Daughter Tells Untold Stories of Her Mother’s Heroism in World War II During the Japanese Occupation of the Philippines

It began with an unexpected phone call and a startling statement: “You don’t know me, but your mother saved my life.”

That late-night conversation with an American World War II veteran and POW revealed to Elizabeth Ann Besa Quirino the untold stories of her mother’s remarkable wartime heroism in the Philippines and sparked a twenty-year journey of discovery about her mother’s lifelong acts of bravery and compassion. The result is Every Ounce of Courage, Elizabeth Ann’s tribute to her mother’s amazing life.

“This phone call changed my life,” Besa-Quirino says.  “I knew very little about my mother’s life during World War II, she never talked about it.  Nothing prepared me when I discovered how many lives my mother saved and the dangers her family faced.”  The caller wanted to thank Lulu for saving his life and told Elizabeth horrific tales of his incarceration and her mother’s bravery.

Lourdes “Lulu” Reyes Besa channeled the heartbreak of a childhood tragedy into a profound sense of compassion and service. She helped raise three brothers while still a child herself in the early years of the 20th century. Then, as a young socialite in the heydays of 1930’s Manila, she focused on meaningful philanthropy and charity work.

During the merciless Japanese occupation of the Philippines, Lulu embarked unflinchingly on dangerous missions to bring aid and comfort that meant the difference between life and death to countless Filipino and American prisoners of war, at great peril to her own life.  In 1947, President Harry Truman awarded Lulu two Medals of Freedom, becoming the first Filipino woman and civilian to be so honored for her valiant efforts.

In her mother’s story, Elizabeth discovered a complex life full of joy, sorrow, selflessness, and survival, and learned precious lessons about how the timeless bonds of family, the steadfast strength of faith and the power of an indomitable will can provide solace and sense in a world of uncertainty.

Every Ounce of Courage is a daughter’s story of her mother’s courage, brave struggles, and humanity in the bleakest of circumstances.  Elizabeth’s memories also involve the recipes her mother loved to make and the stories she told about them, some of which are included at the end of the book, providing a look into family life in the Philippine provinces pre- and post-war.

“This book is as warm and comforting as a home-cooked meal at a family table.  I savored every intimate morsel of these well-told and beautiful stories. – Ben Montgomery, author of New York Times best-selling Grandma Gatewood’s Walk

About the author:

Elizabeth Ann Besa-Quirino is an author and award-winning journalist, born and raised in the Philippines, and based in New Jersey, USA. She has written three cookbooks on classic Filipino food from her mother’s recipes. She is a contributor and recipe developer for SimplyRecipes.com, a digital food magazine; a correspondent for Positively Filipino magazine, and has written features on Philippine cuisine, culture, history. Read more of her stories and recipes on TheQuirinoKitchen.com.