Today is Thursday, 3/5/2009 and it is now 11:45 PM here in the Philippines.
Well, I got the masn out of trouble, we spent a few hours hanging out after I got off, now that he was separated from his tour Group, and I showed him the true sights of Jerusalem, as opposed to the Pilgrim Commercial nonsense that most only get to see.
You would be suprised how easy you can get into place with an auto rifle on your shoulder! Better than a Visa Black Card!
Anyway, his name was Mario Sigayle and he was from Cebu but was living on Mindanao, having met a woman in university from there, and marrying her. they were living in a home given to them by the wife's father, and a retail feed and supply store as well.
He has saved and been waiting for this trip for years and even though his wife was unexpectedly pregnant and about to burst, he had still taken the trip. It was difficult for him because at that time there was no phone service on most of Mindanao, and they lived deep in a bush village (my current home).
I let him spend the evening at my barracks (really a tent), against regulations but i lied and said he was my uncle, etc., family emergency and in those days things were so much more simple than they are today (sounds cliche but so so true).
The next day , I took a personal day and hitched with him to Masada (sic), where his Tour Group was seeing the ancient Jewish frotress. Hitching is par for the course in Israel, and in uniform you are guaranteed to get picked up very quickly, we even have hitching stands every so often. We took some pics, and after exchanging vitals I left, thinking little of it, seeing as how I had met many people back in those days.
2 and half weeks later I was told to head up to Metullah, on the Lebanese Border but in the
Central Sector, and rejin my Battalion (50th).
Hitched once again, and was made to wait 3 days for a link-up to take me outside of Ba'albek, at an FOB (Forward Operating Base) since we rarely were returning to Mt. Hermon, our main base at that point. However, the ride that brought me to Metullah was an 08 (CO AKA Commanding Officer) in the Lebanese Liason Office (we were allies of the sitting Lebanese Govt, which consisted of Phalangists.
Lebanese Phalangists, not be confused with Spanish Falangists, were/are a political party devoted to Maronite Lebanese. Maronites are a sect that is very close to Catholicsm in creed, and indeed for several decades now they have been drawing closer to the Papal Church after an incredibly long enstrangement.
At that time (and to a degree even today) they hated to be called Arabs, and insisted that they were the indigenous People of that land, being direct descendants of the Phoenicians.
Phonecians, and their related group (now extinct) the Carthaginians are a Greek People who spoke a Semitic anguage and practiced a unique religion that incorporated alot of indigenous features, such as holding "Ba'al" above all other G-Ds in their pantheon.
The Lebanese President at that time was a Gemayel, a son of the man who founded the Phalangist Movement. The Lebanese Army ceased to officially operate, and so the Phlangist Militia became the de facto national military.
The Liason Office was responsible for acting as a bridge between the IDF and the Phlangist Militia, as well as elements of the Govt. I talked quite a bit with the 08 on that ride to Metullah , and when he found out that I was a native Arabic speaker he offered me a position, but of course I had just turned 17 and was far too young for the assignment. He promised to keep me in mind.
For the next few months it was one Engagement after another, constant fighting. usually in and around Beka'a, and at this point alot of of men (Israeli) began to use Hashish and Heroin. Beka'a is a source region that is filled with cannabis used for Lebanese Hashish, and for poppies for #2 heroin (freebase).
I was suprised to get a box , and even more suprised to see it was from Mario who thanked me profusely, and apologised for not being able to contact me earlier. Mindanao, then as now has post offices but outside the 4 main cities on the island there is no mail delivery of any kind, nor was/is there any way to ship anything unless you were in one of the 4 main cities.
Mario had sent me boxes of snacks (knowing I had no close family to care for me there), as well sas a tonne of pictures, including his 1st child who had since been born his child was a daughter, whom he named "Rizza," who of course is now my wife! That was the beginning of our long friendship.
I smoked a bit of hash but that was about all.
Then, about 10 months after rejoining my Battalion I was hit by shrapnel from a large bore mortar shell. This time I was not knocked unconscious so I was in quite alot of pain with my harm almost severed at the wrist, and serious wounds in my left side.
The Medic pumped me with morphine, I was coptered out once again, and back to Hadassah Hospital for more fun and games.
Will continue...
Well, I got the masn out of trouble, we spent a few hours hanging out after I got off, now that he was separated from his tour Group, and I showed him the true sights of Jerusalem, as opposed to the Pilgrim Commercial nonsense that most only get to see.
You would be suprised how easy you can get into place with an auto rifle on your shoulder! Better than a Visa Black Card!
Anyway, his name was Mario Sigayle and he was from Cebu but was living on Mindanao, having met a woman in university from there, and marrying her. they were living in a home given to them by the wife's father, and a retail feed and supply store as well.
He has saved and been waiting for this trip for years and even though his wife was unexpectedly pregnant and about to burst, he had still taken the trip. It was difficult for him because at that time there was no phone service on most of Mindanao, and they lived deep in a bush village (my current home).
I let him spend the evening at my barracks (really a tent), against regulations but i lied and said he was my uncle, etc., family emergency and in those days things were so much more simple than they are today (sounds cliche but so so true).
The next day , I took a personal day and hitched with him to Masada (sic), where his Tour Group was seeing the ancient Jewish frotress. Hitching is par for the course in Israel, and in uniform you are guaranteed to get picked up very quickly, we even have hitching stands every so often. We took some pics, and after exchanging vitals I left, thinking little of it, seeing as how I had met many people back in those days.
2 and half weeks later I was told to head up to Metullah, on the Lebanese Border but in the
Central Sector, and rejin my Battalion (50th).
Hitched once again, and was made to wait 3 days for a link-up to take me outside of Ba'albek, at an FOB (Forward Operating Base) since we rarely were returning to Mt. Hermon, our main base at that point. However, the ride that brought me to Metullah was an 08 (CO AKA Commanding Officer) in the Lebanese Liason Office (we were allies of the sitting Lebanese Govt, which consisted of Phalangists.
Lebanese Phalangists, not be confused with Spanish Falangists, were/are a political party devoted to Maronite Lebanese. Maronites are a sect that is very close to Catholicsm in creed, and indeed for several decades now they have been drawing closer to the Papal Church after an incredibly long enstrangement.
At that time (and to a degree even today) they hated to be called Arabs, and insisted that they were the indigenous People of that land, being direct descendants of the Phoenicians.
Phonecians, and their related group (now extinct) the Carthaginians are a Greek People who spoke a Semitic anguage and practiced a unique religion that incorporated alot of indigenous features, such as holding "Ba'al" above all other G-Ds in their pantheon.
The Lebanese President at that time was a Gemayel, a son of the man who founded the Phalangist Movement. The Lebanese Army ceased to officially operate, and so the Phlangist Militia became the de facto national military.
The Liason Office was responsible for acting as a bridge between the IDF and the Phlangist Militia, as well as elements of the Govt. I talked quite a bit with the 08 on that ride to Metullah , and when he found out that I was a native Arabic speaker he offered me a position, but of course I had just turned 17 and was far too young for the assignment. He promised to keep me in mind.
For the next few months it was one Engagement after another, constant fighting. usually in and around Beka'a, and at this point alot of of men (Israeli) began to use Hashish and Heroin. Beka'a is a source region that is filled with cannabis used for Lebanese Hashish, and for poppies for #2 heroin (freebase).
I was suprised to get a box , and even more suprised to see it was from Mario who thanked me profusely, and apologised for not being able to contact me earlier. Mindanao, then as now has post offices but outside the 4 main cities on the island there is no mail delivery of any kind, nor was/is there any way to ship anything unless you were in one of the 4 main cities.
Mario had sent me boxes of snacks (knowing I had no close family to care for me there), as well sas a tonne of pictures, including his 1st child who had since been born his child was a daughter, whom he named "Rizza," who of course is now my wife! That was the beginning of our long friendship.
I smoked a bit of hash but that was about all.
Then, about 10 months after rejoining my Battalion I was hit by shrapnel from a large bore mortar shell. This time I was not knocked unconscious so I was in quite alot of pain with my harm almost severed at the wrist, and serious wounds in my left side.
The Medic pumped me with morphine, I was coptered out once again, and back to Hadassah Hospital for more fun and games.
Will continue...