It is now 1 p.m. What a Christmas! With a multitude of patients, Sternberg Hospital was in a turmoil this morning; trucks and trucks of supplies are being sent to Bataan where the Army will make their stand.
This is a plan our Army had thought about for years in case the Philippines should ever be invaded. Little did I think Japan would fight Americas Since I am a civilian employee hired by the army, there is some doubt whether I can go to Bataan, for the Commanding Officer says that no provisions have been made for such employees. How I wish I could go!
Just 9:00 p.m. We had 4 o’clock Christmas dinner with the Cookinghams. The Schelkes and the Hubeles were there too. I told them that the army was going to Bataan and that the authorities were negotiating for Manila to be an open city but rumor has it that the Japanese will not recognize it as such. All of us believe it is only a matter of days before the Nips will be here. I’m afraid that I wasn’t the life of the party Lavita Hubele as very gay, why couldn’t I be? Or should I? The dinner was delicious but the spirit of Christmas was a long way off. I went back to the hospital for a few hours and found the last of the Army nurses leaving; only we civilian nurses remain. Some of the patients have been sent to Australia; the others have gone to Bataan and to the Philippine
General Hospital. Since Myrna Brockway and I decided not to stay in the nurses quarters we are here in her apartment. I’m glad to spend the night with the Brockways for I’m depressed. Myrna’s husband, Brock, is with the Associated Oil Company, a competitor of Cal-Tex, for which Bill worked before he joined the forces. Brock is grand and Myra is a honey.