LIFE COURSE INTERVIEW AND ANALYSIS

Life Course Interview and Analysis:

An Interview with a World War II Veteran

by

Donna Marie F. Yap, MBA, RPh

18 April 2011
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Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................................3
METHOD................................................................................................................................................3
RESULTS................................................................................................................................................4
CONCLUSIONS.....................................................................................................................................7
Bibliography................................................................................................................................................8
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INTRODUCTION

There have been extensive studies done on generational differences which include

categorization of generations, a generalized classification of traits, differences in their

preferences, work and study attitudes, their behaviors and many more. Being from a fairly

average family, the researcher has always been intrigued by a close friend’s family. They are of

Filipino descent, coming from an island called Luzon and have different values and practices

than any other common family in the area. There are four generations living in their house during

spring and summer – the great-grandfather, his daughter, her daughter and her husband, and their

three children. There are several traditions that can be observed from them that are different from

ours, such as kissing the older generation’s right hand every time the younger generation arrives

and strictly attending church services on Sundays. The values that surround this family, such as

respect for the elderly, being polite and respectful, and at the same time being able to survive in

dire situations has raised the researcher’s interest are quite similar to ours and would be

interesting to explore. This family shows that the most influential member of the family is the

great-grandfather, from whom values and traditions of the family are learned, gained and

practiced.

METHOD

The subject of this research was the grandfather of my childhood friend. We have always

played together as children and it was a regular routine for me to be at his house on weekends.

Our parents have been neighbors for quite some time; and whenever they’d see us know they

would always be in awe at how fast time flies and how it seemed like just a few years ago that

their son and I were in diapers. Interviewing the great grandfather was easy for me, simply
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because I was a regular visitor to their home. He was more than delighted to grant me the

interview which lasted for several hours.

He has been with the family for almost more than 15 years; it can be observed that he

enjoys reading the newspaper, watching the news on TV and telling stories. For his age of being

more than ninety years old, he seemed mentally and physically sharp. I often would see him in

their backyard tending to his small garden of vegetables, or tending to some chore. I remember

him slipping in the garden while he was watering some plants a few years back and since then he

kept away from doing chores.

The questions revolved around his experiences growing up which included his schooling,

how he worked as an adult and his experiences during the war, his marriage and how he

participated in raising his children. I also asked him how he views the generations of his family,

and about certain current events.

RESULTS

He was born in 1918, to a part-Spanish father and a pure Filipina mother. He was the

youngest of eight siblings – five older brothers and two sisters. They had several hectares of land

that was planted with rice, tobacco, corn and other crops and grazed by various farm animals

such as goat, cattle, pigs and different fowls. The land tenants paid them either with fresh harvest

or money. His grandfather was a very strict man who disciplined children through harsh words,

flogging, kneeling on mongo beans, standing under the noon sun, or, if a child was really

naughty, being tied in the center of the small town for the whole day and for the whole

community to see. He recalls that his father was as strict as his grandfather, and that either man

could punish the children; so he had to act his best around them. Just as his older brothers and

sisters, he learned farming skills, did housework and chores, shepherded farm animals and
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harvested crops. Despite these chores, he remembered playing outdoors with other children

frequently. During meal times, his grandfather, a strict Roman Catholic, sat at the head of the

table, or the cabisera, enforced prayer before meals and discouraged discussions during eating.

He said that talking boisterously was a sign of disrespect to God and his blessings. When his

grandfather passed away, his father stood as the head of the family, imposing equally harsh

disciplining methods. His father became involved in gambling and has paid off his debts through

land. His mother, who has rarely spoke openly often told him that due to his father’s gambling.

During that time, seventh grade in the province was equivalent to middle school and he was

already assigned to teach children from the first to third grade.

When World War II broke out in 1939 and the Philippines was attacked by Japanese

Bombers in 1941, he was enlisted by the army. He was included in the troupes defending the

Sierra Madres; unfortunately they ran out of ammunition and had to surrender to the Japanese

soldiers. He survived the Bataan Death March in April, 1942, where they walked more than sixty

miles, experienced hunger, and witnessed death and murder. (For more info, visit another

recantation at the site by Peterson)

After surviving the ordeals of World War II, he resumed teaching; he met his wife, a

strong-willed woman, and the youngest of three girls and also had Spanish lineage; yet she knew

how to butcher pigs, goats, cows, chickens; plant and harvest. Although he felt and knew that she

felt the same way he does for her, she made it difficult for him to woo her; eventually, after a

year of courtship, they got married, moved to a mining community where he worked as a teacher

and miner and she as an entrepreneur. They had four children and the rest of them have kept

constant communication through the years. He mentions that he either flogged his children or

unruly and let them half sit-half stand with their arms extended out when they were disobedient.
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He enforced his father’s teaching of being religious, respecting Holy days, praying before

eating and upholding the values of respect, honesty, and education. He says he did not want to be

distant like his father nor did he want his wife solely in the background; which was why he

encouraged constant communication between his family members. Meals were filled with

conversation and it was since then considered to be the best time to spend with the entire family.

When the opportunity for them to go to move to another country was offered, they took it. Being

in a different country was difficult for him at first, but he was able to cope easily due to some

similarities in customs between our countries.

He says that people today are very lenient about freedom and its benefit and are very

much concerned about becoming financially stable, as observed by the increase in professionals.

He observes that love had a diluted meaning compared to their time where it was proven and

gained in different manner; being more fulfilling and true. He noted that separations in

marriages, promiscuity and the increase in sexually transmitted diseases. He also mentions that

the numbers of children in families are decreasing, as a result of achieving better economic

status. He states that for as long as he is alive, he would make it his goal not to let his children or

grandchildren diminish in values; that, along with a good education, family and personal values

that preserve morals and ethics must be instilled in teaching the succeeding generations.

He states though that the advantage today was that news travelled around fast, negotiation

between countries has evolved, and that the threats of war could easily be addressed by the

international community. When asked how he felt about the recent events of Japan, he mentions

that despite his experiences during World War II, he would never wish destruction upon anyone,

not even to the Japanese. The current generations should learn to live together harmoniously to

prevent such useless destruction and loss of life; civility must always prevail.
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CONCLUSIONS

There are several contributors to the grandfather’s view of society, and it reflects greatly

in the way he raised his children and guides his children and grand children in raising their own.

Being raised during the early years of post-colonization of Spain, discipline was an important

aspect of raising children – it represented Spanish subjugation and was adapted into the local

family life. This resulted to his experiences of strict house rules. His motivation in learning and

extended the value to his students through teaching was encouraged by his family losing property

to debt. His experience during the Japanese occupation has made him cherish life more, making

him value life, time, food, love, a strong family union and most importantly he attributes his

survival to divine intervention, strengthening his faith and religious practices. He chose an

outspoken woman for a wife, wanting to remove the traditional thinking that women should be

passive and domesticated. His survival through the Bataan Death March has epitomized him as a

hero and therefore he has gained more respect from his family members. He compares the three

generations and says that his generation has worked hard for the generation of his children; and

that his children have worked hard to rebuild from the destruction of war and depression. The

generation of his grandchildren was described as free-willing, too dependent on technology; and

he described the great-grandchildren’s generation as shying away from manual labor and are

getting too absorbed with the trends of the Western countries. The family, as a whole, presented

the collective trait of most Asian families with extended families living in the same home. They

are also strict to their faith and practice and make it a point to transfer these traditions to the next

generation. The general impression for Filipinos is that they are more open to change – a result

of their adaptation due to changing foreign colonists; however their family values still prevail

and are given more weight than social pressure or individual desire.
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Bibliography
Peterson, R. Back to Bataan: A Survivor's Story. 2001. 16 April 2011
<http://www.bataansurvivor.com/content/introduction/1.php>.

Seibert, T. M. and M. C. Willets. "Changing Family Forms." Social Education, v64 n1 (2000):
42-47