i hope all of you could spend time reading this. it is kinda (well actually) it is damn long. what I really wanted for you to read are the comments, pls feel free to read those comments. negative and violent reactions are all welcome, I would really appreciate it if you could comment here in this blog. :)
click these links : http://www.ellentordesillas.com/?p=2742#comments
and http://www.ellentordesillas.com/?p=2754#more-2754
the blog is owned by Ms. Ellen Tordesillas, a family friend and writer of the Malaya Newspaper.
a sneak peek post of a reader from ms. Tordesillas' blog:
SULBATZ Says:
September 21st, 2008 at 5:31 pm
Wow, I got what I wanted….and fast at that. I thought it would be in a folder packaged as a school report, but instead, what was handed me is a xerox copy of the original, in Gen Lim’s own handwriting.
Six (6) questions were asked of him by this child on 22 October 2007.
1. Did you intend to become a soldier?
2. Who and what inspired you to become one?
3. What did you expect life in the military?
4. Do you feel fulfilled or frustrated as a soldier?
5. Will you encourage the youth to become a soldier and serve the country?
6. Who is your personal hero and why?
His answer to question #6 is very interesting.
Q#1. Did you intend to become a soldier?
Ans: As a young man, soldiery as a profession was farthest from my mind. Had we the means to support my college studies, (taking up a course I truly like), I should either be a physician or an engineer now. Even with a college scholarship, other expenses were still considerable. I was a freshman at UP when some classmates (some had elder brothers at PMA) convinced me to to take the entrance exam for PMA with them. I did very well in the exam and eventually decided to enter the Academy. After one year at PMA, I took another competitive exam for USMA at West Point and was lucky to be selected to represent the country as a member of USMA class ‘78. Having gone through all the preparations for a military career (1 yr at PMA and 4 yrs at West Point), while not initially inclined to it, I have embraced and learned to love the vocation.
Q#2. Who and what inspired you to become one?
Ans: Honestly, no one in particular inspired me to become a soldier. My mother was so much against the idea of me, the youngest of her 5 boys, entering the Academy that she must have gone to all the churches she could go to praying that that I flunk the entrance exam. I guess pragmatic considerations and some “peer pressure” from my UP freshman classmates helped me become one.
Q#3. What did you expect life in the military?
Ans: I expected that life in the military would be difficult and would offer challenges that not very many would experience. That in many ways, it is, in a sense, tantamount to sacrifice. I expected te kind of training that would build character, intill discipline and imbue one with the moral courage to arm him for the realities associated with the chosen profession. I expected professionalism at all levels.
Q#4. Do you feel fulfilled or frustrated as a soldier?
Ans: I feel fulfilled having developed that character and sense of self-discipline I believe I have put to good use in all the modest accomplishments I have undertaken while performing my sworn duties. I am blessed by the many experiences I’ve gone through which you can’t find if you’re not in the military. I am frustrated when I observe that the actions and attitudes of our leaders (both civilian and military) sharply contrast with the ideals that we were supposed to have internalized.
Q#5. Will you encourage the youth to become a soldier and serve the country?
Ans: Even with all its defects (mainly the faults of senior military people who have allowed themselves to be prostituted by partisan considerations and personal aggrandizements), the military remains a noble and honorable profession. I would encourage our young people to join the service. But one word of caution, be prepared for its disappointments. It is not a perfect organization.
Q#6. Who is your personal hero and why?
Ans: My personal hero and a very dear friend - Haydee Yorac. She embodied everything - good, right, just and the truth. This is not my first time to be detained for my principles and convictions. For my involvement in the Dec ‘89 military rebellion, I was jailed for almost three years. During those times, Haydee was a frequent visitor. And we have maintained our very close friendship till the time she went ahead of us. If she were alive today, she would be lawyering for me.
PS: there are typos in the post, hnd kc naintindihan yung sulat ng tatay ko eh. kht ako di maintindihan yun.
tnx for finishing the thread.
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