Remnants Of World War

When I come to Bangued, I think of places like Afghanistan, Iraq and all the places we have left a mess for others to clean up. Money that rebuilt other places never got here. I wonder if some of those other places we left will still show the scars decades later like they show here. I wonder how many places around the world still bear the scars of our well meaning violence decades or even centuries after we passed through with our guns and bombs?

On March 10th 1945, the same day as the firebombing of Tokyo that was the most deadly bombing in history, Bangued, Abra in northern Luzon in the Philippines was bombed by the Americans for reasons I have yet to ascertain, changing the landscape of this city forever. Other than a small Japanese force what else was here?

Photos from before the bombing that I have seen, but don't yet have the right to show here, illustrate a beautiful town filled with old Spanish brick buildings, Filipino houses and even elements that might be Chinese. The bombing left only a handful of buildings intact. Most of the sizable small city was leveled with only a half dozen buildings remaining. With the Americans pulling out for the nation's idependence a year later, we focused on building up our former enemies leaving our oldest ally with a mess from the war. 

While some buildings, like the Cathedral of St James were rebuilt, many like the photo above were left in pieces. As you can see in the photo above, the remaining Spanish brick walls have been integrated with newer constructions. This is actually common around town which makes me wonder if there is a law preserving them. According to locals these ruins are from the bombing. Astonishing that one can still see living reminders of the scars of that one fateful day 80 years later. Here, where there was no money to rebuild, life went on.

The money that went to rebuild Tokyo and Manila never came here and driving around Bangued the ghosts of a long ago war can still be seen in these shattered brick walls. We rebuilt our enemies and got them back on theri feet, but left our friends behind.