Lumber trucks taking dynamite to Lingayen, Bautista, and Isabela to blow bridges and coast ways. Many alarms; afraid to take a bath—sure to get caught with soap. Elmer annoys so when he won’t quit shaving to go to the shelter. The lumber trucks are to bring rice back from the lowlands, and take it out to the sawmills. Cold storage store’s truck gets through from Manila with frozen meat and even mail. Food rationed. Most of the stores sold out of food. Market has bananas, strawberries, vegetables. Little transportation to come to buy. Three alarms during first aid class.
More Americans from various mines gone up to 67 and to Sagada for safety —these Mountain strongholds can’t be taken. Will bring B. and B. home when the air shelter gets deeper. 17 Jap pursuit planes going over faster than hell. E.W. gone to the seaport, Pora, to see about the oil tanks—a bad two hours for me (those tanks were machine-gunned Dec. 8—the bombs missed them). E.W. and Hezzlewood down there together—don’t know whether to blow the tanks or not—want to save the oil for our forces and at the same time not save it for the Japs.
59 Jap bombers overhead while E.W. were down there; dropped a few eggs, just one person killed, Wagner shot down 2 Jap planes over Aparri and machine gunned several planes on airport there. Radio says Legaspi invaded—hope repulsed. Nine Jap soldiers loose in Vigan. British freighter bombed at San Fernando, Chinese crew jumped overboard; British captain drank a bottle of Scotch and did likewise. E.W. talked long distance with Duggleby in Manila, 24 ships got in to Manila this week with all kinds of reinforcements. Hope revived.
Rained letting us know our roof had a lot of shrapnel holes in it.
Hadn’t had time to give my hair a good combing since the war began; so under cover of the clouds, went and had it cut off.