Manila American Cemetery and Memorial

We visited the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial at Fort Bonifacio (formerly fort McKinley) in Taguig early today, Sunday. And we were surprised that a place as serene as this does exist right in the heart of the busy and crowded Metro.

We walked our way to the Memorial after parking at the spacious Visitor's parking area.

There are 25 Maps of this kind in the Memorial, each one meticulously designed and tiled with tinted concretes with colored fine aggregates. Artworks indeed!
They are so amazing!

And then we walked thru two hemicycles, each lined with 24 pairs of walls where the names of the Missing are etched.

Yes, these are Filipinos soldiers included in the list.

Carved on the floor of these hemicycles are the seals of each of the States of the Union, in alphabetical order, including that of Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.

This is the small devotional chapel.

The walls are decorated with mosaic.

This sculpture in the facade of the tower consists of a series of superimposed groups, representing, from bottom to top, the young American warrior
symbolized by St. George, fighting his enemy, the dragon, in the jungle.
Above them are the ideals for which he fought, Liberty, Justice and Country. Columbia, with the child symbolizing the future, stands at the zenith.

The headstones, made out of marble from Italy and Romblon are arranged
in concentric circular rows.

Don't forget to drop by the visitors lounge where you can get souvenirs
and more literature.

It was a pleasure to meet Mr. Caloud from the American Battle Monuments
Commission who was very gracious and accomodating.