The Battle of Manila: American Glory, Civilian Apocalypse

[@warographics643]

Go to sheathunderwear.com and use the code “Warographics” to get 20% off your order! Thank you Sheath for the sponsorship!

[@frankieseward8667]

Hey Simon can you do Operation Blue Star? Given the news around amritpal singh it'd be interesting to understand it.

[@toddkelso1995]

❤❤❤

[@jjunture]

The ad read didn’t say where you were wearing them. Put them on like a hat. boom. “Wearing them right now”.

[@dwb74gb]

No lie, I love my sheath underwear. it was weird for like a day/

[@LittleJuanKenobi]

I was a guard at the US embassy in Manila a few years back. There's still places where you can see bullet holes dating from this battle. It was always kinda sobering.

[@Theshropshireratter]

I've never been to manilla but I have been to Berlin and you can still see damage to the reichstag from 1945 very sobering indeed

[@paiwanhan]

I was researching the Far Eastern Championship when I came across a Filipino baseball player by the name of Adelano Rivera. Rivera was so good against Team Japan, he was invited to play for the Tokyo Giants in Japan’s professional league. He hit the first ever grand slam in Giants' history. It was a Japanese golden era when foreign people and cultures were welcomed. There was also an ethnic Russian, Victor Starffin, and a Taiwanese player, Go Shosei, on the Giants' roster along with Rivera. When WW2 broke out, Rivera joined the guerrillas to fight against the Japanese. During the Battle of Manila, Rivera sneaked back home, near Manila's Rizal Stadium to spend time with his daughter, since it was her birthday. Japanese soldiers came to their home and requested Rivera to go with them. His family then heard gun shots soon after they've departed. When they came to see what had happened, they found Rivera shot and bayoneted in the stomach on the street. That was the death of a legendary Filipino baseball player and patriot. Till this day, Rivera remains the only Filipino to have ever played in the NPB.

[@mandrake925]

That was very interesting fact I've never heard before.

[@nolongerblocked6210]

My grandfather was part of the island hopping campaign. He was an optometrist by trade so the army made him a medic. He lived through the campaign but once home refused to ever talk about what he'd seen to my mother & her brothers & sister

[@Niiiiith]

“How bad is it doc?” “Hmm well I’m not sure but good news is you have perfect 20/20 vision!… buddy?….”

[@hohooooooooify]

Yeah sometimes it's better not to know my great grandfather German fought in Guam only said one thing about it the Japanese dug tunnels to there tents so they would sit on there cots and just wait for them

[@themulattomaker2602]

Thank you for the second half of that video. The things that Imperial Japan did to their subjugated people get overshadowed by the Holocaust, but they were just as unspeakably evil. I'd love to see you tackle Unit 731 in a Warographics or Biographics... if you've got the stomach to get through it 😣

[@STGXBOX]

They technically have. On his biographics channel he’s gone in depth on a couple of the people involved with 731. On his Into the Shadows channel I think he has a dedicated video to 731.

[@ashman8891]

It's in Simon's other channel Into The Shadows

[@squirrelsinjacket1804]

The US condemned the group but was happy to receive/read the results of their medical crimes.

[@nathanaeld.striker7191]

​@@squirrelsinjacket1804 Similar to some of the Nazi's, right? Japan wasn't the only one doing human experimentation.

[@CadyCadwell]

and you still heard American hates talks across SEA, like, you'd still lives in a japs bondages if US wasn't comes to the rescue... i asked an Indonesia friend of mine, the government history text books doesn't even mention how US sweeping japs across pacific islands enables them to declared independent. apparently they wrote that they single-handedly wins against a heavily militarized japs with bamboo spear, like US totally didn't even use nukes because japs are easy to beat with bamboo spear... how about Indonesian series next? edit: and after all that US doesn't colonize, not even a single SEA islands even if they could... (guam isnt SEA) now CCP wants every single islands on south china sea, and yes that's include an entire Philippines archipelago. now i wish US doesn't come to rescue because Americans lives are too precious for these ungrateful sons of btches.

[@johnthefinn]

The island of Corregidor in Manila Bay has been left largely untouched since the devastation of WWII. If you want an impression of what Manila went through, the ruins of Corregidor are a sobering reminder.

[@jeffreywhittle6161]

Yes. I took a guided tour of Corregidor 3 years ago. The bombed out barracks are left as they were in 1945. Artillery craters everywhere. A sobering sight.

[@faye_lavaro]

I've been to Corregidor over a month ago. One day isn't enough to cover all of its history. It's a pity that many of the gun artilleries are hidden deep within the forest. Must have been a sight to see.

[@Wkumar07]

This is one of those battles that many in the US are unaware of. My friend's Filipino neighbor had family that witnessed the atrocities of the Japanese during the occupation of The Philippines. How many stories have now faded away because of time and the passing of that generation?

[@benworsham1466]

Honestly in US Army’s entire war effort in the Pacific has been forgotten. Most people think only in terms of the Marines when mentioning the Pacific War.

[@robertortiz-wilson1588]

​@@benworsham1466 yep. Sadly. That needs to be fixed.

[@bigpapi6688]

Yeah the Americans fighting the Japanese are almost remembered like it’s a subplot in a movie. Everyone thinks of the Americans Brit’s and soviets beating back the nazis in Europe and then the US dropping the sun on Japan. When, at least in terms of what happened on the battlefield, the Japanese were far more brutal to the civilians than Nazis, and America at the time was almost more focused on beating Japan in the pacific theater than beating Hitler in Europe

[@eodyn7]

@@bigpapi6688 Not true. The US literally had a Germany First policy for the war.

[@ignitionfrn2223]

1:20 - Chapter 1 - Prelude to battle 5:05 - Mid roll ads 6:45 - Chapter 2 - The battle 17:55 - Chapter 3 - The devastation 22:50 - Chapter 4 - Aftermath

[@natelandherr5202]

My hero

[@danielwolf6875]

Yo, Simmon, when you were explaining how horrible the rape of Manila was props for holding it together. Also, the slight lilting of your voice as you choked back the tears, made me cry too brother. It is nice to see that you feel so passionately about mutual things. You are a good man, and I wish many blessings upon you and your family.... Respect 🙏 🫡😔 🐺❤️‍🔥

[@keso_de_bola9174]

As a Filipino, this is a very welcome video on how the Japanese occupation and the fight for Manila went. Sadly, many of my generation or younger than my generation (I'm currently 30 btw) are not aware nor even remotely know how these historical events and take for granted these historical events and how it have impacted their lives. I'm really just aware of these to be honest because I'm one of the few who takes interests in Historical events, particularly world war II. Anyway, fighting in the city never really turned well for civilians. It just always end up in a massacre. And I think since I work nearby the said city, I can say that unlike Warsaw, Berlin, Hiroshima, or any other devastated capitals in World War II, Manila was never really able to fully recover. I don't mean to say there are still marks and wounds of the war, I mean yes, it has that too. But Manila is considered as an empovrished and slum majority area with poor urban planning, poor systems of transport, and high levels of crime rate.

[@theotherohlourdespadua1131]

Or worse, they blame the Americans for Manila's destruction...

[@allewis4008]

I hope it can recover and become once again a jewel of the Pacific

[@ChrisFarrell]

That is among the many great tragedies of WWII. Manila was one of the world’s great cities. It just never really recovered. After the ravages of colonialism and then WWII, and without the kind of American cash that Europe got after the war, it just never really has a chance.

[@paimonisfood4986]

Berlin has never recovered its population prior to World War 1 but yeah World War 2 was a horrible period for Philippine history.

[@ThisNinjaSays_]

So why did the Philippines NOT get the same technology transfers and aid that South Korea got. The US practically rebuilt South Korea, helped them international market access. The US also gave them the go ahead to expropriate former Japanese property and redistribute it. A lot of the semiconductor companies in SK and Taiwan received US licenses, that's the US can tell the Taiwanese ones to move back to the US as things heat up in the Pacific.

[@johnlarson111]

a friend of my fathers was at fort Corregidor and survived the "death march". my father fought in the marshals and solomon island campaigns.

[@RiffeLivingLife]

My Great Uncle was a Marine in the WW2, he took part in the Battle for Iwo Jima. He was Second wave, from what I was told first wave was nearly wiped out, the Japanese had been digging in for years and we learned alot in short amount of time about the scale it would take to continue. He a was a Mortician to so he had to identify bodies for them, he was a great man always kind to me and teaching. He made some Great Prailines too❤🇺🇲

[@countanimeavenger6536]

One of my friends' grandpa was a Philippine paramilitary during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. He heard all of the shooting, thinking it was the Americans liberating the city. To his horror, he saw the aftermath of all this horror. He moved to the U.S.A. due to losing what remained of his extended family.

[@stc3145]

Hope you’ll cover the Warsaw Uprising at one point

[@jasonanderson291]

My grandfather fought at this battle. When I was out visiting my grandfather before he passed away my aunt wanted me to ask him about his time in the service. He never talked about it except his time in Hawaii. What he said to me I still haven't told my family

[@MrGouldilocks]

Videos and topics like this one are where Simon is at his absolute best. He uses an appropriately respectful tone, and doesn't waste time with irrelevant anecdotes or jokes.

[@yayhandles]

True, but I still very much enjoy the podcast-y stuff, too - some of those jokes/quips are absolute gold.

[@takingbacktheplanet]

wow. this might've been the most gruesome video i've ever seen from your team over the years, but i am certainly glad you went along with it... i'd never known much of the details about this campaign, and never thought it was remotely this horrific.

[@joeldelica8706]

Babies being bayoneted. Decapitation of civilians. Babies being bayoneted. Let that sink in.

[@timjaeger6589]

It’s definitely one thing to hear someone say “the Pacific theater was atrocious and brutal” but it’s a whole other thing completely to hear the precise details of what exactly happened. It makes the battle all the more real and not just another footnote in a textbook, if that.

[@ballinlikestalin878]

Such a shame Manila was so thoroughly destroyed by the fighting. Perhaps I could recommend another beautiful city that was absolutely destroyed in WW2, Warsaw. A video about the Warsaw uprising would be very informative, because I believe it was the most destroyed allied city from the war, mainly from the German retaliation.

[@shawnpanks4444]

This is a dark episode that I'm glad you did. My grandfather liberated a consecration camp during WW2 and even though it was very difficult for him to talk about it if someone asked and truly wanted to know he would tell them. He always said that he would do it because he didn't want people to forget the horror we can inflict on each other in a hope that if we don't forget it would not be repeated. The horrors that Japan committed are often overshadowed by stuff like the holocaust. I would recommend another topic which would be a hard and dark episode but needs to be done because so few know anything about it is the "comfort women" the japans army took. They did horrible things to those poor women and hardly anyone knows it even happened.

[@Wiingashkikwe]

My grandfather liberated POW camps as well in SE Asia. He only ever spoke about what happened when he was at the legion.

[@KarldorisLambley]

what do they get up to in a "a consecration camp"? make religious artefacts perhaps?

[@johnmichaelboy6375]

Thank you Simon and your team for making a video about the battle that shaped my home city. My deceased aunt that lived during the battle told me that life during the occupation is unbearable. The occupational government issued money is virtually unusable, rice, which is our staple crop, is almost non existent, and the Kempeitai is ruthless. But the Battle of Manila has reduced their survival from worst to deplorable. They remained hidden underground from the japanese until the entire city was liberated. No water, no electricity, no food remaining. It's just a miracle that they survived. They once lived in the Malate district, same area where Maria Orosa, one of our country's war hero and also the inventor of banana ketchup, was killed.

[@ablanuza76]

This video pretty much sums up what my grandfather used to tell us when we were children. My grandfather was a soldier and part of the remnants of the USAFFE who took to the mountains to fight the Japanese via guerilla warfare after the Philippines was overun and occupied. I am thankful he survived.

[@vitorpereira9515]

Manila and Warsaw were both most devastated cities during the war because most of the fierce uprising and battles took place in the heart of the cities. Both Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan had strict orders from their military leaders, to raze and destroy the cities where the civilian population launched any form of uprising against the occupying enemy force as a form of punishment or if they Axis Units were retreating from the invading Allied Forces units. Generally, the Axis powers never cares if they destroy the civilian infrastructure belonging to the occupying civilians of the city.

[@bluemutt9964]

And to show how cowardly the Japanese were, they were immensely hesitant to invade America because of the armed population. They only invaded where they thought civilians were poorly or entirely unarmed

[@1_Fish.2_Fish.Red_Fish.]

Stalingrad.

[@badluck5647]

The difference is that Americans want to save the Filipinos, while Stalin wanted the Polish to be murdered to prevent them from resisting a Soviet takeover.

[@kremepye3613]

Much like russians now

[@Ihavpickle]

What about when the allies bombed dresden and completely destroyed the city

[@ThisIsMeOnYoutube]

My great uncle Dan was stationed in the Philippines when the Japanese invaded. After his unit surrendered some of his buddies escaped into the jungle. Him and one other guy lived out the rest of the occupation by eating lizards, bugs, rats and anything else they could catch. He lost over 100 pounds and his hair turned white even though he was in his early twenties at the time.

[@jeffreywhittle6161]

I have been to the Philippines four times. Took a tour of Corregidor Island. It's a time capsule from 1945. Massive artillery craters and bombed out barracks. The 12" coastal guns and huge mortars are still in place.

[@johnthefinn]

The aim of the Japanese in Manila was to inflict the maximum price on the Allies. They believed this would discourage the enemy from invading the Home Islands and result in a negotiated peace leaving Japan in control of much of its empire. The Japanese homeland would indeed have been a tough nut to crack by conventional means. The atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki made sense in this light and arguably saved many millions of lives, both allied and Japanese.

[@alwayscurious3357]

Though I do like to assume that Japanese Commander, Sanji Iwabuchi also saw Manila as a chance to redeem himself after having his commanded ship, the battlecruiser Kirishima sunk by USS Washington back in the battle of Guadalcanal. Wonder how things would turn out if he just cooperated with Yamashita and went to the mountains to hold out against the US.

[@joeldelica8706]

Ironic that this tactic was one of the cause in using the two Bombs.

[@robertortiz-wilson1588]

​@@joeldelica8706 so true.

[@yayhandles]

Absolutely no doubt, the bombs definitely y saved not only multiple millions of lives, but very possibly an entire culture from, essentially, collective suicide. Anyone that cries foul on the use of the bombs or tries to paint the US in a negative light for their use, simply does not have a clear grasp of history.

[@killingragethrowback]

And to this day they still cry about being nuked like it's a special evil, despite the fact that they do this.

[@Jayjay-qe6um]

Manila became one of the most devastated capital cities during the entire war, alongside Berlin and Warsaw. To date, it is the last of the many battles fought within Manila's history. On 18 February 1995, the Memorare-Manila 1945 Foundation dedicated a memorial called the Shrine of Freedom to honor the memory of the over 100,000 civilians killed in the battle. It is also known as the Memorare Manila Monument and is located at Plaza de Santa Isabel in Intramuros.

[@anthonymcneill1465]

Thanks for the educational breakdown of a fraction of the horrors of war on the Philippine peoples of the allied and the axis. I enjoyed listening and learning!

[@DSS-jj2cw]

My late father took part of the Battle of Leyte Gulf operating a bulldozer for the Air Force. He saw MacArthur after he landed.

[@robertortiz-wilson1588]

Wow

[@Mestari1Gaming]

That's cool. Thanks to your late father for his good service to his country and the rest of the free world. 🇺🇲

[@FinalFantasyArtist24]

Thank you for covering this battle Simon. As a Filipino American, I only ever learned about things like Pearl Harbor, the Bataan Death March, and Midway during the Pacific Theatre in WW2. My Lola (grandmother) lived in the Visayas archipelago during the Japanese occupation and mentioned that she and her siblings frequently had to hide due to beheadings taking place. I remember seeing a lot of ruined Spanish style buildings in the Philippines when I visited 9 years ago, and it is only now that I realize that those were likely some of the scars left from WW2.

[@francodcalma9256]

Thank you as a filipino american, even growing up in the philippines i was very educated on this subject to. Especially the 2nd part that touched on the human and civilian component

[@olixpatdo8181]

I still recall all the stories my parents told us about the Japanese occupation. It was a horror they said that seemed that there was no god

[@WoRstVoRt3x]

I've heard accounts of the psychological effects on German soldiers who participated in the mass killings of civilians. But I often wondered about the toll it took on Japanese soldiers. It's some something I haven't heard much about.

[@justinsanchez3286]

Xenophobia was deeply ingrained in the Imperial Japanese military so they seemed pretty casual about it. There was even a widely publicised contest between 2 soldiers in Nanking where they competed to see who could kill 100 civilians first using only their swords, they ended up in a tie the first time so they held the contest a second time to get a winner. Again, this was widely publicised in newspapers, not even the nazis were that blatant about killing civilians

[@alucardjc84]

Infants were thrown in the air then stabbed by bayonets. Systematic rape started immediately after occupation. Such monstrosity were done.

[@360Nomad]

I highly doubt any American who participated in or knows the details of the Battle of Manilla thinks it a glorious affair.

[@AizenVonKleiss]

Yeah, It's hellish urban warfare, house to house, street by street, whatever glorious thoughts any soldier had upon entering the battle is snuffed out immediately.

[@brianwilson3458]

Except MacArthur...

[@charleybull33]

Simon’s title is an affront to every US serviceman that died in the Pacific theater.

[@Wkumar07]

​@@charleybull33 how so?

[@armandotalampas4800]

​@@Wkumar07 charlie is just carried by his emotions. Overreaction...

[@gregwasserman2635]

I had an uncle who fought in the Pacific from the start of the war until the end. He couldn't stand MacArthur, who he called "Dugout Doug".

[@tyblorp585]

Very difficult episode to watch. But all the more reason to watch. Thank you!

[@thorpeaaron1110]

Yes you guys are finally covering the Asian Stalingrad!

[@OrdinaryDude]

It's difficult for me to reconcile the knowledge I have of Japan and the atrocities their forces committed in WWII, and the knowledge I have of the Japanese people today. It just seems unfathomable that the kind, accommodating, and polite people of Japan did these things. I guess 80 years makes a big difference.

[@slimdiddyd]

The Japanese are just like everyone else, only more so. They have always been an extreme people, to both their credit and detriment.

[@dsch0]

I always feel a little confused when I see people struggling to square modern 2023 Japan with fascist 1937 Japan because it seems like a moot point - races and ethnic groups don't have a good or bad character, only economic structures do. The Empire of Japan during Showa was a fascist state in which the military and gigantic corporations worked together to carry out imperialism, colonialism, and genocide, so the contempt for human life embodied within this ideology influenced the behavior of Japanese soldiers across their empire. Modern Japan is a mostly demilitarized society which depends on the American bloc for its defense, so people have little appetite for war, and even though most Japanese people fail to fully recognize the depth of the atrocities their ancestors' empire committed, virtually no one wants to bring the empire _back._ There is nothing special about Japan that made the empire the way it was - it could happen to any capitalist society.

[@DoctorDork]

This could have been an into the shadows episode. Those poor people.

[@AI-hx3fx]

Thank you for tackling this with a video (and Simon: that was correct pronunciation of place names). This remains a very traumatic episode of the War and many students don’t know what this really was all about. The Japanese Occupation was so brutal that survivors called it “the three years without God”.

[@AI-hx3fx]

PS. I am lucky to be alive at all considering many people never had the chance to bear forth any descendants. I am also proud my grandfather was a veteran, both as a guerrilla fighter and regular member of the United States Army. Remembering this and all we know - the lost cultural treasures, many mass graves, the haunting silence that followed and since immortalised in what is now a Christmas carol - makes me cry for my Nation that suffered this hell.

[@hohooooooooify]

​@@AI-hx3fx as a American I have no idea what that is like. I appreciate the fact you still feel for the fallen of that war in your country man war is hell God willing something like that will never see the light of day again for anyone

[@armandotalampas4800]

One notable survivor of the Manila Massacre is film legend Corazon Noble, mother of the late actor Jay Ilagan. She was bayoneted nine times and shot by the Imperial Japanese Army. But her ten-month child wasn't lucky. He was bayoneted thrice and died in her arms Corazon Noble later testified against war criminal General Tomoyuki Yamashita in the Allied tribunal. The Tiger of Malaya was sentenced to death and hanged in Los Baños, Laguna

[@samking7213]

My Grandfather was one of many Australian Airmen attached to American Bomber crews in the Pacific late 44 through beyond VJ day. He flew missions over Manila, leyte etc. At wars end he flew POWs from Okinawa to Manila. In December 1945 when the 307th Bomb Group was sent back to the United States he was returned to the RAAF and then finally sent home to Australia late in 1946. I'm very Proud of his service during the war. He passed away in 1997 at the age of 77. I was only 11 years old and gee I wish I had more time with him.

[@vonries]

Another great team effort. Thanks people.

[@surf7lakemich1]

Excellent presentation!

[@jjunture]

The US/Philippine War Memorial is a sobering place. To see the pillars covered with endless names is just so hard to comprehend.

[@Theshropshireratter]

Would like to see a warographics on the Philippines resistance.

[@dylanvienet7923]

That and the Yugoslav partisans too. Would make for interesting videos as they both don't get the credit they deserve in liberating their countries

[@Theshropshireratter]

@@dylanvienet7923 totally agree the balkans theatre of would war 2 is kind of ignored from Italys failed invasion of Greece causing the german army to divert forces from the invasion of the soviet Union delaying the attack with out this Moscow might have fallen.

[@armandotalampas4800]

@@dylanvienet7923 Simon Whistler and his team should also do a video of the genocide and atrocities carried out by the Ustase in Yugoslavia

[@Beryllahawk]

I'd seen some folks doing a kind of re-enactment of the final phase of this battle; a table top war-gaming thing, I think Command Decision might've been the name, but the point being - this enormous table was set up, showing Intramuros and the parts of the city nearest to it, at a specific scale. All the information of what things looked like on the day they were starting from - it was very detailed...and there were so MANY fires, even just in the area around the citadel, that the guys setting up ran out of their normal tokens for fires. At the time I knew absolutely NOTHING about this battle, I didn't know what I was seeing, not really. I started out giggling a little as they ransacked their snacks to use their "Flaming Hot Cheetos" as additional fire tokens... but by the time they were done, even knowing nothing...it was appalling. I never learned more about the battle on that particular occasion, I was involved in other events at that gaming convention. But I never forgot. And now. No, I don't think I will go digging for more details on this. Ever. What a nightmare. :(

[@GKFF9872]

My family in the Philippines has so many stories and mementos from the war. My grandpa was in the death March and almost died just when they were being liberated. He helped to save a fellow interned American soldier from being bayoneted by a Japanese soldier, only for the soldier to stab him. Him and the American soldier fought him down and killed him with his own gun. My family still has that gun. A grand uncle in a southern city was a mayor just as the Japanese attacked. He and his family escaped the initial bombings and attack by swimming across the river that had turned red with blood. Him, his wife and 6 children lived in the jungle for years. Only him and one child survived. The rest perished. He even said he had to contemplate having to cannibalize his wife and children because food was hard to come by. We still have coins and other trinkets from when the Japanese occupied. An incredibly horrific time in a land that has endured brutal oppression for hundreds of years. It makes me sad and terrified how easily we are falling back now into those dark times.

[@timmy2shoez]

I'm gonna go ahead and say Simon and his channels are my main watching on KZbin. There are a couple others I watch but all his channels are quality content

[@Kunbeeb]

My grandparents lived in Manila during the entire war. During the battles in Manila, they used to hide underground in some sort of basement or actual tunnels and only going out to get some food occasionally. Also all my grandparents and great grandparents used to say that it wasn't the Japanese they were afraid of. They were afraid of the Koreans as they do all the torturing and "sporting" of the locals. They say most of the Japanese back then were alright and some are even kind to them. At least this was in the areas in and around Manila. Another fun fact, they actually had lots of Japanese professionals working around Manila before the war as mechanics, doctors, or such and then when the Japanese arrived these originally working Japanese professionals were actually Japanese military (or probably intelligence) officers all along. I remember they personally knew at least 1 Captain and another being a Major equivalent if I remember correctly. Sadly all my grandparents are gone now and I can no longer ask about their stories of WW2. The youngest among them passed away a few years ago at nearly 100 years old

[@oxvendivil442]

Stories from my elders are also the same, some of the Japs were really bad and some really nice, Nazi personnel were also nice but the worst of the lot are the Korean and Taiwanese soldiers of the Imperial army, especially the Koreans! not to say the Japanese officers were great people since they did allow and ordered those atrocities but the civilian experience when there were no battles being fought was that the Koreans were really demonic in their ways.

[@mikku54432]

A lot of the old universities based in metro manila mention it. Ateneo used to be situated there before ww2 but then because of the destruction of ww2 they moved to a neighbor city elsewhere that was less destroyed, Philippine Women's University has a mural somewhere inside that shows the campus building burning presumably because of the war, University of Santo Tomas moved a few of its structures, all off the top of my head and there's this thing called the university belt where there are a lot of universities situated all along a part of so there are even more universities neighboring those ones i mentioned.

[@honorless1719]

Glad the Army told my GPa, Marine Sgt. Herbert Schultz, despite being a 2nd gen German/American and having 2 MLB contracts from Cleveland and Boston he was to "German" looking for them. He dropped Arty with the 10th Marine Regiment from Tarawa, Saipan, Eniwetok, Theya Jima, Okinawa & spent 2 months in Nagasaki. Became a LA Fireman after the War he passed when I was only 10 but I remember watching MASH with him and getting up early to eat breakfast & workout. He never said much but he never had to, he'd pass me the comics and my oatmeal with cinnamon & we'd just enjoy the time b4 anyone else got up. Best Gen

[@jimvanderpoel4467]

They are still repairing Fort Santiago but Corregidor island ant fort drum are my favorite places to visit when I go to the Philippines in fact I got married in Manila city hall one of the few buildings that were still standing at the end of the battle.

[@michaelsinger4638]

Manila has never fully recovered even now.

[@henryvegter8773]

I’m not so sure about that since I visited last time in 2019. IMO they continue to prosper relative to, and/or alongside their neighboring countries.

[@EarthForces]

In terms of recovering the loss of historical treasures and culture? Definitely. Economically, money flows fast but it is like Jakarta now, a dying city in terms of infrastructure potential.

[@shinsenshogun900]

@@henryvegter8773 a colonial monument or two have been lost in the indiscreet artillery bombardments on the fortified city center, a town hall aside a colonial Spanish walled city of universities and administrative structures serving as IJ remnant garrisons and headquarters (even when the IJA command had spirited themselves away into the northern mountains)

[@highfalutinman]

This was the greatest tragedy in Philippine history, bar none. Eviscerating the cultural, architectural and artistic heart of the nascent country set up an ever-growing disregard for these pursuits that continues today. I know of no one in my age group who cares about history, they walk the streets of Manila without a care; people pollute its environs not knowing that every inch of it was paid for in blood just 80 odd years ago. When Manila was destroyed Filipinos lost a part of themselves that's still missing today. All that beauty and renown, replaced by slums and callousness.

[@archilife2555]

This is a very wise comment. You know the true history. I am one of the younger generation who would like to restore the cultural, architecture and history of that glorious era of Manila again. The architecture was truly the best in Asia. Thinking of starting a meetup for architects and designers, and slowly take back the streets and restore the city to its place as the Pearl of the Orient!

[@Stevenimich]

It is because of this war, the atittude of "Bahala na" persists. It isn't until recent that Filipinos are beginning to be much more appreciative of the historic buildings that are left in the city. But there is still much progress to be made as I have bumped into many Filipinos today who still say, "Oh, they should just knock all those old buildings down cause that was from the Spanish times and during the American administration..." A prime example, when the historic Manila Post Office burned last year, people were already quick to say, just replace it even if the shell of it is intact - Just rebuild an entire new one! There are still many citizens out there with that "Bahala na" attitude and that thinking needs to change! Still old buildings are being torn down.

[@oldgrunt5806]

It is amazing to me, given the historical evidence on video, for the generation that does not read books covering the subject ( assuming they have access to them, which most in the west have ) that more people don't realize that freedom is cheaper to maintain than to regain.

[@freddiemercury2075]

You can literally see the pain in Simon as he struggles to narrate the horror of the battle.

[@AJohnSmith]

Literally.

[@Jimtheneals]

They EARNED the Medal of Honor, an award for valor is NOT a prize you "win". That is extremely disrespectful to all troops.

[@yoursemexpert]

This has been incredibly heartwrenching, being born, raised and living in Manila.

[@jaysonpower9673]

My wife is a filipina. Shes Still living in manila.(sadly). I just sent her this video. You'd be surprised how much she doesn't know about her own city. Makes me quite sad sometimes. Beautiful city too. So much history.

[@kieronparr3403]

How much did she cost?

[@vinz4066]

​@@kieronparr3403 Stop projecting.

[@archilife2555]

Manila went from the Pearl of the Orient to the urban nightmare it became today cause no money was put back into rebuilding it. The big slums are situated into the bombed out areas of yesteryear. One of the great tragedies of history, and I hope future architects, designers and planners can at least attempt to restore that former architectural and cultural beauty.

[@Brslld]

The money went to the politicians

[@skyden24195]

This is horrific to write, and I do not write it lightly or with any intention of inciting any more controversy than already exists, but to my soul observation the Allies had one of two choices: liberate and save as many lives as possible by what means were absolutely, although tragically necessary, or do nothing that would prevent more casualties but still allow *all* of the innocent to continue to suffer and likely die horrific deaths at the hands of an already known to be vile, sadistic, malevolent faction of war criminals.

[@Stevenimich]

I can trace my mothers side of her family to Intramuros. I heard so many things about the Walled City the good prior to the war and then the bad (through stories from my aunts and uncles. My mom was only 8 years old at the time and my aunt was a teenager when the battle began and they use to tell me the stories of how they barely made it out alive).

[@pvt.potato1943]

Interestingly, Intramuros today is one of the best preserved parts of the city today. It is really beautiful and gives an idea of what 300+ years of Western and Eastern infrastructure development looks like.

[@Schneids1216]

Sheath underwear is actually GREAT! Thank you for sponsoring cuz I love this channel and I would have never heard of it without watching this video! Definitely a game changer! Also I pray the Philippines 🇵🇭 and USA 🇺🇸 continue these close relations as we together have spilled blood for sake of democracy and rules based international order and our historical roots are deep similar to the USA and United Kingdom as the American story comes full circle as an empire when it took control of the Philippines. This being so, it’s very obvious to see how USA influenced the Philippines especially in government where documents are written in ENGLISH and this is a game changer in Asia and I hope the Philippines is the next nation to rise in next 10-20 years just as South Korea, Japan, and even Taiwan had done since end of WW2. Americans, If you’re looking to invest in a foreign market, choose the Philippines, an English speaking developing country where the digital age is making a positive impact and strategically is beneficial for American influence in Asia! Avenge the lost souls of battle of Manila by making a positive future.

[@brianmorgan7703]

The American-Japanese war in the Pacific is one of the ugliest conflicts in human history.

[@Shadow298460]

Real men despise war but never run from it.-General Washington.

[@amitkenan3878]

“It's not glorious, it's not beautiful, it's not even heroic. It's merely doing what's right, and doing it again and again, even if someday, you look like this”(Physically and mentally scarred).

[@Vladinery4424]

The santo tomas camp is a university that founded by the dominican and when the war ended the soldiers find thousands of people that were killed. After the battle ended in manila the smell of the deceased was very strong that the smell of a sewage is like a normal smell because thousands of people that been killed by the japanese were so many even animals they were killed

[@Rock33b]

What happened to the allied soldiers was horrible but more importantly what happened to the civilians is unforgivable and unforgettable it is something that shouldn’t be forgotten or repeated like many of the atrocities in WWII this should never happen to anyone again

[@josephgriffin2388]

After all Japan did in Asia, it puts the A bombings in perspective.

[@yayhandles]

The bombs literally saved multiple millions of people from death. Go look up Operation Downfall, which was the alternative choice.

[@muhajir8469]

I can't believe I've never heard about this one. Now you've gotta do Okinawa and iwo jima

[@paulandreigillesania5359]

Either the Battle of Leyte Gulf or Marawi will be best suited now since this video, finally, another highlighting the Philippines' history by a big, great channel.

[@Wiingashkikwe]

My husband’s grandfather was a guerrilla fighter and the mayor of his town. Sadly my husband’s great grandfather was tortured to death by the Japanese because they wanted to know where his son was.

[@Andrew-cn7zy]

I was researching the Battle of Manila and im surprised that no one heard of the war crimes the japanese committed… it looked like the nanjing of se asia…

[@theotherohlourdespadua1131]

Too busy blaming the Americans for it...

[@joeldelica8706]

Because the narrative nowadays are the destruction of hiroshima and nagasaki. Virtue signalers and woke freaks doesn’t like touching japanese war crimes. You will see those people whenever a post about the two nuked cities pop out on social media. They will shed tears on those two cities in a heartbeat.

[@EarthForces]

​@@theotherohlourdespadua1131 the American leadership at that time were too commanding their artillery and bombers that also contributed to MASSIVE civilian casualties on their "liberation". Both the Japanese and American forces cared little of the civilians but of course, the Japanese have the bigger chunk of the blame.

[@yayhandles]

​​@@EarthForces Imagine posting this in the comments section of a video where Simon specifically mentions American bombing runs being pulled back due to not being able to differentiate targets. Also imagine posting this in a video where it's made abundantly clear, multiple times over, that the Japanese were intentionally using civilians as shields, and regardless of that were given commands to kill everyone that wasn't being used as shields anyways.

[@jeremy28135]

This guy is such a good narrator

[@oxvendivil442]

Man Manila was such a beautiful city, a slice of Europe in the orient, its Spanish Baroque architecture combined with American Classical architecture sure was a sight to behold, sadly Japanese stubbornness and American propensity to bomb their enemies to smithereens regardless of the damage totally levelled the city, but the worst part is yet to come, unlike Dresden, Berlin, Stalingrad and other wrecked European cities, Manila under the locals did not rebuild it better or at least to its former glory but instead turned it to an unattractive ghetto, built cheaply and without planning in mind, a sad tale for our most important city, now if we want to bask in great architecture and culture, all we can do is to go to Europe or to the old US cities instead of enjoying beauty in our own shores.

[@grapeshot]

Some people have called this the Stalingrad of the Pacific.

[@AsmodeusT]

This one was dark but necessary. Among other things it highlights the horrible decisions military commanders have to take. Knowing what the enemy has in store for your troops. You can either choose to send them into a slaughter knowing most will be sent to their loved ones in a box or systematically flattern the entire city, block by block. And in doing so cause countless innocent civilian deaths in the process. I don't envy the man who has to make that call. There is no right choice. And no matter what choice he makes, he will have those deaths hanging over him for the rest of his life.

[@zacharyhansen9103]

Can you do the Battle of Berlin? I’d like to know if the rumors of beds being put on the backs of tanks was true or not.

[@joncaulkett5198]

I had heard there was a tank battle & was hoping for more info on that

[@dsgdsg9764]

It is very important to make clear the amount of war crimes perpetrated hi the imperial Japanese military you could speak for 3 Days Non-Stop and not say everything that needs to be said about their evil

[@proanimali]

This was awful. I am learning about Filipino history bit by bit, and I've been to Intramuros. Your video brought tears to my eyes. War is always hell, and it transforms people from civil minded humans to animals, be it the Germans, the Italians, the Spanish, Chileans or, in this case, the Japanese (or any other country you might like to mention, for that matter). That is why it is so important to listen to what history tells us and really LEARN from these brutal accounts. Thank you for the video, Simon.

[@dylanvienet7923]

Anyone know why the El Salvador video got taken down, plus a few of the other ones such as the Haiti analysis? I didnt get the opportunity to see it

[@TaylorSwipe]

I do wish that manila wasn't bombed in WW2 coz I believe that it's a national tragedy because before world war two , we're in the hands of Americans and they know that Philippines have a potential to become a country like them in Europe and that because we're colonized by Spanish for more that 300 years we've learned lots of European culture and values also the architecture back then was beautiful and it's a mirror of old spain ,the culture ,the people, architecture and everything is a mix of cultures from asia and Europe ,but just after ww2 many people are left homeless and the people's values and culture began to fall . As a Filipino living in the Philippines I believe that living here is different that what it is back then , people in the Philippines are following the culture from other countries like Indonesia or Thailand it's like we've become a part of southeast Asia, and the culture the people and the Philippines back then which have Streets similar to paris,architecture from spain ,and the neoclassical architecture in rizal park that we got from america is a reflection of hundreds of years of culture that shape the Philippines until it's last days of glory . Philippines is not what it is back then When people think about Philippines,they think of tight streets ,slums dirty people and beaches But back then counties in asia that doesn't have independence yet are so jealous for our street cars and paved roads

[@cageybee7221]

i've never understood why people don't just surround cities, entrench, and ware down the enemy until they run out of ammo and equippment. blasting entire cities apart just seems like an act of terror, done by inhuman armies with no care for anyone.

[@vinz4066]

Waste of Time and Ressources. The civilians are also in the City.

[@Halofreak117]

Awesome video as always but what happened to your video on nagorno karabakh? I can't find it

[@armandotalampas4800]

I assume it's pressure from the Turkish and Azeri governments? Azerbaijan is now so filthy rich in petrodollars!

[@njabulombuyazi5132]

People who dont know how truly evil Japan was during WW2 are the one who say the Atomic bombs were not necessary. Manila and the rape of Nanjing are just two examples. The Japanese army was simply beyond evil. When you read up on the things they did...its hard to believe. The Bombs were a must!

[@jeremyyates1026]

The bombs had minimal effect they were gonna surrender at some point. The American fleet was ready for complete naval bombardment heavy bombing raids had happened. Russia had invaded into China Japan had lost already they were only holding out on principle with no ships to defend it the a bombs were just the final straw that showed surrender or be destroyed. Common American idea that only the bombs brought the end it was a combined event

[@njabulombuyazi5132]

Agreed it was a combined event but the problem with "surrender at some point" is that it could have been a few weeks, months, etc. If the bombs hadnt been dropped, the war would have dragged on and more lives lost. I genuinly believe the bombs were a necessity.

[@jeremyyates1026]

@Njabulo Mbuyazi they were but most people assume it was only the bombs that forced surrender I wanted to correct that opinion

[@tomhenry897]

Wrong

[@armandotalampas4800]

We agree 100%! According to military experts, the bombs saved the lives of 300,000 Allied soldiers. It also saved the lives of millions of Japanese civilians. In Japan, they are talking of the suicide of the entire nation. They will never surrender an inch of Japanese soil. The civilians are brainwashed by the militaristic government to fight and die for the Emperor and the fatherland. The nukes prevented a much higher death toll

[@rezarfar]

And this was one of the many reasons that Japan got 2 bombs. Not just 1, but 2.

[@trex2621]

The only excuse for 2 bombs was, that there were no more.

[@Ensign_Nemo]

@@trex2621 The USA had a third bomb ready to go by August 19, 1945, and was geared up to produce a new A-bomb "Every ten days", starting in September, 1945. I wrote two articles on this topic at my sub stack, search there for EnsignNemo.

[@Prinniev]

Thank you for covering our capital, Simon and team.

[@tyler4418]

It's amazing how Germany has rightfully been made to live with the shame of what they did in the 30's and 40's. But Japan? Having done things that would make the Nazi's be like "Yo, chill bro..." Well that seems to just get swept under the proverbial rug, especially by the Japanese. Crazy isn't it?

[@KiLDELTA]

In war... it is the civilians that suffer the most...

[@adammitchell3462]

My great uncle participated in this I think, idk much about his service record,only that he served in the Philippines

[@colejosephalexanderkashay683]

Why all the video takedowns???

[@nicholasmaivelett9112]

Hey Simon, some of your videos like second iranian revolution, pax russian are gone, what happened to them???

[@nickshane5985]

In highschool we were told it was an embarrassing moment. It also wasn't on the world war 2 history test

[@Ubique2927]

And people still ask why the Nukes were used?

[@The_Daily_Tomato]

One crime does not excuse another. We are better than that.

[@joeldelica8706]

@@The_Daily_Tomato Do me a favor. Try preaching your BS in Asia. In our face. Not on the internet. Not in the comfort of your home. 🙃

[@tomhenry897]

Do you know what a blood bath it would have been if we invaded

[@The_Daily_Tomato]

@Tom Henry It still does not make it right. I know we had little choice but it was still a crime against humanity.

[@joeldelica8706]

@@The_Daily_Tomato And what the Empire did to Korea, China and South East Asia is not "crime against humanity" to you? As any Samurai would say- "you have no shame". Your mindset is very outstanding.

[@shaneburst5661]

My grandfather Edward Burst was in the 511th airborne and he was crucial to the Los Bianos rescue in the Philippines!!!...

[@cyclone159]

Well that was a brutal watch.

[@midcenturykat9829]

What happened to your Haiti video from a few days ago?

[@EpicCrust]

The Japanese got to benefit from the bounce back from WW2, they never gave much back what they owed to the Philippines and how much damage the barbarism did. I’ll never properly respect Japan until it puts its wrong to right.