I Walked With Heroes

by Carlos P. Romulo

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

Genres: History

360 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1961

About the author

Carlos Peña Rómulo was a Filipino diplomat, politician, soldier, journalist and author. He was a reporter at 16, a newspaper editor by the age of 20, and a publisher at 32. He is the co-founder of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines.
He graduated from the University of the Philippines, (BA) 1918; Columbia University, New York City, (MA), 1921, Received from Notre Dame University, Indiana, Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa), 1935; Rollins College, Florida, Doctor of Literature (Honoris Causa), 1946; University of Athens, Greece, Doctor of Philosophy (Honoris Causa), 1948, University of the Philippines, Honorary Doctor of Laws, April 1949, Harvard University, Doctor of Laws Honoris Causa, 1950.
Rómulo served eight Philippine presidents from President Manuel L. Quezon to President Ferdinand Marcos as a cabinet member or as the country’s representative to the United States and to the United Nations.
He served as the President of the Fourth Session of United Nations General Assembly from 1949-1950, and chairman of the United Nations Security Council. He had served with General Douglas MacArthur in the Pacific, was Ambassador to the United States, and became the first Asian to win the Pulitzer Prize in Correspondence in 1942. The Pulitzer Prize website says Carlos P. Rómulo of Philippine Herald was awarded "For his observations and forecasts of Far Eastern developments during a tour of the trouble centers from Hong Kong to Batavia."
He served as Resident Commissioner of the Philippines to the United States Congress from 1944 to 1946. He was the signatory for the Philippines to the United Nations Charter when it was founded in 1946. He was the Philippines' Secretary (Minister from 1973 to 1984) of Foreign Affairs under President Elpidio Quirino from 1950 to 1952, under President Diosdado Macapagal from 1963 to 1964 and under President Ferdinand Marcos from 1968 to 1984.
In his career in the United Nations, Rómulo was a strong advocate of human rights, freedom and decolonization. During the selection of the UN's official seal, he looked over the seal-to-be and asked, "Where is the Philippines?" US Senator Warren Austin, head of the selection committee, explained, "It's too small to include. If we put the Philippines, it would be no more than a dot." "I want that dot!" insisted Rómulo. Today, a tiny dot between the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea can be found on the UN seal. In 1948 in Paris, France, at the third UN General Assembly, he strongly disagreed with a proposal made by the Soviet delegation headed by Andrei Vishinsky, who challenged his credentials by insulting him with this quote: "You are just a little man from a little country." In return, Rómulo replied, "It is the duty of the little Davids of this world to fling the pebbles of truth in the eyes of the blustering Goliaths and force them to behave!", leaving Vishinsky with nothing left to do but sit down. He was a candidate for the position of United Nations Secretary-General in 1953, but did not win. Instead, he returned to the Philippines and was a candidate for the nomination as the presidential candidate for the Liberal Party, but lost at the party convention to the incumbent Elpidio Quirino, who ran unsuccessfully for re-election against Ramon Magsaysay. Quirino had agreed to a secret ballot at the convention, but after the convention opened, the president demanded an open roll-call voting, leaving the delegates no choice but supporting Quirino, the candidate of the party machine. Feeling betrayed, Rómulo left the Liberal Party and became national campaign manager of Magsaysay, the candidate of the opposing Nacionalista Party who won the election.
In April 1955 he led the Philippines' delegation to the Asian-African Conference at Bandung.
Rómulo wrote and published 18 books, which included 'The United' (novel), 'I Walked with Heroes' (autobiography), 'I Saw the Fall of the Philippines', 'Mother America' and 'I See the Philippines Rise' (war-time memo

Reviews

[Tom Schulte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romulo seems possessed of an unperturbable enthusiasm. This vim took him from cub reporter to general in the US Army and the Philippine Army, university president, and president of the United Nations General Assembly. During this time he saw an imperialist U.S. take the briefly free Philippines into its fold. Despite seeing racism from Americans and unfair treatment, he fell in love with vision and hope of America, and like many compatriots fought for it and worked to participate in that dream, which sadly did not come their way.

One thing that seems painfully clear as a weakness in the UN Security Council is the veto power of permanent member nations. Romulo saw that in the nascent days of that institution:

The matter of the veto came up early in San Francisco. I was one of its determined opponents. It provided that any of the great powers could veto any matter involving world security. I feared that such a ruling, if abused by one of the great powers, would paralyze the United Nations, and this is exactly what has happened. In major issues the United Nations has been immobilized by that all-powerful Russian Nyet.

I teamed up with Minister for External Affairs Herbert Evatt of Australia, who led the fight against the veto, and we began a spirited series of debates.

Something I don't think I ever thought of is that Filipinos fought and died for America against Japan, then saw Japan receive the benefit of greater commercial and political ties with USA after the war:

Recently in New York at a great fair devoted to world trade I saw an entire floor given over to produce from a thriving Japan, while a single small booth held all the Philippines had to offer. Everywhere in America new Japanese stores and restaurants are doing a brisk business. Japanese products are in every American store. When I see Japanese trade being nourished and reactivated in America while the Philippines has to fight for everything it gets from this country can I be blamed for indulging in bitterness?

[C.J. Urquico · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very honest and at times humorous account of Carlos P. Romulo's journey through life. So may takeaways that are relevant today and in my opinion, for all time. One can only wish that the Philippines can once again spring forth leaders with the likes of Carlos, Quezon, Osmena, Roxas, the heroes he admired.

[Astudillo Bongryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK dudd

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now I know who I want to be like. :)

[Jean22 · Rating 3 out of 5]

read

[Cathy Rose]

Ok

[Maila]

i think is vey patriotic story