Posted on 11/12/2017 4:45:49 AM PST by DFG
When Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte sits down for his first face-to-face bilateral meeting with President Trump on Monday in Manila, he will come to the table with an unusual request.
Duterte wants the United States to return war trophies seized more than 100 years ago: three historic church bells that were taken from the Philippine village of Balangiga after a bloody clash during the Philippine-American War.
In 1899, fighting broke out between U.S. troops and Filipino nationalists after Spain ceded control of the Philippines to the U.S. following Spain's defeat in the Spanish-American War. The nationalists seized control of the main island in the Philippines and declared a republic, vowing not to succumb to American imperial rule. More than 200,000 Filipino civilians and 4,800 American troops died in the ensuing conflict, which formally ended in 1902 as the U.S. suppressed the uprising.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
Give them their bells back.
They earned it.
I tend to agree with you. Its a simple gesture of good will.
After what the Japanese did to both Americans and Filipinos during WWII I think we can bury the hatchet, so to speak. We have far bigger problems in that part of the world to worry about.
L
..point taken, but I was alluding to the short memory of the countries which thousands of our people died to protect or liberate —thank you for your service, six...
Great - something else that Mueller, the dems and the media can sink their teeth into and investigate.
“Trump is hiding those bells. We have it on good authority. We demand their return immediately.”
“”Give him the bells but keep the clappers””
Johnny Carson/Jack Webb and the Clapper Caper:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRfuTTd09vo
Sorry - I stepped on your post - I didn’t read far enough to see someone already had the same thought!!!
Easy request to honor to buy goodwill.
Interesting....thanks. I was tied up thinking of the “clappers” and got sidetracked.
I don’t think that Spain in 1898 threatened any vital national interest of the United States.
The Japanese referred to his group as the US 10th army and promoted him to Brig General. Who was he to turn down a deserved promotion?
Not bad for a civil engineer.
All of that must have stuck in MacArthurs craw something terrible. After all It was HE who was supposed to be the savior of the Philippines.
The story of Major Fertig is the story of what can happen when one good man refuses to surrender.
“We have far bigger problems in that part of the world to worry about.”
So true.
Plus it might make up for the years we supported Marcos.
The expense is negligible and would be like buying a genuine Rolex for $10.
Hopefully good will would flow.
I agree. No need for the snarky remarks made by others here. Its not a big deal for us. Apparently its meaningful, perhaps as a national treasure, to the Filipinos. Who knows?
Tell this tinpot that he’s free to pursue the matter with the estate of Blackjack.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balangiga_bells
(sorry, can't do the link correctly)
“thank you for your service, six...”
It was an honor to serve my country.
give back the bells—why not? we don’t need them. BUT they should let us dock our ships in Suvic Bay!
Absolutely. Zero skin off our back. That helps with relations all that.
Recently covered the Philippine Insurrection (or the Philippine-American War) on his podcast.
Gimme back my Church Bells
Put ‘em back where they belong
Ain’t foolin’ around ‘cause I done had my fun
Ain’t gonna see no more damage done
Gimme back my Church Bells
Crapgame: Make a deal.
Big Joe: A deal? What kind of a deal?
Crapgame: A deal deal. Who knows? Maybe the guy is a Republican ...
Survivors of that March said that many Filipinos watching them risked their lives by throwing food to the prisoners when the guards were distracted. The ones who were smoking would reach up for their cigarette and pause, making the “V” sign, then remove the cigarette.
I worked with a Filipino girl in Wal-Mart some years ago and she said they were taught that Americans were heroes.
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