So This Is The Good Old United States of America!

In November, of 1944, Mr. Esteban Monteclaro, a barrio Palaca native who immigrated to America before WWII, arrived in our village in the uniform of a US Army Masters Sergeant. He was a foot soldier in the famous 96th Infantry “Deadeye” Division, U.S. Army; part of the invading US Armed Forces that landed in Leyte in October of 1947. The Americans had returned and defeated the Japanese Imperial Forces in the Philippines.

We called him Uncle Steve, as he was a close relative. Uncle Steve looked resplendent in his uniform; not so tall, about 5 feet, three inches, slim, weighing around one hundred ten pounds, full of vim and vigor and the confidence and swagger of a “warrior”, a soldier in the United States Army- the most powerful army in the world. The American soldiers, who came earlier to help the Filipino guerilla groups fight the Japanese, had that “swagger”. He looked young and healthy, in his late thirties and spoke English well-- a very impressive perso

Uncle Steve’s presence in Barangay Palaca drew people around him like magnet.  He said he came because he wanted to visit relatives and friends, and to see the sights, hear the sounds of his native land before he returned to America. We followed him everywhere he went that week.   We spent a lot of time just sitting under the coconut trees or just sitting under nipa huts talking.

During that week, Uncle Steve told us many things about America. He described the grandeur of the land; the vast plains, the majestic mountains, the lakes and rivers, the forests, the tall, centuries old redwood trees, the snow in the Winter, the leaves of trees turning gold in Fall of every year, the magic of Spring.

Then he told us about the skyscrapers: tall buildings that reached the sky, buildings that were huge, made of concrete, modern, attractive, tall and majestic, the silhouette of the cities of future societies.

He talked about the American people. They were big people; most men and women were six feet tall and over, with blue eyes, green, brown, dark, gray, and violet eyes. Their hairs were color blonde, red, brown, gray and black, their noses mostly aquiline. Such beautiful people, the Americans, he exclaimed!!

Uncle Steve said, “America is the melting pot of all nations” as the American people come from all parts of the world: Black people, Asians, Hispanics, American Indians, Caucasians, others.

Finally, Uncle Steve said. “America is a land of opportunity.”  Anyone can become whatever his/her abilities dictated. He said in parting: “when the war is over, two other veterans and I will open a Filipino-American restaurant in San Francisco, California.  Be sure to stop by if anyone of you ever get there someday, ok?  Uncle Steve passed away in the early eighties after a long illness.  May his soul rest in peace.

Among the boys my age who followed Uncle Steve was Enrique Gofolko, a lanky good-looking, soft- spoken guy who joined the Philippine Guerilla forces during the Japanese occupation. Antonio Nabo, portly and talkative but amiable; he became a Customs Inspector after the war. Antonio Famating, dark and husky guy, animated and friendly. He became a Manila Fireman after the war. Guillermo Morada, my younger brother-- a quiet, tall, unassuming man with a mestizo good look-- he joined the US Geodetic Survey.  Eusebio Gayol, a cousin, tall and lanky, studious and quiet. He became a doctor of medicine and practiced in Sharon, Pennsylvania, USA. Except for Dr. Eusebio Gayol, all these guys are gone. May their souls rest in peace.

At that time the youths of the village talked of nothing but America