Owner of iconic Michigan bookstore remembers childhood in occupied WWII Manila

In "Pulang Araw," viewers are immersed in the tumultuous tale of Adelina, Teresita, Hiroshi, and Eduardo as they navigate the challenges and atrocities of the Japanese occupation during World War II.

While the characters in the compelling hit GMA series are fictional, they embody the struggles faced by many Filipinos and Americans during that dark period in history. The series intricately weaves together themes of resilience, friendship, and survival against the backdrop of war-torn landscapes.

Transitioning from the fictional world to real-life heroism, GMA Integrated News sheds light on the remarkable story of eighty-five-year-old American Dean Hauck, the founder and owner of Michigan News Agency, an iconic landmark and bookstore in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Born in the Philippines in 1939, Hauck's childhood was disrupted by the harrowing events of World War Two, starting with the Japanese invasion of the Philippines.

"My mother, my sister and I were living in Baguio until the Japanese... invaded," Dean recounts.

Her family was sent to the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, a notorious internment camp for Americans and Filipinos captured by the Japanese.

Amid the turmoil, Dean's father served as a guerrilla warfare commissioner, while Dean herself found strength and resilience beyond her years within the confines of the camp.

She learned valuable lessons in community and survival, forming bonds with Filipino youth and their mothers as they worked together to endure the hardships of captivity.

Dean's life took another dramatic turn when the US forces, led by General Douglas MacArthur, returned to the Philippines. Facing imminent danger, Dean and her camp mates were rescued just in time by the American troops and Filipino guerrillas.

"The reason that I am alive is because the Filipinos helped the Americans liberate us," she says.

Escaping the internment camp at the tender age of six, Dean was eventually relocated to Hawaii and later Michigan, where she found solace in building a new life.

Despite the physical distance from her Filipino friends from the camp, Dean carries their memory in her heart, a testament to the enduring kindness and bravery of the Filipino people.

Dean's journey from wartime survivor to successful entrepreneur is a true testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Her story mirrors the themes of courage, friendship, and hope depicted in the hit series "Pulang Araw," serving as a powerful reminder of the indomitable strength that emerges in the face of adversity. — BM, GMA Integrated News