Wanted to touch base real quick. I haven’t gotten to read this yet, but I am very interested in all you have researched here and I will. I’m in the Christmas crunch right now with family and the kids. I will read this and give you my impressions on it, but I may have to wait until after the holidays. I still haven’t begun the year in review article which I have to have ready by the New Years Eve at midnight so that is the current priority anytime I’m at the computer aside from the quick posting of the days notes.
Since we all do this as a free time activity, back and forth exchanges are not necessarily going to be rapid.
I’m in the Christmas crunch right now with family and the kids.
Understood. I've been able to take advantage of everyone overeating to slip off while the house is full of people napping and get to the OSU library... but not for the blocks of time I would have preferred.
I will read this and give you my impressions on it, but I may have to wait until after the holidays.
Great! I really hope others will do it as well. I would have begun with Macarthur's notes but so many people's minds are made up regarding him that I decided to begin with someone less controversial.
Brerenton's diary provided a good timeline from his assignment to the Philippines in Oct 1941 through Dec 8, 1941. For those whose understanding of events significantly differs from that described by Gen. Brerenton, I would invite them to address the specifics and I will then research and report back on what peer commanders accounts were. If that is inconclusive we will then look to subordinate accounts.
Because most official records in the Philippines were destroyed, survivor accounts have to be relied on to a greater extent than is probably the preference of professional historians. Understanding that survivor diaries and recollections can later... ahem, "be clarified", we really to step back and examine the body of survivor accounts for consistency on the essential criticisms of Philippine commanders having been caught napping, etc.