Jessie Lichauco (97) is a lady of Irish-Scottish-Cuban-English descent. She has lived in the Philippines for 75 years. She and her husband were residents of Manila during the Japanese occupation of WWII. Her vivid memories of this time, from the dropping of the first bombs to the liberation, offer images of life during those difficult years and insights to the meanings of true courage, compassion, love, resourcefulness, friendship, generosity and honor, and the faith of the people through these cruel years. 

I arrived in the Philippines from America in 1933, at age 18, and had been living in Manila for 4 years when the war descended upon us. At the time, I was visiting Tagaytay with my friend, Ruby Roxas. We knew something was wrong when we saw soldiers coming into the Taal Vista Lodge.

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Published on Volume 2 Issue 3 on Jeepney Magazine. 2010/2009.