On my dad’s 69th birthday,
we were given a gift
a mystery about his elementary school’s name that led us on a once-in-a-lifetime journey.
Dada studied at Nellie E. Brown Elementary School
a public school in Olongapo City located in the northwestern side of the Philippines. Olongapo is known for being part of a U.S. naval base from 1901 to 1959. Until now, placenames in Olongapo tell stories about this time as streets and establishments carry foreign sounding names. However, my dad, his brothers, and the people they grew up with had no idea whom their beloved school was named after.
We found ourselves hooked on this mystery and began a 646-day pursuit of Nellie’s identity. From a simple question about a school, we travelled thousands of kilometers in the Philippines and a few hundred miles in the United States to try to find the answer. We visited archives, libraries, and community centers, wrote countless letters and social media posts, and asked so many people for clues to find the answer. Our search led us to reconnect with family and meet many friends along the way.
