Corregidor Island

On Monday, the Micronesian group joined the US group for a tour of Corregidor Island.  (For military/WWII buffs, this was an island that housed US military...including families....along with some Filipino military. It was destroyed by the Japanese just a few weeks after Pearl Harbor was bombed. Three years later, the US military was able to capture it back and eventually return it to the Filipino government. Today it is just a tourist site as the buildings stand as they were left after the 1941 bombings.  Quite fascinating...look it up!)

We were not overly happy of a 5am departure to the port after a week of no sleep, but in the end it was completely worth it. We had a one and a half hour ferry ride to get to the island.  

Once we arrived, everyone had been assigned trolleys for the tour. The trolleys took you around stopping at various buildings and sites for pictures.  

This building housed the single American soldiers.

This building was the mile long barracks (but in reality only 3/4 mile long). It had stores, barber,  indoor pool, etc.

This building was the theater. Soon after bombing started, it was used as a hospital.

Officers housing included more pools, golf course, dance halls, etc.  This has truly been a paradise military facility. Of course, you can't have a military grounds without guns...

oops

Here is the lighthouse. (My Micronesia girls are waving from the top.) The foundation was built in the late 1800s.  This is the are where we had our buffet lunch.

Several memorials are present.  Here is the US memorial.  The museum nearby had lots of pictures of the days the island was vibrant.

The island was full of tunnels.  Various legs of the tunnels held ammo or hospitals, etc.  The US used these to regain control from the Japanese by pouring gasoline in the vents.  

This was an incredible tour that Perry and I both enjoyed. I would love to do it again! There is one hotel that tourists can stay. It would be awesome to stay there and get to spend time exploring the ruins.  It was so much like Tinian on a much, MUCH larger level.

Sometimes, you just break the rules. :)