Bataan, MIS, HQ
Col. Torralba said the general stated that my resignation is not accepted and that I’d better attend to his papers more diligently.
Raids morning and afternoon. One incendiary bomb dropped a few feet away from the doctor’s tent. Nobody injured.
Sergeant Buenaventura and Sergeant Sulao quarreled with each other. I thought they were good friends. I guess friendship ends where a can of Carnation begins.
The doctor wants to shoot Major Javallera. He claims the major spoke ill about him before Lts. Palo and Maceda.
The boys are rather gloomy. Tired of waiting for the convoy. I still have hopes but everybody’s nerves are jumpy.
Will go on patrol duty in front tomorrow. Will find out if there are Japs in Balanga. Conflicting reports.
Went to evacuee camp near Hospital II with Major Javallera. The major wanted to introduce me to two nice girls. Only one was there and she was very shapely. Made me feel like whistling. Surely a sight for sore eyes. She was wearing khaki shorts, woo, woo.
We sat in their nipa shack on the floor. She showed me some of her pictures. She is from Pampanga. Pampangueñas have nice skin.
We played an old record in an old phonograph. I think the name of the piece was “On the telephone” or “All alone”.
She had a nice accent when speaking Tagalog. I told her how to teaxh me to say “I think you are beautiful” in Pampango.
I also asked her to translate: “Will you please hold hands with a tired soldier.”
She asked me to button the back of her shirt. The Major saw me and he said jokingly “Mabilis ka naman”. I was embarrassed but she was more embarrassed. I tried to explain that she asked me to button the back of her shirt because she could not reach it. But the major insisted on joking. Then he said: “Never mind, enjoy yourself. Anyway tomorrow you are going to No Man’s Land.”
When she heard this she became nicer to me but I lost all my interest because I was worried about tomorrow’s assignment.
Fred and Leonie will visit her tomorrow.
Will talk to men that will go to front with me. I am happy that Sgt. Sinculan will go too because he is a sharp shooter.
Javallera told me not to worry because my mission is reconnaissance, not combat. I told him “Who’s worried anyway?”
Told Leonie and Fred that the Pampangueña is very beautiful, like Dorothy Lamour. They can’t wait for tomorrow. I said her shorts were very short. Fred started to yell. Leonie said: “Shut up, this is not the U.P. campus.” Fred got sore. “I’m the ranking officer around here.” We all kept quiet. He was angry.
Forgot to ask the Pampangueña her name.