Was I ever glad to see the servants back on the job cleaning up this dusty house and getting things in order after yesterday’s whirlwind? Ft. McKinley and Nichols Field bombed. First aid class in Country Club Pavilion—half full of people; a melting pot of: wives of mining engineers, Club waiters, missionaries, golf caddies, all the club guests, etc. pitched into business: lectures, demonstration, practiced from 8 to 11. Had to go out under the trees during three alarms. Got the kids books from Brent School. Can’t send any commercial cables home—not even talk long-distance to Manila. Some quite prominent people, who were scared to death yesterday, came crawling back today. Were allowed to get only 200 pesos from the bank. Put it with other cash in a cigarette can and buried and dig it up about three times—each feeling someone watching me—even though dark and I in the garden. The Filipino women out in the machine shop are sewing the comfort kits, thank goodness for that.
Ethel Thomas Herold
(1896 — 1988). Teacher in the Philippines from 1922-27, resident until 1959. Civilian internee during World War II.
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