April 9, 2009

Keeping the flame alive

In the Philippines, April 9 is Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor), a holiday meant to commemorate and celebrate the bravery and heroism of Filipino soldiers during WWII, especially in the battles of Bataan and Corregidor. The surrender of the starving and emaciated Filipino and American soldiers in Bataan did not mark the end of their suffering—the Japanese forced them to walk 97 kilometers (80 miles) to their prisons in what is now called the Bataan Death March. This bronze flame is the Ateneo Heroes Memorial, the university's small way of remembering its alumni who fought during the war. It stands in front of the Church of the Gesù and is dedicated to Jose Rizal, Philippine national hero and Ateneo alumnus.

Ateneo Heroes Memorial

19 comments:

Cezar and Léia said...

Great post Hilda!
Beautiful angle in this picture!
Léia

Olivier said...

cette flamme est un bel hommage pour ces hommes qui ont fait l'histoire de ton pays

this flame is a beautiful tribute to those men who made history in your country

Lois said...

That is a beautiful and touching memorial Hilda! You took this picture at such a pretty angle.

James said...

Beautiful photo of a great memorial.
*Salute* to the fallen and to those who overcame.

penny said...

This sculpture is a fitting tribute to all who gave so much. Thank you for sharing, Hilda,

Juergen Kuehn said...

Thank you for the case history along your photo. I like the angle against the clouded blue sky.

Halcyon said...

A very nice tribute!

Anonymous said...

ooh, I like this sculpture very much!

I'm away over the Easter weekend - hope you have a very happy and blessed Easter Hilda.

marley said...

Nic feature. You can really tell it is representing flames.

Lowell said...

Lovely memorial. I'm afraid in our system of education we do not allow enough time to deal with things like the Bataan March in detail...

I taught American history and there was never enough time to cover what I thought was absolutely crucial...

So, it seems whole generations are growing ignorant of the sacrifices and bravery of their ancestors, which is a shame.

Hopefully, monuments like this may help bridge the gap by prodding folks to ask questions.

Your composition is very dramatic and effective, Hilda.

VP said...

Maybe I am older and have a passion for history, but the story of your post is quite familiar to me. Be sure that someone, somewhere knows and appreciates the sacrifices of these brave soldiers.
Thank you for this post, I didn't know of this deserved memorial which you caught so effectively.

Steve Harris said...

This is a great picture. I really like the contrast of the dark sculpture and the sky. Very nice!

crosslinks said...

great shot...seems the monument is 'burning'

Me said...

thanks for sharing a part of your country's history with us!

Unknown said...

Great shot!

lv2scpbk said...

Beautiful skywatch photo.

George said...

I like the perspective of your photo of the bronze flame. I think it's a wonderful memorial to those brave men.

EG CameraGirl said...

I like the angle you chose to take this photo from. It's a great sculpture to remind us of the supreme sacrifice war demands of us.

Anonymous said...

Easter happy holidays.