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American Battleground Monuments Commission

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I recently learned some things from a friend that surprised me. The things my friend told me were actually the exact opposite of what I had been told by others.

I had heard for years that several Cemeteries for American Veterans in the Philippines had been abandoned by the US Government and had no funding other than what could be raised by private individuals. I always found this quite sad.

Recently a friend that lives here in Davao had gone to visit the “Manila American Cemetery”. He told me how nice it was, well kept and such. I mentioned to him that it surprised me to hear that it was so nice because I had heard that these cemeteries had been abandoned by the US Government. My friend told me that I was wrong and that the Manila American Cemetery was actually fully funded, maintained and overseen by a US Government Agency, the American Battleground Monuments Commission.

My friend had some brochures that he picked up there, which he gave to me, and he also referred me to the Commission’s website.

I learned on the website that the Commission operates three facilities in the Philippines. Two cemeteries and one Memorial site.

Cabanatuan American Memorial

Cabanatuan Memorial
Cabanatuan Memorial

The Cabanatuan American Memorial was commissioned in 1982. Unfortunately, the Memorial is currently closed for renovations. I do not know for sure, but I suspect that renovations are being made because President Trump has a visit to the Philippines scheduled. Due to his coming visit here, I know that other American facilities are being renovated as well.

According to the website:

The Cabanatuan American Memorial was erected by the survivors of the Bataan Death March and the prisoner of war camp at Cabanatuan in the Philippines during World War II. It is located at the site of the camp and honors those Americans and Filipinos who died during their internment. ABMC, recognizing the significance of this memorial, accepted responsibility for its operation and maintenance in 1989.

Clark Veterans Cemetery

The Clark Veterans Cemetery has roots going back all the way to 1900 at the end of the Spanish American War. Currently, more than 8,000 American Veterans are interned at this Cemetery. The cemetery is open to the public daily from 9 AM until 5 PM, except on December 25 and January 1.

According to the website:

In January 2013, President Barack Obama signed into law the Dignified Burial and Other Veterans’ Benefits Improvement Act (Public Law 112-260) directing ABMC to operate and maintain Clark Veterans Cemetery following an agreement between the Republic of the Philippines and the United States.  That agreement was signed in December of 2013 making Clark ABMC’s 25th Cemetery.

While sources differ as to the earliest burial, interments date at least to the Philippine-American War (1899-1902). During that conflict and after, the U.S. operated a series of military installations in the Philippines with post cemeteries. The construction of Manila American Cemetery in 1948 led to disinterment and consolidation of the non-World War II dead from four post cemeteries onto Clark Air Force Base. The eruption of Mount Pinatubo in June 1991 led the U.S. Air Force to evacuate and Clark AFB was formally transferred to the Philippines in November 1991. The cemetery continued to be open for burials after the transfer, but it had been damaged in the eruption and fell into disrepair.  Between 1994 and 2013, the Philippine Government allowed members of the VFW Post 2485 to operate and maintain the cemetery.

Manila American Cemetery

The Manila American Cemetery has been in operation since 1960. More than 17,000 American vets are interned at this facility, and it also stands as a memorial for more than 36,000 American vets who are classified as Missing in Action. This facility is open for public visitation daily between 9 AM and 5 PM, except for December 25 and January 1. During the hours that the Cemetery is open for visitation, there are staff members at each building in the facility. These people can answer questions or assist in finding the graves.

According to the website:

The Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines occupies 152 acres on a prominent plateau, visible at a distance from the east, south and west. It contains the largest number of graves of our military dead of World War II, a total of 17,191, most of whom lost their lives in operations in New Guinea and the Philippines. The headstones are aligned in 11 plots forming a generally circular pattern, set among masses of a wide variety of tropical trees and shrubbery.

The chapel, a white masonry building enriched with sculpture and mosaic, stands near the center of the cemetery. In front of it on a wide terrace are two large hemicycles. Twenty-five mosaic maps recall the achievements of the American armed forces in the Pacific, China, India and Burma. On rectangular Trani limestone piers within the hemicycles, are inscribed the Tablets of the Missing containing 36,286 names. Rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified. Carved in the floors are the seals of the American states and its territories. From the memorial and other points within the cemetery there are impressive views over the lowlands to Laguna de Bay and towards the distant mountains.

This is the facility that my friend visited, and he told me it is beautiful and well worth visiting.

I was very happy to learn that these facilities are being taken care of by the US Government. Our veterans deserve that, and it would be shameful to let such facilities go without proper maintenance.

Reader Interactions

Comments

      • Great article, Bob. One of the things that impressed me most on my visit to the American Cemetery, Manila, is the level of staff support. It’s not just a bib burying ground where you can walk and search the headstones. The staff inquire when you come to visit if you have one or more veteran’s to visit. They then look up the vets via several detailed records, give you an info sheet on the vet’s death, burial and service, and then conduct you to the grave site and wait discreetly for as long as you wish to remain. I’ve been to many veterans cemeteries in the USA, in fact both my parents are wwII vets and are buried in the Beaufort National Cemetery in South Carolina and the staff there is very courteous and helpful, but the level of support is nothing in comparison to the staff at the Manila Cemetery.

        One thing for those who are interested in history but may not have any relatives to search for is the extensive mosaic maps for WWII campaigns in the cemetery buildings. These are real works of art and will show how WWII unfolded as no dull history book ever could.

        • Hi Dave,

          Thank you. I am glad you enjoyed the article.

          Your evaluation of the support staff at the American Cemetery Manila mirrors what I have heard from others. I am glad that they provide such good service. Our vets and their families deserve nothing less!

  3. Thanks, Bob. Ging and I visited the Military Cemetery in Manila on Veteran’s Day in 2007, and it was very well kept and, I believe, did a good job in honoring the Americans and Filipinos who gave their life in WW2.

  4. I have been to the American Cemetery twice- once in the early 70’s when I was stationed here and then this year. I have relatives there on the wall. Both Tynan and Vale. Tynan is my family name and Vale is from a my Mothers side of the family. Both were sailors, just as I was many years later.

  5. When Clark AB was vacated in 1991 the cemetery was no longer maintained by USAF. Post 2485 (the VFW post in Angeles City), started funding maintenance and ensured the cemetery was kept up. Many of us VFW members provided the funds to pay for the maintenance crew. Several years ago the American Battle Monuments Commission got involved and is now funding maintenance.

  6. Mr. Martin, I visited the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines when I was assigned in Mindanao in 2004. My great uncle’s name is on the wall, a private first class with the US Army. He survived the Death March but unfortunately died while a POW at Camp Camp O’Donnell in Capas, Tarlac. A good place to visit to remind us of the freedom that we enjoy.

    Jose

  7. Bob;
    Your friend was 1,000% right about the Manila American Cemetery”. Years back I took my wife and daughters there when my Ship was anchored in Manila Bay, we had three places to that day on our tour but missed them as my family wanted to stay and see it all. It was beautiful and moving. We left to have lunch and returned in an hour.
    There is a small veterans Cemetery on the old Clark AFB in Pampanga. It was covered after the volcano and not forgotten, The VFW Association in Angeles City, have cleaned and maintained it for all these years. The even got the Obama Administration to designate it as a US Nation Cemetery. Our fallen heroes in the Philippines are being looked after but we can do more.
    Thank you for this article pointing these places of Honor out to your readers

    • Thank you Paul, for your comment and for your service! I am happy to hear your first hand report, and now I know that I really have to get up there myself, at least to the Manila facility, and maybe to Clark as well!