ALONG THE HIGHWAY

Inaugurating a WW2 hero’s memorial
GEORGE TRILLO

CLARK FREEPORT, Pam­panga – Grateful Filipinos would probably outdo today Americans in honoring the United States’ first hero during World War II.

Officials of Mabalacat, Pampanga led by Mayor Marino Morales and his tourism officer Guy Hilbero were among those who led here Dec. 10 the inauguration of the first ever statue of Capt. Collin Kelly Jr. in a new memorial commemorating his heroic death in Barangay Bical in their town on Dec. 10, 1941.

Morales and Hilbero authored the establishment of the 5,000-square meter memorial for Kelly whom the US military regards as the US’ first hero of the last world war. The Mabalacat government spent some P500,000 for the memorial.

“Colin Purdie Kelly Jr. (July 11, 1915 – Dec. 10, 1941). Born in Madison, Florida, he was a World War II B-17 Flying Fortress pilot who flew bombing runs against the Japanese navy in the first days after the Pearl Harbor attack. He is remembered as a war hero for sacrificing his own life to save his crew when his plane became the first American B-17 to be shot down in combat. Colin Kelly has been called the first American hero of World War II. For his extraordinary heroism and selfless bravery, Kelly was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross,” the website wikipedia.org said.

Hilbero said the bronze fiberglass statue of Kelly here is “probably the only statue of the American hero in the world.” It was sculpted by Nicky Reyes according to a sketch prepared by local historian Dan Dizon.

“I initially thought of coming out with a statue and a memorial for him to honor his heroic legacy. And I thought it should be located at Clark near the now abandoned Kelly theater and cafeteria which here named after him by the Americans before they left their military base here at Clark,” he said.

A marker on the base of the statue noted that Kelly “made his last take off from Clark at 7 a.m. Dec. 10, 1941, piloting a four engine Boeing B 175 (Flying Fortress heavy bomber). He and his crew flew to Aparri and attacked a Japanese light cruiser named Ashigara.”

“On returning, his plane was pursued by Japanese aircraft which set his bomber on fire and one waist gunner was killed. Kelly then ordered the remainder of the crew to bail out and all were saved. He tried to save his bomber by making a belly landing in Bical, Mabalacat, but he was killed when his aircraft crashed instead,” the marker noted.

Soon after his death during World War II, the US liberty ship SS Colin P. Kelly Jr. was named in his honor.

Hilbero said that henceforth, Filipinos and Americans will be honoring Kelly’s heroism Dec. 10 of every year at his memorial here. “The municipality of Maba­lacat plans to use the income it gets from its share from the payments of investors at Clark for the rehabilitation of the Kelly theater for cultural and art activities,” he said.
***
Board Member Pearl Angeli Erquiza-Pacada (1st district, Tarlac, Province) was elected national president of the Provincial Board Members League of the Philippines during the league’s annual convention held on Nov. 26-28, 2007 at a hotel in Malate, Manila. Only 36 years old, Pacada has the rare distinction of being the first woman elected as national president of PBMLP.

She is the immediate past secretary general of the PBMLP and incumbent vice president of National Movement of Young Legislators. She is also the president of the Tarlac council of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines. Padaca finished her business administration course at the University of the Philippines.

She also earned a master’s degree in public administration in the same school. She likewise completed a development management course at the Asian Institute of Management and a leadership course at the John F. Kennedy School of Government in Harvard University. Other elected officials are Tito Gastardo, executive vice president; Jonah Pimentel, vice president of Luzon; Vic Maamgong, vice president for Visayas; Bai Nariman Ambolodto, vice president for Mindanao; Jaimer Jasper Lim, secretary general; Mariant Villegas, treasurer; Angel Baniqued, auditor, Erineo Sabulao, national press relations officer; and Ariel Arceo, national liaison officer.