00:00Eighty years after the Battle of Manila in 1945,
00:04some Americans died in the bombing of the Remedios Hospital.
00:10Among them, the hero and scientist Maria Orosa.
00:14This is Vaughn Aquino reporting.
00:19Thirteen out of the twenty-two victims were buried in a mass grave
00:23at Malate Catholic School, which is now a place of worship.
00:27Among them, the hero and scientist Maria Orosa.
00:31More than five years have passed since the meticulous process of
00:35exhumation of the bodies,
00:37forensic anthropology,
00:39and forensic DNA analysis.
00:41This was made possible by Matthew Westphal,
00:45grandson of one of the victims of the tragedy,
00:47Nikolai Prokopov,
00:49who was shot by a Japanese sniper
00:51and was taken to the Remedios Hospital.
00:54It was July 2019 when the mass grave at Malate Catholic School was found.
00:59Nobody knew it was destroyed.
01:01I rediscovered that destroyed grave,
01:03and right there, I remember coming back that evening,
01:06and I wrote the family in Connecticut,
01:08and I said, one way or another, I will get those bones out.
01:11They were taken to San Agustin Church, Colombario.
01:16The relatives of the victims,
01:18including the descendants of Maria Orosa, were grateful.
01:22Finally, by your efforts and the blessings of the Agustinians,
01:27Tita Mary, Lola Mary to me, has a resting place.
01:32Thank you, Matthew.
01:33As somebody who loved her country above herself,
01:35she wanted to stay here because she was helping,
01:38smuggling food to the prisoners in USC, to the guerrillas.
01:44The relatives of the victims planned to build a grave memorial for them.
01:48Remembering the heroes and the sacrifices,
01:51but also remembering and keeping in mind the impact of war
01:56and what war does to a society.
01:59Very important.
02:00The recognition and re-burial of the victims of the Remedios Hospital tragedy
02:05should be a way to not forget the memories,
02:09history, and heroism in the middle of the war.
02:13Von Aquino reporting for GMA Integrated News.
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