Kudos to Sal Pizarro, writer for the Mercury News, for his Monday mention of the ECV Clampers “most satisfactory” plaque ceremony in Alviso. Sal’s mention is a bit of a surprise being that Clampers are wascally wabbits whose rough edges (they drink beer) might have sawed against the grain of the PC police at the Mercury News.
Apropos of very little, I am reminded of the carnage wreaked by the Mercury News on the town of Drawbridge, 5 miles up the railroad track from Alviso. Drawbridge was built on the marsh, wetlands, and sloughs that existed before the heinous salt evaporation ponds destroyed the south bay. It’s a ghost town now, and visits are forbidden and impossible.
Aeons ago, the Mercury News printed numerous stories stating that the hunting lodges in Drawbridge were “abandoned.” This effectively provided free reign for adventurous San Jose spirits to trek to Drawbridge to plunder belongings from lodges that were not, in fact, abandoned. The owners were just not home. The Mercury News also printed (in the 1940’s, 50’s, and 60’s) that Drawbridge’s inhabitants were low-life gamblers and prostitutes. Drawbridgians, many of them not fitting or appreciating the appellation, harbored ill-will for years on that account, and I suspect that their ghosts still haunt the news offices and editorial board room of the Mercury News on Ridder Park Drive—tipping over the occasional ink well or banshee-wailing en masse into the cubicle forest, discomfiting perfectly innocent, and possibly sleeping, columnists. This might explain the turnover.
San Jose’s daily paper and its writers have done much good work in the area and have had a positive influence on people and events. But there have been blemishes, and a besmirch or two. And the bias of the paper is a tad liberal for my bitter middle-aged taste. Six front-page stories a year on the Japanese internment camps, while of worthy intent, is disproportionate to other stories that could and should be told as well—like a story about the Bataan Death March survivors. I don’t recall ever reading a story in the Mercury News on that subject. Sal’s mention of the Clampers may signal a new zeitgeist at the paper. And cats will soon be lying down with dogs.
Good morning Eric. I was one of those in attendance at the Clampers Plaqueing in Alviso last Saturday morning. I had the pleasure of meeting Dave “Grumpy” Wendt the historian of Mt. Charley Chapter. He immediately invited me to join. What a colorful affair, lots of red and black clothing, beards and boots. I think the secret of the beer legend is the amount of diet drinks I observed being consumed. The plaque is very prominent and quite a handsome piece. I did read Sal Pizzaro’s column. I had been sending emails to the Merc encouraging the coverage. A great event with great people.
(one of 119 stories in merc archives mentioning bataan death march)
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SHINING LIGHT ON FILIPINO VETS OF W.W. II
Published: Tuesday, August 10, 2004 Edition: Morning Final Section: Local Page: 1B
Source: L.A. CHUNG column
Seventy-eight-year-old Guillermo Rumingan has gone to the World War II Memorial so many times since it opened in late April, he has stopped counting. It is beautiful in his eyes. It is one of the biggest draws on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., this summer. But it is so long in coming he knows many of his fellow vets, such as those who survived the Bataan Death March may never see it.
‘‘The Vietnam War Memorial went up, then the Korean War Memorial went up,’’ the longtime Washington-area resident mused to me Monday. ‘‘It felt like they forgot all about World War II.’‘
I talked to him after he came to a gathering of journalists Friday to thank one of them for not forgetting about the Filipino veterans of World War II.
Rumingan fought against the Japanese as a guerrilla, supplying intelligence about the Pangatian POW camp to the Army as a teen, participated in the liberation of those American soldiers, and enlisted in the New Philippine Scouts, a part of the U.S. Army in 1943, serving in Guam.
But Congress reneged on Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s promise to treat them the same as U.S. Army soldiers after granting the Philippines independence in 1946. It declared those Philippine fighters would no longer be considered vets, for benefits purposes.
Longing for equality
He was proud to be a Filipino. But they had been born American nationals, pledging allegiance to the American flag every day in school, singing ‘‘The Star-Spangled Banner’’ every Monday.
‘‘The truth is, we joined the service for love of country and what the United States stood for,’’ Rumingan said.
In 1963, he went to Washington, D.C., from the Philippines to find out what happened to his veterans benefits and began his decades-long quest with other Filipino veterans, trying to win back their status as American vets with full recognition.
Now they are trying to get the last piece of legislation for veterans’ pension equity passed this election year, hoping that President Bush and Sen.John Kerry will publicly back it, after private assurances that they both support it.
On Thursday, a journalist friend who is the granddaughter of two Bataan survivors was on a panel of questioners when Kerry appeared before the Unity convention, one of the largest groups of journalists ever to gather. She used one of her two allotted questions to ask Kerry, ‘‘What will your administration do to keep the faith with those forgotten veterans? And do you support enactment and full funding of the Filipino Veterans Equity Act?’‘
His answer, ‘‘Yes I do, and I will,’’ reverberated in the veterans’ community and in the Philippines. Kerry didn’t say much more, but it was enough for Rumingan.
Power of media
He went with a group of the American Coalition for Veterans to the cavernous Washington Convention Center and somehow found my Washington journalist friend, Catalina Camia, among the 8,000 other journalists. To thank her.
Because journalists have the access to ask the questions. It was a nationally televised venue, with a presidential candidate. Where thousands of other journalists could hear it. Where other Americans could hear it. The circumspect Washington journalist suddenly had tears in her eyes. These men had served. Fought for freedom. Suffered war-related illnesses. ‘‘It hit me like a ton of bricks,’’ she said. ‘‘This is the impact of what we do.’‘
The embodiment of one of those thousands of bills that cross Capitol Hill each year was standing in front of her, in that proud posture of military men. She should be thanking them. For reminding her of the simple truths of American values: What we promise matters. What we do matters. And journalists, sometimes, matter, if they shine light in the right places. If we can keep our promises before these vets die, the World War II Memorial will look even more beautiful to the Guillermo Rumingans of the world.
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The San Jose Mercury News archives are stored on a SAVE ™ newspaper library system from MediaStream Inc., a Knight Ridder company.
Yes, but other than thee and me, who reads Mz Chung’s scribbling? Front page? Not since the Hayes family left!
The Merc’s major problem is that they have had NO contact with the community since they left Santa Clara Street! Isolated out there in Milpitas!
Jerry
#2 – Nice slam dunks, all 119 of them.
#3 Jerry – I think you would be surprised how many Merc readers follow LA Chung’s column. Lots of us do, even those who don’t think of Santa Clara street as the hub of the community.
I wonder how many of the Merc’s best writers (Purdy, Cassidy, Herhold…) will be around after the sale? They may sometimes get it wrong, IMHO, but always give a good read. I would hate to lose them as a result of a new owners cost-cutting strategy.
Jerry they will soon have contact with community after whoever buys Mercury sells off 880 campus to high rise condo developer and cut salaries Knight Ridder Condos for low income journalists and working people at $750,000 up
Staff will move downtown for cheap rents and enjoy riding transit and multiple long transfer waits with fellow low income riders wich they preach is better than driving SUV’s to work from burbs
If being a Clampers is not for you look at Silicon Valley Hash House Harriers – which they describe as – Let’s be honest, this is a drinking club with a running problem.
http://www.svh3.com/index.html
A younger slightly more athletic group that combines sharp wit, really outrageous humor, running and lots of beer
Future Clampers them and later be a Clampers when exercise is less important than beer and good humor
Virgin Instruction Guide to Hash House Harriers
http://www.svh3.com/virgin_guide.html
Hashing is a semi-athletic / drinking / social club based on the old English schoolboy’s game of “Hare and Hounds”. It is centered around running and is a non-competitive ( sort of like your sex life ) form of exercise with the unique aspect of allowing the opportunity to vent frustration (running), provide entertainment (drinking beer), release energy (running) and socialize with others (drinking beer).
Running is loosely used to mean running, jogging, walking or any other means of conveyance, short of mechanical methods and is usually secondary to the social aspect of hashing.
Every Hash and every Hasher is unique in their own way, a good attitude, personality, thirst, humor and a sharp wit are important attributes.
We are a Drinking Club with a Running Problem and so if you have half a mind that’s all you need.
I have not run a Hash for years and do not know this group but they sound like fun group probably need to join Clampers but others may enjoy Hash House Harriers – getting back in shape sort of and really outrageous sense of humor that comes from drinking gallons of beer that exercises your bladder
Next Hash is Pub Crawl / No Host Hash Friday, March 31, 2006 6:00pm at Quarter Note in Sunnyvale and be ON TIME or you might miss the subsequent pub tops! Dress warm and comfortable, bring a flashlight for expressway shiggy, an umbrella for a short walk (no r*nning on Fridays), and bring $money$ for pub stops and train fare (oops, did I give away the trail?)
On On
More SF Bay area Hash clubs –
http://www.sfh3.com/
Hey Mal, I guess that you are not old enough to remember when the Merc was on West Santa Clara St and participated in the community or to remember when the Merc was family owned by the Hayes family.
But Transit Rider does get it!
Jerry
Jerry,
You’re right that I’m not old enough to remember when the Merc was located downtown, although I’m darn close. But that’s not the point. I don’t buy into the downtown-centric view of San Jose. Like it or not, San Ho is a city of neighborhoods. Some of those neighborhoods border Milpitas.
“Participation?” I prefer a newspaper that reports news rather than creates it, but I realize that’s a whole other can of worms…
#4, I don’t know about Cassidy or Purdy in particular, but the talent drain from the Merc is in full swing.
Eric, will you ever wright another blog or have you abandoned us entirely?