This is my story of experiencing the history and the base of the strong relationship between America and the Philippines, along with my friends. This is the biggest and the most beautiful Cemetery I’ve seen.
Manila American Cemetery and Memorial is one of the largest overseas cemeteries for American World War II soldiers. Located in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig, Metro Manila. 152 acres of greenery, magnificently designed with the tombs of more than 17000 American soldiers and more than 36000 names of the missing in action soldiers. This cemetery told us an epic story of sacrifice and valor in the service of Liberty.
A small glimpse into the history:
- In 1941, Japanese forces invaded the Philippines. Fierce defenses by the U.S Army forces held off Japanese assaults in different Philippine Islands.
- During 1942-1945, the U.S Force’s Operations in the Pacific, New Guinea and Philippine Islands saved the Philippines from Japanese invasions ( Not mentioning about each battles because there are so many)
- On July 5th, 1945 liberation of the Philippines was declared. During these years more than 50000 U.S soldiers lost their lives fighting side by side with the Philippine Army.
(Note: The number of tombs and details of history are collected from the staff)
The cemetery is located inside Global city, Taguig where most of the American community is residing in the Philippines. This place clearly depicts the good relationship maintained between both the U.S and the Philippines.
Let’s look in to the different monuments inside the memorial that amazed me;
1) The Graves - This memorial holds 17000 graves of the bodies of the brave soldiers recovered from all across the Southwest and Central Pacific. Eleven burial plots are arranged in concentric rings around the memorial. There are roads in between those rings so that you can walk around. All the graves were marked evenly by white marble headstones.
2) The wall of Missing - There are more than 36000 names of the missing soldiers engraved on the limestone walls which cover the memorial at the center. Those whose bodies were recovered, their names were marked with a dot. It was heart wrenching to know only a few of them were recovered during and after the war.
3) The Memorial - It’s located at the center of the plot consisting of a chapel at the center in a higher ground and the limestone walls in hemicycle embracing the Memorial court. The whole cemetery was visible from there. It was so soothing and peaceful to the mind to see the whole surrounding lush greenery and the tombs from up there. The views from all sides were similar because of the ring design of the cemetery.
4) The Chapel - Anterior wall with a sculpture of St.George fighting a dragon and has symbols of Liberty, Justice, and the Country. Inside the chapel there’s an altar crafted with marble. Not more than 5 people were allowed inside the altar due to Covid protocols.
5) The 25 Maps - Inside the limestone walls there are ten foot high maps displayed which were important campaigns during WWII. The maps were so huge and it was interesting to identify known locations on the map.
6) Visitors Building - Located beside the main gate where the visitors can query about the history, talk with the staff and rest and refresh for some time with your friends and family.
One of the most fascinating things about this memorial is that you can find the grave of your ancestors/grandparents if they’re buried here, through their website and can plan a visit to their tomb. The staff will guide you to the grave and memorial site.
The memorial is well maintained and the staff are friendly.
Transport: You can travel via Epifano de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) to McKinley Road(Metro train/car/bus). And then take the McKinley Parkway inside the Global City(car/Jeepney)
Some of the important information I learned from my visit:
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Cemetery is open to the public from 9am to 5pm.
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No entry fee.
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A valid photo ID is required at the entrance(at least one per group)
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The cemetery, the roads inside, the memorial and the bathroom inside the Visitors Building are
wheelchair accessible. -
The only rule to be followed is; Observe the silence, and respect the place.
For me, this was one of the most exciting journeys which was filled with so many emotions. The experience was wholesome and heart-warming for me and my friends
For those who are planning to travel here, some important and amazing nearby locations which you can visit on the same day
We visited the Venice Grand Canal Mall and I’ll share the story with everyone in the next post. I’m hoping to visit all the other places in the coming months before I go back to India.
Thank you guys in advance for the support…
Here’s a short video:
