A day of hope

Angela Guiao
MSMU Class of 2021

(6/2019) Since I am not much of a history buff, when I read "D-Day" in the prompt, not much came to mind. In fact, I had mistakenly believed that it was referring to the bombing of Hiroshima. But after some intense research, a look in my grandpa’s old diaries, and a quiet evening of watching The Longest Day, I realized the vital significance that D-Day represents.

As a recap, D-Day is on June 6, 1944. It is the day the Allied forces (Canada, Britain, and America in this particular case) invaded the beaches of Normandy in what can be considered the beginning of the end of World War II.

Hitler, afraid that the attack was just a diversion to distract from another attack assumed to take place along the Seine, refused to send more troops to the beaches. As a result, leaving the German troops vulnerable and easier to overcome. The winning combination of land troops and sea and air support allowed for extra help when it came to securing bridges. They also allowed for the destruction of certain bridges that would cause the Germans to take longer ways around the land.

Despite high casualties, the Allies reached the Seine and began to invade Germany where the Soviets were planned to enter from the opposite side. The Allies were victorious, and it is hard to ignore the fact that their success is largely due to the events on D-Day.

Now, I would like to focus on a different perspective of D-Day. My grandfather, who was living in the Philippines at the time of the invasion, was an avid writer and often updated his diary. When he died, my mother inherited his journals and kept them in a box in our attic. We were meant to ask someone about what they remember about D-Day, but since I do not know anyone who would have been alive during that time, I hoped that my grandpa had at least written about it. And he did.

In 1944, my grandpa would have been approximately sixteen years old. From stories I have heard from my mother, he was a quiet boy who came from a hardworking family. He was not living in our area of Laguna yet, which is the part of the Philippines where we have built our home, but rather living in his hometown in Batangas.

Amazingly, on D-Day, he does write an entry about a speech Manuel Quezon gave. He listened to it on the radio. I searched up the actual speech and found out it was about the continuous support and prayers the Philippines was sending to the Allied troops on the beaches in France. The invasion was a representation of hope and future liberation from totalitarianism. At the time, the Philippines was controlled by the Japanese, and was looking forward to the arrival of the Americans who had promised to liberate them.

Quezon’s speech does not hide the adoration he has for United States’ troops, going so far as to refer to General Douglas MacArthur as "our beloved." My grandpa expresses hope for the Philippines, as he had a large family of brothers and sisters whom he had to protect. The Japanese were everywhere, and he was constantly worrying about his sisters who liked to go out alone. He talks about how he had heard many stories of girls being raped by the Japanese, and how he hopes to move away from Batangas soon.

I find his entries compelling since I have never been given the chance to talk with him about it. My mother informed me that at that time the Philippines was filled with what she called "guerillas," though they were considered more to be extremists during her time. She said that the guerillas were scary, angry people who helped fight in the war.

She told me that my grandfather had moved to Laguna, which was not very developed at the time, in hopes to separate himself from the Japanese, who often occupied more populated areas of the Philippines.

Each day afterwards, my grandpa would write. He wrote about his friend’s reactions to the news, and the sense of waiting. He said there was a long sense of waiting. His exact words were "Araw araw naghintay kami. Naghihintay lang kami para sa panahon na pwuede na kami huminga. Padating na yung mga Americano. Padating na yung kalayaan." This translates to, "Every day we wait. We wait for the time where we can finally breathe. The Americans are coming. Freedom is coming."

After reading his entries, I found myself more enticed with the events on D-Day. And the movie, The Longest Day really allowed me to completely understand what went on. The title itself was something I felt my grandfather could relate to. It made me realize what a milestone D-Day was, not only for the Allies, but for the world. As Quezon said in his speech, "In this global war, every blow struck for freedom anywhere in the world is a blow struck for our own freedom."

The idea of a world overcome by war is something I can only imagine. It amazes me that it was once a reality for my grandparents. From what I’ve learned, read and understood, D-Day will always be the day that the world hoped. It will always be the day that screamed to the world, "It’s almost over!" When the Allies crossed the beaches of Normandy, the world celebrated with joy. It meant it was possible. It meant that there was an end. The terror would pass. It will all pass. There is hope.

Now, when I see the word D-Day, I will know exactly what was happening. It is the day that my grandpa was able to rest his mind and lessen his worry. It is the day that the Allies won. It is the day that the world will forever remember as a day of hope, of freedom, of change. To all the men and women who played a part on that faithful day, thank you.

Read other articles by Angela Tongohan