Discovery of Sunken US spyship highlights

Monday, April 26, 2004

Discovery of sunken US spy ship highlights Pinoy heroism in WW II (10:30 a.m.)


SUBIC BAY -- A 90-year-old wooden schooner has been dug from its watery grave near this former US naval base, bringing to light the heroism of its Filipino and American crew in World War II. “It brings a lot of memories about my father,” says Jaime Velarmino, 65, as he inspects the barnacle-encrusted wheel of the 76-foot (23-meter) Lanikai, which was sunk by a storm in 1947 shortly after the war.


Velarmino’s father, Hilario Velarmino, was among the 12 Filipinos in the 18-man crew of the vessel, which US and Filipino naval historians say played a crucial role in the allied effort against Japan. Built in 1914, the Lanikai once fished Alaskan salmon in Seattle and was chartered out as a yacht from Hawaii, briefly sailing in Hollywood when it was used for the pre-war movie "Hurricane" before it was commissioned into the US Navy at the start of the war in 1941.


According to Filipino historians, US President Franklin Roosevelt ordered it to be fitted with guns and sent it on secret missions. The Lanikai gathered intelligence for the US Navy and had patrolled the shores of Indonesia and Australia to monitor the southward push of the Japanese Imperial Army. But the auxiliary schooner skippered by Lieutenant Kemp Tolley during the war, may have had an even bigger mission. "There were some accounts that Roosevelt may have used it to bait the Japanese to start World War II," says Felicito Payumo, who heads the port authority that runs Subic, which was the Americans' premier naval base in Asia until 1992. Payumo says the Americans have not confirmed such accounts and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor drew the US into the war, before the Lanikai was able to play a pivotal role.


In his book "Cruise of the Lanikai: Incitement to War," Tolley says it was clear to him that his mission was to create an incident that would incite war with Japan but events overtook his mission. The crew survived the war but the Filipinos' contributions, along with those of the ship, were all but forgotten before an Australian diver found the wreck and sought permission from the Philippine government to salvage it. The schooner's remains, which now sit at a restaurant by the wharf here, have also come to symbolize the Filipino crew's quest for recognition, pensions and other benefits. "Very little has been previously known about Lanikai," until recently, concedes Payumo.


Velarmino said his mother recounted his father would often slip out of their home to board the Lanikai, but had kept its mission a secret even after he retired after the war. "He only told us he was a fisherman," he said, but said the family would often wonder why the family received payments from the US Navy entitling them to war rations and provisions. The family learned about Lanikai's importance when its American skipper, Tolley, resumed correspondence with his father in the 1970s. Velarmino said, his father named one of his brothers after Tolley -- the US captain who rose to become an admiral at the time of his retirement. Both the elder Velarmino and Tooley are now dead.


In his book, Tolley paid tribute to the Filipino crew's unflagging dedication to the war and recalled many "funny and heroic things" about Lanikai. Payumo said the Lanikai artifacts would become the centerpiece of a planned naval museum in Subic, now a freeport and major tourist destination in the region. The US Navy had also been in touch and was working on a documentary about Lanikai, officials in Subic said. "The boat itself is not very big, but this is a significant historical find, considering the mission given to Lanikai and that majority of its crew were Filipinos," Payumo said. It also underscores the importance of Subic in US naval history, and by extension the former US colony the Philippines, which remains a staunch American military ally in the region, Payumo said.


The Filipino sailor's granddaughter, Noraida Jen Velarmino, a journalist, said Lanikai was "an amazing discovery." "Suddenly, we found ourselves retracing our rich family history," she said. "There are a lot of questions that are now just beginning to be answered." She recalled that her grandfather, whom Tolley fondly called Cookie, used to tell her war stories, including how they would outsmart Japanese forces by pretending to be fishermen while American crew members hid under heavy fishing nets. "What we are asking now is at least for the US government to give recognition to these 12 brave Filipinos," her father Jaime Velarmino said. "These people were heroes," he said. "At least now, we can let the world know about their mission."


Master Divers, a private consortium based in Subic, headed by Australian Brian Homan discovered Lanikai's remains lying at a depth of 130 feet (40 meters) in Subic's Nabasan bay. Homan has an extensive track record in recovering underwater treasures. The National Museum authorized its refloating in an operation that used robotic machinery and underwater video cameras last year. AFP

A Month Of Sorrow

Batch 80,

Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers.

Pareng Butch and Monico- Thanks for coming over to my mom's wake.

Abdon- Thanks for your call.

Sherman and Vic- Thank you for calling although I never got a chance to return your call, naging busy kasi, I hope you understand.

Jen, Francis, Rowena and all batchmates,

maraming salamat sa inyong pakikiramay. Joel
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A few weeks was the only difference from several emails that we have recieved from our batchmates. These emails conveyed information regarding the demise of several loves ones that were dear to our batch and family to some members. Like a family, we felt your sadness and to Fidel, Joel, and to the family of Mrs Salome Interino we convey our deepest sympathies.

Alex

In your hour of grief, may you all be blessed with courage and strength and know that they were with our redeemer. Eternal light shine upon them and their souls rest in peace amen.

Rowena

November 15, 2008

Viewing for Joel's Mom, is going to be at Greer Family Mortuary located at
2694 Blanding Ave, Alameda, CA 94501, on the 15th and 16th of November.

Our thoughts and prayers to Joel Malinis and family, his mother passed away the other night. We pray for your strength and we share the sorrow of your loss.

Pareng Joel, even though "Mamang" has left us physically, her love, joy, and good memories will remain with us, until we're ready to once again join her in the Kingdom of God. Butch

May the soul of your mother rest in peace with our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept our deepest sympathy from batch 80, Olongapo Group

November 4, 2008

Dear batchmates,

I am sad to inform you of the demise of our dear math teacher, MRS SALOME INTERINO at 230am today. Her remains lies at their residence... Blk 14 Gordon Heights... no interment has been announced yet at the moment.. Pls include her in your prayers!! Beth Belleza-Nazareno

Please extend to her family our sympathies. I can still remember her face clearly. She really touched our lives. Tell her family that we are so grateful to her. Vic

October 25, 2008

To all batch mates,

I am sad to announce that Fidel Medina's father died wednesday. It was just texted to me by Beng Cortez.

To Fidel, accept our deepest sympathy. Francis rivero

Dear Fidel & family,

Please accept my sincerest condolences on the passing away of your father, Tatay Romy. As a journalist, I've always held Tatay Romy in high esteem as he was unselfish in sharing his experiences, the veteran that he was. He was the epitome of an unsinkable servant of what is right and what is true in our profession. Most weekends, at the popular watering hole for journalists in Subic called "Magellan's Landing," Tatay Romy would regale us with his stories of the old Olongapo and of the legendary journey that he shared with those who were fighting against the local political dictatorship. He would buy us rounds of drinks and if you knew him upclose you were familiar with his famous hikhikhik giggle in concert with the jolly countenance of a man who enjoyed a prolific lifetime and had done good things for Olongapo's freedom. He will surely be missed but his mark in Olongapo history shall never be forgotten.

Fidel, Raquel, & kids- May God hold your hand in your hour of grief. Jen Velarmino & children

Nothing is permanent in this world. The fact remains that we will leave this world, it is only a matter of time. So while we are here, do the best we can to make the world a beter place. Tell our love ones and each other how important they were to us for touching our lives and how we love them.

Conceptual Healing

Magandang araw mga kapatid.... kamusta na kayong lahat.... Ang lahat man ay abala, hopefully you find time to read my sharing today, for this one has really blessed me and I want to share this to all of you.... first part pa lang ito..

We have just finished having our annual Tagalog retreat we call Tagalog Mission. Fr. Arlo Yap SVD is a truly amazing Retreat Master. Truly overwhelming, hope you will all be blessed too.... ang di ko na lang ma-share is the relections and jokes (which really filled the church with so much laughter) he prepared during the whole 2 hours no dull moment ... this may be long but worth reading.... God bless to all!

email from my colleague tess....

He (Fr Arlo Yap) says “maraming namamatay sa maling akala” - a lot of people die because of wrong thoughts or thinking and it’s all in the mind!

The way we think is the way we feel
The way we feel is the way we BECOME.

Happy old age for you and for your parents means enjoying the fruits of your labor.

Four Considerations to have a Happy Old Age

1. Take good care of your Health
You have a lot of money to buy food of any kind but you are not allowed to eat what you want because you have diabetes or other diseases, you have a very huge farm/ hacienda but you can’t enjoy it because you have rheumatism or you’re blind etc. You really work hard to earn and get all you wanted in life but at the end you can’t enjoy it, how can you say you have a happy old age?

2. Take care of your family
A. Take care of your children
It’s the way how parents teach their children by example. The legacy parents can give to their children is not really a good education it’s only secondary but knowing that before you leave this earth you are so sure that your children are helping and loving each other and you cant see any selfishness in them, enough for you to have a peace of mind in your old age.

B. Take care of your Spouse
Sooner or later even you have a dozen children, you and only your spouse will end up living together, your children will soon have their own family to care of. Learn to nurture more the sweetness and love you have when you’re only in your courtship or GF/BF stage. It’s really good to know that you have somebody TO GROW OLD WITH, to add to this try to listen to a song Grow Old with you with these lyrics:

I want to make you smile whenever you're sad

Carry you around when your arthritis is bad

All I want to do is grow old with you

I'll get your medicine when your tummy aches

Build you a fire if the furnace breaks

Oh it could be so nice, growing old with you

I'll miss you

Kiss you

Give you my coat when you are cold

Need you

Feed you

Even let ya hold the remote control

So let me do the dishes in our kitchen sink

Put you to bed if you've had too much to drink

I could be the man who grows old with you

I wanna grow old with you

3. Take care of your Properties
For parents, divide/arrange the properties you have for your children before your children ask you to do it for you, as if they wanted you guys to die, hehehehe =) and learn to save for you and your spouse for your old age so whenever you need something to buy for a medicine, hospitalization etc, you don’t have to ask your children.

For sons/daughters, what ever you received is your privilege not your want. Never ask your parent’s decision especially when it comes to inheritance, they know what’s best and who need most of that.

4. Serve the Lord in all the way you can
Remember whatever you have : material things, talents, family, friends, job, colleague, struggles in life, lessons are all from God and God alone!

Well, that’s all for Talk 1

Rowena Salvador

Mayonaise Jar and 2 cups of Coffee

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 Hours in a day is not enough,
remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.

When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full.

They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full.

They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

He asked once more if the jar was full.

The students responded with an unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided,"I want you to recognize that this jar represents our life.

The golf balls are the important things - God,family, children, health, friends, and favorite passions -- things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, house, and car.

The sand is everything else -- the small stuff.

"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

So... Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play With your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. "Take care of the golf balls first -- the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled.

"I'm glad you asked". It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

(this was shared by "thelma Galvez-Curiano" a while back. it is a simple reminder of how life should be treated. there were other versions of this but i like this one the most.)