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Dec. 23rd – Two very exciting happenings today, one wonderful, one very unfortunate. Let’s take the wonderful first –
This morning about 10:15 18 4-engined bombers & 40 fighters passed over the camp – How very routine that sounds – But it was the most glorious sight I have ever witnessed -The B-24’s or B-29’s (they are not Flying Fortresses) sailed along at 15-20,000 ft – serenely, placidly, majestically – It was like seeing the Queen Mary, the Normandie, the Queen Elizabeth, the Bremen and the Europa steaming in formation in a calm sea – Around the big planes the P-38 fighters danced & looped like flying fish – The planes seemed made of crystal
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against the light blue of the tropical sky – they did no bombing here, but probably bombed Corregidor & Mariveles (?). This is the first time 4-engined bombers have been over Manila- A good sign – They probably came from Leyte, the fighters from Polillo or Mindoro.
This afternoon about 15 Jap M.P.’s came into camp & tore the place apart – Grinnell, the head of the camp and Duggleleby, one of the camp’s leaders were thrown into jail – No one knows why – But I have my suspicions & they center around getting news outside as to the terrible conditions which prevail here – And they are terrible –