Malinta Tunnel

Built by the Americans over 10 years from 1922 to 1932, Malinta tunnel served as the main headquarters during the seige of Corregidor. It housed both American and Filipino soldiers, Gen.Douglas MacArthur, and President Quezon, as wells as a 1000 bed hospital. Many of the lateral tunnels were secret and even the workers who built them were taken to and from the tunnels blindfolded. Many lateral tunnels were damaged during the war, some are still yet to be escavated. After the surrender of Corregidor, The Japanese took over the tunnel. They occupied the island for 3 years until it was recovered in Jan. 1945. We had a chance to explore some of the tunnels with only a flashllight, you can still see the scars of war on the inside walls of the tunnel. When the Amercan retook the tunnel they trapped the Japenese inside and poured napalm down the airshafts, nyone trying to flee out the exits were met with the machine guns Shirley is standing behind. The walls of the deep shafts of Malinta still have black residue from the fires.