Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Philippine Stamp: Col. Jesús Villamor


Jesús Antonio Villamor was a Filipino pilot who fought the Japanese in World War II.

For leading his squadron and for his two confirmed kills, Villamor was twice cited by the United States Army for bravery, receiving the Distinguished Service Cross for actions on December 10, 1941 and an Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a second award of the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) for actions on December 12, 1941, making him the only Filipino to receive the DSC twice.

For his bravery as a pilot and ingenuity as an intelligence officer, President Ramón Magsaysay awarded Lieutenant Col. Villamor the Medal of Valor, the highest Philippine military bravery decoration, on January 21, 1954. The Philippine Air Force's principal facility in Metro Manila which was first known as Nichols Field then later Nichols Air Base was renamed Col. Jesús Villamor Air Base in his honor.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Australian Stamp: Crown-of-thorns Starfish


The crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) is a large nocturnal sea star that preys upon coral polyps. The crown-of-thorns receives its name from venomous thorn-like spines that cover its body. It is endemic to tropical coral reefs in the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean. As solitary animals, they feed alone and maintain a distance between themselves and other members of their species.

The crown-of-thorns is the second largest sea star in the world. Only the sunflower starfish is larger.