The Pacific War Memorial Museum in Corregidor Island has a rich collection of World War II remnants. Old photographs, weapons, uniforms and even common items that are relevant to that era can be found here. A well-sculpted bust of Douglas MacArthur is placed along with the photos of other Pacific War heroes.
The 2nd World War’s impact left several traces which secured its spot in the timeless hall. Several marks which preserved its era have been kept well to become perpetual reminders of the horrors that no one would want to see again. Each relic aims to warn every generation with a hope that none will ignore it.
Exploring The Pacific War Memorial Museum
Before we entered the museum, we saw some machine guns and mortars lined up near the door. These were mercilessly used as instruments of death decades ago but it’s great that those days are over now here in the Philippines. It’s clear that these are maintained regularly because of their thick paint coating. Their cleanliness was very noticeable as well. We’ll also find a donation box near the entrance.
Museum Size
The museum is not really big, but if you come to think of it, the whole Corregidor Island is a giant museum itself—they just compiled and labeled the small items here. This makes it seem like a special room of a large museum. It might be a small room but it has a big story to tell. This museum also has some pictures of the island’s condition before the war.
Various Collections
Aside from old weapons, portraits of soldiers, miniature jets, etc. we’ll find non-war related items like identification cards, old bills, diaries, music discs (with a size of a plate), etc. Perhaps they’re trying to show the kind of life the people had during the war. There were human size mannequins as well which are dressed in both Japanese and American army uniforms.
The old pictures of the buildings before the war will give you a sense of regret for their bombing. I’m sure it took a great deal of time and energy to build those majestic structures but sadly, they were gone in seconds. There are bombings like these still happening in some countries until now and we really can’t tell when it’s going to end or if it will ever end at all. On the bright side, things like these have been greatly minimized in our generation.
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Greetings, To those responsible for this site, I am very grateful. I came to Corregidor in 1967 in a small motor banca with a friend. I was stationed at Clark Air Base at that time. It was purely by happenstance that I had a chance to visit Corregidor. Little did I know my visit there, as well as the journey there in the banca would leave an indelible impression in my mind. At that time the island was very much as it had been during WWII. There was a gun emplacement on the shore near the dilapidated old dock where three or four weapons were mounted in concrete on turrets. The jungle undergrowth was too thick to do much exploring and I had been warned of snakes. We sat on the beach near the old dock and drank what few beers we had brought with us. In about an hour we returned to the mainland. Though I realize a return to this memorable place would be impossible, I still dream of going there. Many thousand thanks to all who preserve these historic memories. Ted Larson, Combes, Texas. October, 2016
Hi Ted,
I’m sorry that I missed your comment a long time ago but I just want to thank you for sharing your short experience on this island. I hope that you’ll somehow get that chance to visit this historical site again along with the nearby historic sites in Manila. Best of luck!
Cheers,
-EJ