Description
Written by Bienvenido A. Tan, Jr.
Illustrated by Jerome Jacinto
Vidal Lorenzo Tan was born on March 23, 1920, the only child of Dr. Vidal A. Tan and Teresa Yulo Tan. He was educated at the Ateneo de Manila up to his A.B. degree where he graduated Summa Cum Laude. While at the Ateneo he was a member of the R.O.T.C. corps of cadets where he reached the rank of Cadet Captain commanding Company B. He was captain of the tennis team of the Ateneo. He was a member of the Sodality of St. Peter Canisius, St. John Berchman’s Sanctuary Society, Grand Knight of the Blessed Sacrament, Rizal Book Club and a poet.
When the Japanese War broke out, the Philippine Army became part of the United States Forces in the Far East and was later moved to Bataan as part of the holding force that was to keep back the Japanese until reinforcements came from the United States.
As history will tell us the Fil-American forces were ill-equipped and lacked food and ammunitions. Despite these handicaps the Fil-Americans held back overwhelming Japanese forces for several months until they were finally forced to surrender in April of 1942. History also tells us that help never came in time to save Bataan.
Then came the infamous Death March from Bataan to Capas, Tarlac. Men weakened by illness and hunger were forced to walk all the way and those who fell by the wayside were bayoneted by their captors.
Somehow Vidal (Lory) made it to Capas where after a few weeks he with others were transferred to Bilibid Prison in Manila and what happened there is described in the text.
After Lory was released from Bilibid he continued his studies to be a lawyer at the Ateneo as his father wanted. If he had a choice Lory would have preferred to be an English teacher but, being the dutiful son that he was, he took up law. He graduated and passed the bar. Then one day in January 27, 1946 he complained of chest pains while visiting the house of a friend, Jose Lardizabal. A few hours later he was dead and with his death went the dreams of his parents for a bright future that such a person would have had.
Copyright © 2011
ISBN: 978-971-569-716-3
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