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March 20, 1942

Forgot to mention yesterday that I was sworn in as a Brigadier General. My appointment came in by radio from the W.D. and I rank from March 14th. The staff gathered round my desk to make a ceremony of it, and I was sworn in by Gen. Seals. A pair of stars had been left here for me by Gen. King and they were pinned on me by Sledge and Col. Cottrell, Exec of Harbor Defense. In the evening a party was given for me by Col. Roxas and Col. Romulo of the Philippine Army. They opened several bottles of champagne and drank a toast. Col. Roxas and Col. Romulo have both been very helpful here—Roxas is acting secretary to President Quezon, and actively administering the affairs of the Govt. Romulo is head of press relations. They have both been worth their weight in gold.

The Japs are trying now to batter down some of the harbor defenses with artillery fire. For the past few days they have been using 240 mm shells on Frank and Drum—obviously trying to demolish them, for they fire hundreds of rounds each day. However, they are not making much headway. The damage they cause can usually be repaired in a short time.