This is my week to superzise the preparation of food. So as Carl and George were returning to Manila, leaving with the first rays of light, I was up at five o’clock (still black night) to see that they got bacon, eggs, toast and coffee. They left in the gray dawn and arrived safely, as Oscar had conversation with George in the Manila office around nine-thirty. They will be back the day after tomorrow which is Christmas Eve, and I do so hope that they bring Dave with them. Dave is worrying about us but once he comes up and sees and feels the quiet, peace, beauty and solitude of this place he will not worry longer. And I think that if he can get away from the strain of his office (he is in MacArthur’s office) he can let down and relax and have a good night’s rest. It will do him worlds of good, and I have sent him that word. It will all be complete if Dave comes with them; the invitation has been extended; he knows that he is welcome and wanted; and I know that he will come if he can possibly get away — but this is WAR time, and he a high ranking official in it.
Ada has gone to spend the day with friends at San Pablo, a town sixteen kilometers north of here. I was so glad that she made that decision, for it is bound to be hard on her with all of us here, and she is so used to her quiet way of living — she is such a peach, and so is Oscar.
Eleanor, who is a teacher in the American school has all the children busy this morning. She is preparing a Christmas program and a movie, so they have asked us to stay away while they make everything ready. She came over (to Ada’s house) a few minutes ago and said that they were all working like little Trojans. I don’t know just what it is all about. They are to make the movie themselves, so I can imagine there are many things to draw. And Esten’s special job is to draw a Santa Claus. Eleanor is a wonder when it comes to managing children. She is such a sweet, tenderhearted, understanding person. And does she know her child psychology!
And now the war is on in a big way. Yesterday the Japs flew over and wantonly bombed President Quezon’s home town without any excuse whatever, except to be insulting, for there was not a military objective in miles and miles. President Quezon has been a peach. He was in Baguio the morning it was bombed. He has called for full support of America and we are getting it from the whole nation. The same day of the bombing, a school bus taking girls home from schools, colleges and universities in Manila, was attacked by Japanese soldiers in the Vigan area, the driver, conductor and men passengers were machine gunned and the girls assaulted. The morale of these people (the Ilocanos) is very high. So fathers and brothers are furious and have sworn to avenge their honor and are ready to tackle any Jap that comes their way and are waiting for an opportunity to have a crack at the invaders. We wondered this morning why the eight o’clock news did not come through; at noon we learned another air raid was in process at eight, the bombing of Nichols Field area again. We were also told that a huge convoy of eighty Jap vessels was sighted off the Lingayen Gulf. Tonight’s news says that they were able to land from 30,000 – 50,000 ~ but from our headquarters saying, “Our troops more than held their own; our troops behaved well”. Now we await tomorrow’s news.