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Article: Manila Bay battle put U.S. in Asia for good.(World)(Briefing/Pacific Rim)
- Article from:
- The Washington Times (Washington, DC)
- Article date:
- May 1, 1998
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1998 News World Communications, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The modern navy is 100 years old today. So is U.S. involvement in Asian affairs.
At 5:40 a.m. on May 1, 1898,as daylight was just breakingover Manila Bay in the Philippines, Commodore George Dewey turned to Capt. Charles V. Gridley, captain of the commodore's flagship, Olympia, and issued an order that has become part of the U.S. Navy's folklore:
"You may fire when you are ready, Gridley."
Capt. Gridley ordered the Olympia to commence firing on Adm. Patricio Montojo y Pasaron's 10-ship Spanish squadron, just 2 1/2 miles away. Then Commodore Dewey's five other ships opened up. For the first time in history, two fleets of steel ...