MANILA, Philippines — To express their keen sense of history and endless love for a Filipino icon – the jeep, owners of war vintage military jeeps gathered in Clark Air Base in Pampanga Dec. 3, a few days before the 70th anniversary of the infamous Dec. 12, 1941 Pearl Harbor attack that triggered the invasion of the Philippines. The gathering was to celebrate the birthday of the four-wheel-drive legend.

More than 50 fully-restored vintage jeeps – coming from Metro Manila and the provinces of Pampanga, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija and Cavite, had an “eye-ball” at Fort Stotsenberg at Clark for the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the historic vehicle.

The occasion was also highlighted by a reenactment of the Battle of Bataan, a nine-day fierce firefight between joint forces of the Philippine and United States military versus the Japanese Imperial Army that began in January 31, 1945.

Clad in World War II military uniforms, soldiers of the “Allied Forces” and the “Japanese Army” clashed in the middle of Fort Stotsenberg – to the delight of spectators – amid loud blasts of fireworks and colorful pyrotechnics, depicting the bloody encounter that eventually paved the way for the recapture of Bataan by US and Philippine armies.

Fully armed and loaded, the military jeeps rolled into the battle zone as the vehicle-mounted 50 caliber machine guns peppered the enemy positions to rescue the wounded Filipino and American soldiers during the reenactment staged by the Buhay na Kasaysayan and the Philippine Scouts Heritage Society Living History Company. Troopers equipped with Garands with bayonets, Springfield rifles, US-made Thompson submachine guns and caliber .45 as side arm, they sought refuge behind trenches as they traded gunfire with the Japanese forces.

Rommel Juan of MD Juan Enterprises, in an interview following the reenactment, said World War II vintage jeeps that included GPWs, M-38s, M151 and M-8A1 joined the fray for the reunion dubbed as “Season Jeepings.”

Vintage jeeps dating back from the Korean and Vietnam wars provided “reinforcement” to the World War II military workhorse.

Supported by CATS Motors, Inc., the vintage Jeep’s handsome great grandsons, the Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Grand Cherokee, also showed up.

Grace Enriquez, assistant manager for CATS Motors corporate communications, considered the event as “nostalgic.”

“Filipinos are jeep lovers. We have owner-type jeeps, public utility jeeps etc. and all of them are intertwined in our lives,” Juan said.

This is the reason why many Filipinos are obsessed on the restoration of vintage military jeeps.

Another reason, according to him, is the availability of parts for the vintage jeeps. The MD Juan Enterprises produces and sells restoration parts for Jeep lovers. “The jeep will never die,” he declared.

To recognize the restoration work and sense of history, there were also awards for best restored units and best military uniform.

True enough, after the fierce battle in the reenactment, all the “Jeepers” either wearing Japanese, American and Filipino World War II military uniform, regrouped with their families to celebrate the 70 years of the icon’s existence that survived not only the times of war, but also of peace.