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Memorial Day 2025: 17,000 Buried in the Philippines – A Forgotten Field of Honor, Memory, and Liberation
- Thizztv Publisher
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
Memorial Day 2025 Reflection: 17,000 Buried in the Philippines – A Forgotten Field of Honor, Memory, and Liberation | Philippines: Love and Peace
Hidden in plain sight, just beyond the luxury malls and embassy compounds of Makati City, lies a place that few Americans—and far too few Filipinos—know exists: the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.
Sprawled across 152 acres of manicured lawn and quiet hills, this sacred ground is the final resting place for 17,206 American servicemen and women, most of whom died fighting to liberate the Philippines during
World War II.
As we reflect on Memorial Day 2025, we must not only honor the dead—we must also shed light on the places where their memory lives on.
The Manila American Cemetery, though beautifully maintained, remains largely unknown to the public. It’s a solemn shrine tucked into a modern city, waiting to be recognized, revisited, and revered.
A Monument to Sacrifice That Time Forgot
Founded in 1948 and maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), the Manila American Cemetery is the largest overseas U.S. military cemetery in the world. Despite its historical magnitude, it receives far less attention than places like Normandy or Arlington.
Yet here lie the remains of the young men and women who fought in the Pacific Theater—many of them perishing in the Philippines, New Guinea, and the China-Burma-India campaigns.
Among them are twenty-nine Medal of Honor recipients and more than 500 Filipino Scouts, whose loyalty and bravery were instrumental in the Allied effort.
For every American family whose loved one never came home, this cemetery stands as sacred proof that they did not vanish—they are remembered, row by row, name by name.
The U.S. and the Philippines: Bound by War, Freed by Sacrifice
During the height of WWII, the Philippines was a U.S. commonwealth, and its invasion by Japanese forces in 1941 marked a devastating turning point. The occupation was brutal. Filipinos endured forced labor, atrocities, and mass executions. Towns were burned. Resistance was crushed.
But they fought back—with American allies at their side. The Bataan Death March, the Battle of Leyte Gulf, and the liberation of Manila are etched into the bones of both nations’ histories.
In October 1944, General Douglas MacArthur fulfilled his vow to return. What followed was a series of fierce battles across the islands that ultimately led to the liberation of the Philippines in 1945.
The Americans buried in this cemetery died in that effort—not just for a flag, but for a people.
And yet, this cemetery—this powerful symbol of freedom earned at great cost—remains absent from travel guides, school curriculums, and the public imagination.
Lily’s First Encounter with the Fallen
Our journey through the Philippines for my book Philippines: Love and Peace brought us to the gates of this little-known site. Lily, my wife, had never been there before.
Neither had her sister Lyete. Raised on stories from their grandmother about hiding from Japanese patrols, they had heard of liberation—but never saw where the liberators now lay.
They stood silent before the graves. “They never made it home,” Lily whispered. “But they saved ours.”
For her and Lyete, the moment was more than history—it was revelation. A past they had only imagined now stood before them in marble and grass.
James Omar: A Local Who Had No Idea
Even James Omar, our driver and a proud Manileño, had never heard of the cemetery. As we walked through the hallowed rows, he read each name aloud, paused at the battle maps, and took photos—not for Instagram, but to show his children.
“ I didn’t know this existed. I wish more Filipinos visited. These men died for us.”
His voice cracked. That’s when it became clear: this cemetery isn’t just under-visited—it’s under-remembered.
A Photojournalist’s View of the Forgotten
As a journalist and photographer who has covered war zones and presidential funerals, I’ve developed a calloused eye. But nothing prepared me for the silence of this place—the kind of silence that screams.
With my lens, I tried to honor what words often can’t.Crosses stretched endlessly. Some bore names. Others, only “Unknown.”The afternoon sun cast long shadows over graves untouched by time.
I clicked the shutter.Paused.Clicked again.
This wasn’t just a photo assignment—it was a sacred responsibility.
The History Tour Americans Are Missing
In the U.S., sites like Arlington and Normandy are deeply respected. But WWII history tours rarely include Manila, and most Americans are unaware of its significance in the Pacific War.
The cemetery, with its battle maps, timeline murals, and detailed plaques, should be part of every educational itinerary.
This is not just Philippine history—it’s American history on foreign soil.
Those planning heritage-based tourism, military history travel, or even educational pilgrimages should prioritize this location. It offers not just remembrance, but context, healing, and understanding.
🧳 Plan Your Visit for Memorial Day 2025
If you’re planning international travel in 2025, make the Manila American Cemetery part of your Memorial Day observance. It's free, peaceful, and deeply moving.
Travelers visiting for Memorial Day 2025 are encouraged to:
Secure military travel insurance or trip interruption protection to ensure peace of mind
Schedule visits early in the day to avoid intense midday heat
Include nearby historic sites like Corregidor Island and Leyte Landing Memorial
This is not just a stop on a vacation. It’s a pilgrimage of conscience.
Why Travel Insurance and Health Coverage Matter
When planning overseas memorial visits or long-stay cultural travel, consider protecting your journey with expat health coverage or international travel insurance.
These services provide vital coverage in case of unexpected illness, cancellations, or emergencies.
Whether you’re an American visiting ancestral graves or a Filipino American returning for the first time, peace of mind should accompany peace of heart.
📖 Preserved in Philippines: Love and Peace
This chapter of our journey is documented in my book, Philippines: Love and Peace—a 4K photographic memoir capturing the soul of the Philippines through culture, family, and the places where history still breathes.
Now available in hardcover, paperback, eBook, and soon as an audiobook, it includes the untold story of how Lily and her sisters rediscovered their roots—and the foreign fields where so many gave their lives so they could.
Preview or order here:https://www.thizz.tv/philippinesloveandpeace
This Memorial Day 2025: Let’s Tell the Story
To the 17,206 souls buried under Philippine skies:We thank you.We see you.We remember.
To their families, who grieved across oceans—know that their graves are not forgotten.To the Filipino people—know that this land, though once a battlefield, became sacred through sacrifice.
Let us teach this to our children.Let us visit these places not once, but again and again.Let us make Memorial Day 2025 not just about barbecues and mattress sales—but about reverence.
Final Thoughts
As I turned back for one final photograph, I realized this wasn’t just another chapter in my book. It was a moment carved in my spirit.
The sun hit the gravestones at the perfect angle.Each cross glowed.Each name whispered: “Don’t forget me.”
And I won’t.
Not this Memorial Day.Not ever.
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