Landing in Luzon with Co. A. Park Shaw (Ret.)

Park Shaw was last Monday's featured speaker with a remembrance of his landing in Luzon, Philippines, January 9, 1945.  He was part of the largest amphibious attack in WWII in the Pacific theater.  Park described how the 1,000 ships and 100,000 men traveled 1,400 miles through Japanese-held Philippine islands to attack and retake the island, manned by 287,000 Japanese.  Park brought the helmet he wore on that day and his uniform that was cotton fatigues; not a hint of Kevlar or body armor in sight.  Park had a number of other items from the period and brought slides of a map of the trip, the landing, pictures of him on the island, and a picture of his return 40 years later to receive three medals from the Philippines government for his actions that day.  The whole program was a unique insight into the "D-Day" of the Pacific and a key date in U.S. Military history.  Pictured is Park and COl. Jim Morris (Ret.) who introduced Park.  Col. Morris was a military parachutist, logging 1,800 jumps.  Thanks to Park for a great presentation.