The Foreign Service Journal, September 2009

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 9 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 9 responsibility for Afghanistan to its neighbors? Michael W. Cotter Ambassador, retired Fearrington Village, N.C. More on Fort Drum Despite his ordeal of a deep fall into shallow water at Fort Drum, one of the four fortified islands in Manila Bay (“Reprieve on Manila Bay,” June), John J. St. John might have encoun- tered greater misfortune had he pushed further into the interior. El Fraile Island, the geographic name for Fort Drum, was recaptured from the Japanese in April 1945 by a unique method. As was first done at the smaller Fort Hughes on Caballo Island, a Navy landing craft loaded with a mix- ture of diesel fuel and gasoline, and protected by firepower, pulled up to Fort Drum, which was occupied by Japanese defenders. A landing party went aboard to place a discharge hose in an opening, attached igniters and pumped the fuel into Fort Drum. As the landing craft and pro- tecting party backed away, it ap- peared the plan had failed. But after a short interval the first explosion oc- curred, followed by a series of blasts that lasted all afternoon. In fact, it was five days before American forces could enter what was left of Fort Drum. While a consular officer in Manila from 1981 to 1982, I researched the Manila Bay islands and visited Fort Mills on Corregidor. But I never con- vinced anyone to take me to Fort Drum as Mr. St. John did. Perhaps I was spared his fate. Fred Donner Former FSO Falls Church, Va. L E T T E R S