Rows of crosses fan outward from the memorial at the center of the 152-acre Manila American Cemetery in Fort Bonifacio. A crowd of hundreds has gathered here to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Manila, which left more than 100,000 dead and the Philippine capital in ruins.
As the ceremony concludes, a wave of attendees surges forward to salute, embrace and pay their respects to a row of World War II veterans. The aging Americans and Filipinos, now in their late 90s and early 100s, smile as they receive mano, a traditional gesture of gratitude in which a younger person presses their forehead to their senior’s hand.
Samuel Paparo, commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, captured the mood when he addressed the crowd earlier, saying, “May the sacrifices of our forebears inspire us to stand firm in the face of modern challenges.”
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