I was The Boy Who Cried Wolf that
changed the nature of UP Los Baños
Loyalty Day celebrations forever.
(image: boy shouting[1] from Epic!)
That day, I came out with an open letter titled “What Did You Do In The War, Daddy?” That year came out a comedy film with that title directed by Blake Edwards for the Mirisch Company in Panavision, starring James Coburn and Dick Shawn (Wikipedia). (title[2] image from Discogs) What kind of letter was it?
Ah, I knew it was a Labor of Love.
I wrote and typed my open letter “What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?” on my portable Olivetti Lettera 32. After revising, I cut the text on stencil and ran copies of it myself with the mimeographing machine of the Student Body Organization, SBO, at the 2nd floor of Baker Hall, with permission of and under watch by SBO President William Padolina (yes, he is the one who became Science Secretary many years later). I had to tell him first what it was, and he did not say anything. Afterwards, I gave copies for him to distribute; with the bulk of the copies, I stood waiting by the College Gate (since replaced) welcoming those vehicles coming in who innocently accepted copy after copy. They did not know it was a bomb that reading the text would detonate. They did not know that
My letter was Anti-Loyalty Day!
Who suggested I write such letter? Nobody. The idea just came to me.
My 1966 Claim: The UPCA Volunteers of 1918
did it out of subservience to America!
Don’t forget: UPCA was founded by American scientists. On 10 October 1918, 193 students and 27 faculty members enlisted to serve in the Philippine National Guard (https://loyaltyday.uplb.edu.ph/). My open letter argued that those 220 volunteered for the wrong reason – the war was in Europe and America was not directly involved. Showing servitude to America, the UPCA loyals volunteered for the wrong war!
The reaction of the Cow College was revulsion against me – and so my appointment as Substitute Instructor in Horticulture was notrenewed the next semester.
I realized my open letter was also a Labor of Hate,
only many, many years later. But better late than never. It dawned on me that World War I was not a European war but Dictatorship vs Democracy. So each of those Cow College volunteers of 1918 was honorable and I was not – I had misreadhistory.
Sorry for that!
Still, my mistaken open letter had a profound effect I am very proud of, if unintended – that is, over the years from 1966, slowly the nature of celebrating Loyalty Day transformed from simply celebrating One-Time Volunteerism to
Celebrating the Continuing Loyalty of UPCA/UP Los Baños Alumni, and the Distinguished as well as Outstanding Services they do as well as have done for their fellowmen in office or society. Priceless.
Now, you can’t take that Outstanding Historical Accomplishment away from me!@517
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