MOVING ALONG THE NANOWRIMO CHALLENGE

On 20 Nov 201320 Nov 2013 By SCLMRoseIn BAHALA NA (Come What May), Philippine Culture, Positive ThinkingLeave a comment

It’s now Day20. I’m a third away on my journey to finishing the NANOWRIMO (National Novel Writing Month) marathon.

I finished 34,333 words last night, getting close to the 50,000-word count. The novel is taking shape but I have to stay motivated to push forward. Sometimes I sat on my chair staring at my computer screen and did not know what to write next. I typed in words, then deleted them and typed some more until I thought it made sense. I’m writing a story about a strong-willed woman based on my grandmother’s life. My grandmother’s life story gave me all the inspiration I needed to begin writing. She tried to survive without the help of her husband who died unexpectedly leaving her with nine young children to support. Will she find the strength she needs to sustain life without the financial help and support of a loving husband? Buoyed by her love for her children and an undying principle that it is her duty to keep her children together no matter what, will she find a way to keep them together? It is a memoir that reads like fiction.

I am getting to the point of the story where the children were all grown-ups and big kids had bigger problems than young kids. It will be interesting how the story evolves as the years go by. I have roughly just under 16,000 words to fill in the rest of the story. The story begins in 1928 and ends going into WWII. Then it continues to my current book, BAHALA NA (Come What May).

If you missed the free promotion of my book on Oct. 20, 2013, you can still borrow “BAHALA NA (Come What May)” at Kindle Owners’ Lending Library anytime or watch for the upcoming Kindle Countdown Deals.

BATTLE OF LEYTE GULF AND THE KAMIKAZE

On 22 Oct 201320 Oct 2019 By SCLMRoseIn BAHALA NA (Come What May), Philippine History, Philippines, War in the Philipines, WWII1 Comment

After landing in Leyte on Oct. 20, 1944, General Douglas MacArthur’s troops started the drive to retake the Philippine Islands. When Gen. MacArthur returned, the guerillas were in good number. Some Filipinos went underground and joined the guerilla movement. Some joined the American troops.

A few days after the landing, one of the greatest naval battles in history began on October 23, 1944 when 64 Japanese warships engaged 216 American warships in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Fighting took place simultaneously in three areas: off Cape Engaño, off Samar, and in the Surigao Strait (south of Samar). This three-day battle, Oct. 23-25, 1944 marked the last use of battle-line formation, in which giant battleships faced and fired on each other at point-blank range.

The first and coordinated kamikaze suicide units were used by the Japanese forces on Oct. 25, 1944. Out of desperation, the Japanese pilots employed kamikaze tactics – the suicidal method of dive-bombing their enemies at the Battle at Leyte Gulf. Hoping to win the war in their favor, the Japanese planned to blow away the Allied Forces by loading planes with bombs and extra gasoline. The kamikaze planes were flown deliberately to crash into their targets. Inspite of the kamikaze tactics, the Japanese fleet was decimated at the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

Kamikaze means “divine wind”. The word was used for the new Japanese suicide pilots of World War II. It recalled the legend of Ise, the wind god who had saved Japan from an enemy invasion in ancient times. This legend was based on an event that happened on Aug. 14 and 15, 1281 when Japan was saved by a famous typhoon that blew away a Sino-Mongol invasion of 3,500 ships with more than 100,000 warriors under the command of the great Kublai Khan of China to invade Japan.

Oct. 20, 1944 – Gen. Douglas MacArthur returned to the Philippines

On 19 Oct 201320 Oct 2013 By SCLMRoseIn BAHALA NA (Come What May), Free Promotion, Philippine History, Philippines, War in the Philipines, WWIILeave a comment

When General Douglas MacArthur left the Philippines in March 1942, he promised “I shall return”. It was 69 years ago today that he made good his promise by returning with an invasion force. The landing, which took place at four spots along a 30-km stretch of coastline on Leyte, involved 700 vessels and 174,000 U.S. servicemen. On October 20, 1944, MacArthur landed in Leyte, fulfilling his promise to the Filipino people by wading ashore at Leyte, but the evening before the Leyte landing, MacArthur spoke through a radio transmitter announcing. . .

“People of the Philippines, I have returned. By the grace of Almighty God, our forces stand again on Philippine soil… Rally to me! Let the indomitable spirit of Bataan and Corregidor lead… The guidance of divine God points the way. Follow in His name to the Holy Grail of righteous victory!”

Gen. MacArthur, wearing his field marshal’s cap, sunglasses and freshly pressed khakis wanted to land on the beach but ran aground in the shallows while still 100 yards from the beach. The commander of the craft could not bring the landing craft in any closer and so an irritated MacArthur accompanied by President Osmeña and their staffs had to wade ashore. It became one of the most famous images of World War II. Upon seeing the newsreels of his landing, MacArthur was so stirred by the picture that he ordered his staffs to arrange for all subsequent island landings to begin offshore so he could walk through knee-deep water onto the beach.

In honor of Gen. MacArthur’s return, I’m giving a FREE DOWNLOAD of “BAHALA NA (Come What May) at Kindle Lending Library on Oct. 20.