Provenance: Provenance : Various Estates of World War II Veterans, Collected over 20 years

ABOUT THE WORK

World War II, no doubt, was perhaps the most overwhelming event we experienced as a nation. It changed our mentality, culture, and history. It not only brought trauma, but it also destroyed much of our built heritage and incinerated many of our historical documents. Laurel’s wartime government would be known as the Second Philippine Republic or the “Puppet Republic.” Yet, historians now agree almost unanimously that he was by no means a “puppet.” Aside from insisting on Philippine sovereignty and saving many lives from executions by the Japanese, he, in effect saved the future of the Philippines. When the Japanese Prime Minister ordered him to declare a State of War against the United States, using his powers as President of the Philippines, he refused to do so since it would have forced Filipinos to be conscripted and to fight on the side of the Japanese. He instead proclaimed only a State of War to have already existed and there was no need to press Filipinos into service, saving many of our grandparents’ lives. Thus the memorabilia at hand on the Second Republic are important reminders of the leadership of an important Filipino hero in a time of crisis. Quezon was right in leaving him behind and trusting him not to sell us out to the Japanese like other Southeast Asian leaders did. The American photographs, on the other hand, depict horrible events and important battles of the war, from the famous and rarely-seen photos of the Death March to the Landing at Lingayen to the Battle for Manila and its aftermath. I believe that these photos came from a newspaper which was supplied by the news agencies who covered the war on the side of the Americans. The indication would be that some of the photos were made up with headlines hand-drawn with black ink on white paint. Printed final newspaper articles were appended to the back of most of the photos. 18 of the 29 photos were accompanied by the final equivalent in newspaper clippings describing the events It is best to remember that memorabilia are important to tell history better. In the case of this collection, it not only captures everyday life of a historic era — but is a vessel of the many contested narratives of the war which still affect our national psyche. — From ANCX, Feb 8, 2021.