Bill Butler was my best friend. Although he was clumsy and had more automobile accidents than anyone else in our high school graduating class, he died in a fixed-winged aircraft over Long Khanh South Vietnam instead of in an automobile. He almost failed his physical because he was polydactyl (he had twelve toes, which was something that was never taken care of.) It turned out that he had other physical deficiencies that should’ve disqualified him from flight school, except he had lived a life of being the exception. In spite of not being very smart, he always received very high grades and scored high on tests. Our paths could’ve crossed because, as I understood it, he flew in and out of Clark several times. There was a memorial service for him back in Forks, which my parents attended and sent me a clipping about.
“I believe, as Nick does, that if America can put a man on the moon, America can do anything she sets her mind to,” Nick’s mother said. “If you want peace, you should be able to achieve it. That’s the truth and a sad thing. A cry for peace, a war moratorium has now been called for not only here in the Philippines but all across America. That’s what I hear. If they don’t listen, however, and if all the protests fail, then you have to change tactics. Ask Nick: the students are not about to give up. I’m proud of them. But I’m Nick’s mother. I’m also a radical, against the war and American imperialism. If I were in America and had the opportunity, I would join the march on the capital. I would’ve been at the demonstration in front of our Congress building, and afterwards I would’ve picketed Malaganang. I once faced Magsaysay. We had this store at the time, but that didn’t mean that we had stopped fighting. We had a hard time forgiving Magsaysay for aligning himself with America and at the beginning sought every opportunity to confront him.”
I asked her to tell me more about that.
“We knew Magsaysay from his days as a member of the Resistance. We heard from Magsaysay’s own lips what he intended to do as he traveled throughout the country, and even in those early days we knew because of his war against us Taruc planned to have him assassinated. He could’ve been killed at any time because he traveled around without protection. He went around in simple clothes…an aloha shirt and slacks…drove his own car, and went places without any concern for his personal safety.” She said, “Of course, we knew this, and we heard from his own lips that he intended to smash us. He could be quite persuasive. Magsaysay went to America to find some help and came back with an American named Edward Landsdale, and for security reasons they ended up living together. Landsdale quickly became Magsaysay’s personal advisor. You might say they were joined at the hip. The pressure was on. Together they stole our revolution, and today I suppose I would have to say that was a good thing. Back then, though, I wouldn’t have admitted that. It was just who we were and who Magsaysay was. Since then, when people have asked me what made him so successful, I’ve always said that it was because he allowed us to solve our own problems. He was the first politician to treat us as friends and equals. Don’t ask me any more about Magsaysay. It’s Marcos who we have to worry about now.”
Marcos had just won re-election. He had squarely defeated the Liberal Party ticket: Osmena and another Magasaysay.
“That’s the Philippines for you,” Nick’s father said. ”You can always hope.”
Nick’s mother nodded in approval, but she didn’t say anything else.
I then said, “I can now see where Nick’s radicalism comes from.”
“I don’t see much of a connection. For many years there was a-disconnect; and from year to year there wasn’t much that changed,” Nick told me. “They wanted more but settled for less. Then came along the Vietnam War and the protests in the United States. That sort of gave us permission to hold our own demonstrations. ‘All you Americans profess one thing, but you really can’t grant other people the same freedom. You all bask in your so-call high ideals. Well, you can bask in hell. There is such a double standard.”
His mother nodded, but again she didn’t say anything.
“But then to me, it’s still too early in Marcos’ second term to know what his legacy will really be,” Nick’s father went on, ignoring his son. ”But he’s no saint. Sadly I don’t think he would’ve been re-elected if he were one.” He looked straight ahead, and added, “Personally I’m for Ninoy. Aquino is my man. I just read his statement about the bloodshed in front of the Congress building. I agree with him and am especially proud of my son. But let’s pray that there aren’t any more deaths.”
Randy Ford
