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Article: 50 Years Later, Survivors of Battle of Manila Speak Out
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- October 27, 1994
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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Vicky Quirino was running to her grandmother's house with her
family to take cover from American shelling when a Japanese machine
gun nest opened fire on them.
The 13-year-old's mother and elder sister were killed in the
hail of bullets, but a 2-year-old sister lay still alive on the
street where her fallen mother had dropped her. A Japanese soldier
walked over, tossed the girl in the air and speared her with his
bayonet.
Quirino escaped death that morning of Feb. 9, 1945, and
lived through three more days of terror in which a brother was
executed by the Japanese and five other close relatives were killed
by U.S. shelling. Her father, Elpidio Quirino, also survived and
went on to ...