This story was written second of January this year. It was written for a daily paper which did not carry it.
Tears rolled down the cheeks of Venancio Jimenez, 80, as he looked at the photos during World War II at the City Museum here. 
“I remember the hardships we all underwent,” the octogenarian said, recalling the time when, just as the war was nearing its end, a bullet hit his helmet, leaving the him, who was practically a boy at that time, shocked for days.  He also got afflicted with malaria during the war
Some of his “mess kit” during the war – a spoon and a plate — was on display at roving the exhibit, a part of the World War II photographs, memorabilla and artifacts and little known stories behind them
The exhibit titled “The War of Our Fathers…A Tribute to the Filipino Freedom Fighters” was sponsored by the Philippine Veterans Bank, the first stop of which was Dagupan City in time for the 61^st anniversary of the Lingayen Gulf Landing. The exhibit goes around different historical places in the country.
 

“The exhibit is focused on the Filipino guerillas who played a critical role in the Allied Forces’ victory during the war.
“Most History books show that it was  the Americans who did the fighting for the Filipinos. The important roles of the guerillas were left out. The exhibit shows the critical role of the guerillas during the war,” said Miguel Angelo Villa-Real, assistant vice president of the Veterans’ Bank corporate communications and marketing services department.
Indeed, many photos showed the Filipino guerillas fighting side by side with American soldiers. Some photo showed the guerillas guiding the American soldiers to where members of the Japanese Army were hiding.
A photo showed a 13-year boy carrying a gun, ready to fight for his country’s freedom.  Another veteran viewing the photos, Teofilo Apalla, said he was that age while the war raged. He fought in the war although he was not formally drafted.
Unfortunately, veteran Macario Bautista who survived the Death March could not view the photos as he could not go up the stairs to the Edades Hall which is located at the second floor of the museum. He would have seen a “diorama” of the Death March at the exhibit which would have triggered a lot of memories.
Using a “walker” and hard of hearing, he recalled that he was 20 when he trained for the war, so “I must be over 20 years old during the war.” Though physically weak, his mind is still sharp and recalled that the Filipinos surrendered on April 19, 1942 that he belonged to the M Company 21^st Infantry 3^rd Battalion under Romulo Custodio.
Some little known pieces of history were displayed such as the leaflets dropped by American planes before strafing an area like the shores of the Lingayen Gulf. One leaflet read, “Filipinos! American planes are bombarding and strafing this area, Remember we don’t want to hurt you but bombs can’t tell friends from foe. Stay away from military targets.”
There were also guerilla “newspapers” which encouraged the flagging spirits of the Filipino fighters.
There are samples of the Guerilla or Emergency Notes or money circulated among the guerillas. During the war it was the Japanese money, called Mickey Mouse money, which was the “legal tender.”
Prof. Ricardo Jose of the University of the Philippines said that the Guerilla Notes were clandestinely printed on whatever paper was available and under unfavorable conditions. Each note had series number and all provincial governments printing the notes had to get a permit from the Quezon Government based in Washington.
“There were fakes, too,” Jose said.
The Guerilla Notes were considered illegal by the Japanese Military and anyone caught with the notes faced humiliation and execution.
After the war, the notes were redeemed by the Philippine National Bank.
The photos, the Guerilla Notes, the Japanese helmets, the Filipino hats made of coconut leaves, the pamphlets, the leaflets – these seek to remind the public of the compelling and dramatic stories of the Filipino World War II heroes so that today’s generation may have better grasp of the nation’s history.