many members of the Masonic Fraternity who are Filipinos. Many of them reside in San Diego. Obviously San Diego being a seaport town would have many retired members of the Navy living in San Diego and many of them are Masons.

You might want to contact the Secretary of Silver Gate-Three Stars Lodge #296 in San Diego. A great many of the members of the Lodge are retired Navy personnel.

The Secretary of the Lodge is Mario S. Rante and his e-mail is manzy1@cox.net

Herbert Wilkins
Secretary-Pasadena Scottish Rite

By: Steve Skubinna

Steve Skubinna — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:16:01 +0000

Come to think of it, Schlepper, there’d be plenty of opportunity to schtupp officer’s wives.

By: Data Schlepper

Data Schlepper — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:05:46 +0000

Would this imaginary Filipino be as lecherous as Flashman?

By: El Jefe Maximo

El Jefe Maximo — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 18:39:20 +0000

Along similar lines, I keep hoping for a definitive history of the really excellent Philippine units in the US Army, that is the Philippine Scouts, who served in their own units and not as fillers or members of other formations. I know bits and pieces of that story, mostly relating to the Bataan campaign, but I keep hoping for something bigger and more cmoplete.

By: Steve Skubinna

Steve Skubinna — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 17:00:40 +0000

This is somewhat off topic, but there was I believe a subversive reason for Robert Heinlein to make his narrator in Starship Troopers a Filipino. He was subtle at first, putting in small clues early in the novel pointing to Johnnie Rico’s ethnicity, and the most overt he comes is later in the book when Johnnie mentions Ramon Magsaysay and makes a statement in Tagalog.

Heinlein was a 1929 graduate of the Naval Academy, and served when Filipinos were restricted to the steward rating, i.e., officers’ servants. It could not have been mere happenstance that his central character, who goes from recruit to NCO to a commission, was a Filipino.

Among the many crimes of Verhoeven’s comic book “adaptation” was the transforming of Juan Rico and Carmen Ibanez to middle class white bread Americans.

By: F451_2.0

F451_2.0 — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:49:10 +0000

Now that “Flashman” has been mentioned…

As over the decades I read the series I often considered that as George MacDonald Fraser had spent some years as a newspaperman in Saskatchewan, it was possible he based Flashman, at least in part, on this man: Alexander Roberts Dunn

Over six feet tall, upper class upbringing (Harrow), Victoria Cross won in “The Charge of the Light Brigade” and as noted in the profile provided…a right bounder and a cad.

http://www.legionmagazine.com/en/index.php/2004/01/canada-and-the-victoria-cross/

By: Thrasymachus

Thrasymachus — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:48:10 +0000

I was in Navy ROTC at a public universtiy in California long long ago. there was a Filipino guy who applied for, but did not get, nuclear power. His idea was that Rickover had a quota of one Filipino per year and another Filipino guy from the unit had got that opening. The Navy was going to send him to flight school instead and he was not happy about it.

By: Ed McClanan

Ed McClanan — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:37:01 +0000

Contact this gentleman, LTC (Ret) James E Tricheck who is the Retirement Services Offier in the PI. He is about 79 years old and complies a lengthly list of items of interest to provide this information to Veterans via email. His primarly focus is benefits and legistative matters but him being in the PI would be a plus – Look for his links via the Retirement Websites for DOD or remind me later this month once I get his email and I’ll provide you his contact information. He would probably be your best resource, ever!