Aug. 1977 - Philippine Defenders Main

VOLUM E 32
PITTSBURGH, PA. -
AUGUST, 1977
NUMBER 2
MEET US IN ST. LOUIS
NORTHWESTERN STATES
FLORIDA CHAPTER
You can see the Spirit of St. Louis in the
sparkling architecture of the city's skyline
dominated by the soaring Gateway Arch.
The Arch symbolizes this Spirit of St. Louis
and is a monument to our nation's westward expansion .
St. Louis began as a city of adventure
and discovery when it was founded in 1764
as a French trading post. Located at the
MONTGOMERY UNANIMOUS CHOICE
FOR COMMANDER
Monty Montgomery was elected for his
4th term as commander at the 12th annual
meeting of the northwestern states
chapter, American Defenders of Bataan
and Corregidor held in Missoula Montana ,
June 18, 1977. Other officers elected were:
Lewis H. Elliott, Sr. Vice Commander ;
Walter Wheeling, Jr. Vice Commander;
Gerald Kelly , Adjutant; Tom Hammil,
Chaplain; James M. Young, Sec'y Treas;
and stan Dawson, Service Officer.
Others attending were: Mr. and Mrs.
W.O. White, L.A. Teller, P.J. Cammeron,
Mr. and Mrs. H.E. Branch, W.L. Arnold,
Mr. and Mrs. L.J. Raymond and Mr. and
Mrs. C.L . Cunningham.
Billings, Montana will be the site for the
1978 meeting - June 17,1978 - Keep this
date in mind.
Mr. and Mrs. Lewis H. Elliott were in
charge of the Missoula meeting and are to
be complimented for a fine job. The
meeting ended with a Banquet at the Elks
Club.
Wm. Bill Arnold was host to Mr. and
Mrs. Walter Liles and daughter Charlene
at Saturday morningbreakIast.
Arnold was sponsor for Charlene at the
Shrine Crippled Childrens Hospital in
Spokane, Washington several years ago.
Miss Liles, now 18 will be a senior in
Missouls High School, has had 13 major
operations on her legs and feet .
Charlene told Bill she can now walk with
out her cruch, and could never thank him
enough for the help he gave as a child, how
wonderful it was toseeher walk. She plans
to be a dental technician after graduation.
Florida Chapter, American Defenders of
Bataan and Corregidor elects Sam Moody,
Past National Commander to be the Slate
Commander for the year 1971-78.
At a Joint meeting of the Florida and
Georgia Chapters held at Winter Park
F10rida over the Memorial Day weekend
about 165 Couples mellor three days of fun
and to share some pleasant memories.
Friday 27th started with a welcome
Cocktail Party and F100r show in the Pent
House Room of the Langford Hotel.
On Saturday morning with the election
of Officers and new Board members the
following members were elected:
Sam Moody, Florida State Commander
Jim Attwell Vice Commander
Walter Chatham, Secretary
Marve Bullock, Treasurer
Art Dimeo, Historian
The Board of Directors for the coming
year were:
Ed Urbaschack, Duke Fullerton, Hyman
Bernstein, Sam CastriaMi & H. Milton
In the early evening the ladies sponsored
a poolside water show, cocktail party for
the men, which was followed by a Prime
Rib Dinner and then a two hour noor show.
Highlights of the evening were when
General Pick Diller inducted the new
Officers for the coming year with an ancient ceremony that impressed the entire
gathering.
The last day was followed up with a
Buffet supper and dancing.
The next meeting is to be held the last
weekend in Oct. in St. Pete Beach Florida.
We hope that anyone who is visiting
Florida at that time will drop in for a visit.
Fla. now has almost 400 ex POW's'!iving in
this state.
Jim Attwell was the General Chairman
for a most successful convention.
confluence of the mighty Mississippi and
Missouri Rivers, it became the gateway to
the western lands beyond. Lewis and Clark
launched their two year expedition from
St. Louis. They were followed by trapper,
soldier, railroader, boatman, gold seeker,
and settler.
The tempo of these early days was the
beginning of the Spirit of St. Loois. The
city, with its diversity and location, at the
population center, uniquely reflects the
history and vitality of all America.
81. Louis bas the industry aDd commerce
of the north. In fact, SL Louis has the most
diversified economy of any major U.S.
city. You name it, shoes, aircraft, beer,
automobiles, chemicals, clothing, and
hundreds more - they are all made and
traded in St. Louis.
St. Louis has the culrural and
educational interests of the east. For
generations, Ille city has been a center for
cultural activities arxi education west of
the Mississippi. Today, 26 instirutions of
higher learning thrive in the S1. Louis
area, and, the St. Louis Symphony
Orchestra is the second oldest in the
nation.
St. Louis has the hospitality, style, and
sense of history of the south. steamboats
moving on the mighty Mississippi created
strong ties between S1. Loois and ports to
the south - Memphis, Vicksburg, and New
Orleans. Up the river came jazz. ragtime,
French and seafood cuisine, still enjoyed
in St. Louis.
Most of all, St. Louis has the spirit of
advenbJre, discovery, determination, and
progress born of the westward experience.
While tens of thousands passed through st.
Louis on their way west, other thousands
remained to establish a center of progress
and opportunity.
St. Louis began its reach beyond, with
the river, and today, is still reaching - to
the stars and the universe .. Going back as
<Continuedoa Pagel)
TRISTATE CHAPTER
a
s..
Commander
Chuck
Bloskis
has
DIego Con.eation Pictl,. Booklet
arranged a chapter picnic at Able
The 32nd National AD~&C convention
Abraham's Farm August 14, 1m. The picture booklet and directory of aU persons
farm is located on Route 68 half way from attending the convention at San Diego is
Butl~r and Evans City. Check a Penn- available for $2.00 each _ a real bargain
sylvania road map. The date is August 14, for those that want additional books or
1m from noon on.
those that did not atterxi this great conBring your picnic basket. refreshments, vention. The directory will list the names
iceandcharcoalwillbeprovided.
and addresses of all members present.
Please contact Able Abraham Box 9340, Please send your remittance to William
Evans City Rd. , Renfrew, PA 16053.
Snimo, 2701 E . Brookside Ave., Orange,
Watch for "Bataan" sign on Rt. 68 ~ go CA 92667. Supply is limited, so act now!
L _ _ _ --'''-'-_ _- '_ _ __ _--'
down Able's Drive. Everyone is invited.
Oedinted 10
both li'rin,lIId dell! who tUlht apinst
oYerwhtlmin.
lI.in It the e!1e1l1J 111111 out break 01w)r1d War II.
Offici. Pllblication of the
AMERICAN DEFENDERS OF BATAAN & CORREGIDOR. INC.
(INClUDING ANY UNIT OF FORCE OF THE ASIATIC FLEET, PHILIPPINE ARCHIPELAGO.
WAKE ISLAND. MARIANNA ISLAND. AND DUTCH EAST INDIES)
HOMOUnOFflCUS
ReM Adm•• Hetlry W. Goodill . . . .
. , • . HoncN.y Commlll_
.hk M. WofIlleld .
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ReM Adm •• AlII! R. McCfacllen
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Samuel B. Moody
Belson Guyloft
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Invoca tion : Memorial Service. Chaplain (Col. ) LeslieF. Zimmerman USAF (Ret.)
Almighty God, judge of all nations and ruler 01. a ll men - to whom all hearts are open
and £rom whom no secrets are hidden ;
Help our hearts to seek thee, our minds to understand thee and our purposes todo thy
will.
Mayall we do and say here reneet our £aith in thee a nd in thy promises.
Be pleased to bless this service with thy presence ;
With dignity - that we may fittingly remember our departed ComradesAnd with a sense o£ the truth that death is nota grave but a door to things which eyes
cannot see, ears have never heard, and which our hearts are not yet able to understand.
We ask in thy na me. Amen.
Scripture Psalm 142; Psalm 133 ; Psalm 136 :1-5;
Prayer: Our Father, You have given us a great nation of our own; and you have
placed the virtues of love of Country, love of Family and love o£our £ellowman within our
hearts We come now to remember, honor, cherish and exalt our departed ComradesTheir remembrance is beautiful to us; their deeds or valor are not forgotten ;
Their moments of weakness remind us all 0{ the times we would like to £orget when
our frail bodies yielded to the pressures 01. sU£fering and starvation.
We commit our love o£ them to thy keeping.
Be gentle with them £or they have endured more than man can understand;
Be £orgiving, for they have special need 0( your CompassionSave a special place for them close to you, for they were separated £or so long £rom
home and family a nd£rom beauty and £rom goodness;
Bless their £amilies who remain behind - may they cherish their virtues, forget
their £ra ilties and carryon their love ol Country and its Flag.
And bless us all, for cur days, too, are numbered and OlD' lines are closing - and the
days are not distant when we hope to meet again and share ourquan with those who have
gone before us. Amen.
2-TheQuaD
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151 Sttamore _ .
3960 IZlh Street N.
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BelhPIl', New VGI'k 11114
St. PeIHWIA'I. A,. 33703
c:.dnlnilie. Me¥. 89410
1·516-WE1-79"
813-522-5027
IfUGIJI l FEINn
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Senice OUice
Adjutlllt
103 MeflcIIte Or.
11)3 eo ... , Street
704 14th _ . S.E.
Hlmplon. YI. 23369
a..cIon, CMlio 44t124
Dec,III, AI •. 35601
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9'4-338.5261
PORT AREA GANG
Twenty·six ( 26 ) members of Comma nder G. G. Harrison's 400 "thieves" ol
Port Area , Manila, P .L, attended a break£ast get-together on Friday, May 6, 1977,
while a ttending the 32nd National ADB&C
Convention in Sand Diego. This is the first
lime that so many 01. the Port Area
" thieves" got together since 19M. All
present had a great reunion with many tall
tales spun ! This was an imp-omptu
reunion and all Pl"eIIeat expressed the
desire to have this reunion made an aMual
event. Leroy Galbraith r:J. MinneapoliS
volunteered to chair the next meeting.
More information on this gatbering in THE
QUAN next year. Also, it was suggested
that we invite Mr. Sugguso, our Japanese
commander, Port Area, and now living in
Japan, to our next reunion. Let's get all G.
G. Harrison's 400 " thieves" to a 2nd
reunion next year by sending in any known
names and addresses to Leroy so a
complete roster or members can be
maintained. They will be contacted a nd
invited to attend the next reunion.
HEY LOOK US OVER
August, 1917-3
Dear Sir:
I obtained your name {rom The Mark M.
Wohlfield Collection on Bataan a nd
Corregidor held by the US Army Military
Research Collection, Carlisle Barracks,
PA, wherein you corresponded with
Captain John De Martini who assembled
the collection.
I am attempting to contact the Army
Nurses who were on Corregidor and
Bataan, particularly those who were
Prisoners of War. Only one nurse had
responded to Capt. De Martini's query and
Wllorlunately my letter to her was
returned as "Moved - No Forwarding
Address. "
I would appreciate it if you could include
a note in The Quan that I would like to hear
from the nurses themselves and any others
who served with them during the period or
have current knowledge of their address.
The purpose of my quest is not to
publicize the women themselves, but to
obtain their opinions on the question of
"Army women being assigned to combat
and combat support units. While the
Nurses were technically non-eombatants,
their experience under combat conditions
is the most extensive ava ilable. I hope they
will assist me, by providing their opinions,
in developing an article for or against the
position on women in combat.
YOW'S truly,
MARIAN N. FERNANDES
TO : THE AMERICAN DEFENDERS OF
BATAANANDCORREGIDOR
I am pleased to extend my greetings and
welcome to those attending the 32nd a nnual convention of the American Defenders of Hataan and Corregidor.
Those who served in the Pacific during
World War II deserve recognition for their
pa rt in this important moment of
American history. Your courage and
commitmentare commendable.
Best wishes foranenjoyablemeeting .
GOV. EDMUND G. BROWN
HELP- Edward R. McIntyre, P.O. Box
361, Lake Isabella , Calif. 93240, would like
to contact anyone who remembers his
treatment for a Banana Spider bite and
lingering illnESS while a POW in the
Philippines, and his treatment and
hospitalization while a POW at Camp
Fukuoka on Island or Kyushu, Japan.
THANKS
Thanks to Eunice Baggett and Harold
Van Alstine for furnishing your editor with
pictures of the San Diego Convention.
We appreciate the articles from many of
the members. Helen and your editor spent
some time on the West Coast after the
convention , therefore the delay in the last
issue of the Quan.
---
CAMP 17
4-TbeQuan
Andrew Miller, 1605 Cagua Dr ., N.E. ,
Albuquerque, N. Mex. 87110, needs help on
his claim to the VA . If you can help write
Andrew.
Dear Joeand FeUow Member :
OUr next regular meeting will be August 13th and 14th at the Holiday Inn, Seymour,
Indiana. Please make your reservations early. 'nM!re is also a Days Inn close by for those
whocboose.
1TINERARY:
Sllturday. Aug. 13th
}-6P.M. Quan in West Room
5-5:30 P.M. Business Meeting
6: 3().7 : 30 Banquet in West Room (Cest $5.50 each plus tax and tip)
7:30-1 Quan in West Room. Also a dance with live band at VFW for those who want to
dance.
Saaday, Aag.14tb
1:30 P .M. VJ Day Parade. Ample transportation for us as we are their honored guests.
There will be a program at Bulleit Stadiwn immediately fonowing parade.
Dusk Fireworks at Freeman Field easy 01. Armory.
Former Governor Ed Whitcomb and L.R. Ross of the VFW are planning toshow us a
great time while in Seymour. Ed has some Philippine wine and a blood rock from
Corregidor- for each 01. us who attend.
Sounds great! Also, remember out Chapter's annual $5.00 dues was payable as 01.
May 1. (You must first be a J:8id..up member 01. the NatiooalJ . If you cannot attend,
please remit your dues to: John Aldred, 1720 Cardinal Court, Shively, KY 40216. Our
commemorative plates are also still available for $3.00 a piece from Aldred.
.
FraternaUy,
Fraternally,
Joe Mihok
John A. Crago
Secretary
Commander
Kentuckiana Chapter
Dear Mr. Errington,
1 read about your attendance at the reunion 01. the American Defenders or Bawn
and Corregidor in the May 8, '77 edition or the Sacramento Bee newspaper. My uncle,
Sergeant Joseph C. Baranek, ASN6548634, Battery "C" , 59thCAC, Fort Mills, P.1. (Coast
Artillery Corps) was also in the death March - a prisoner of war.
He sent one card home 10 Folsom, Calif.
Imperial JapaneseArmy :
I am entered at Philippine Military Prison Camp No. 3 - date in question.
and another dated 10 Nov. 1943
I am entered at PrisonCampNo.IO-C
Enclosed is a copy 01. a letter sentmy grandmother (grandparents now deceased but
Joseph - my uncle bas living brothers and sisters). This letter relates rrom the War
Department the last incidents supposedly 01. my \mcle's life.
Is there any possibility you may have known him or know of some one or those you
attended the reunion with who might h8ve been in his Battery "C" - CAC and could teU
t8 more about him. Any information would be appreciated.
Sincerely youn,
( Mrs.) DorotbyW. Clark
P .S. U I could supply other identification, I would try.
Dear Mrs. Baraoek:
'Mte Internatiooal Red Crosa bas transmitted to this Government an ofCicial list
obtained from the Japanese Government, after king delay, of American prisoners 01. war
who were lost while being transported northward from the Philippine Islands OIl a
Japanese ship which was suPkon:zt October 1*. It is witb deep regret that I inform you
that your son, Sergeant Joseph C. Baranek, 6,50&8,&14, was amon.g those lost when that
sinking occurred and, in tbeabsence 01. any probability of survival, must be considered to
have lost his life. He win be carried on the records of the War Department as killed in
action 24 October 1944. Theevidence 01. his deathwu received 16June 1945, the date upon
which his pay wiD terminate and his accounts will be closed.
The information available to the War Department is that the vessel sailed from
Manila, Philippine Isla., oa 11 October 1* with I'm prisoners of war aboard. On 24
October 19M the vessel was sur*: by submarine action in the South China Sea over 200
miles from the Chinese CUlst which was the nearest land. Five of the prisoners escaped
in a small boat and reached the coast Four others have been reported as picked up by
the Japanese, by whom aU olhen aboard are reported losl Absence 01. detailed information as to what happened to other individual prisoners and the known cir·
cumstances 01. the incident lead to a conclusion that aU other priaooers listed by the
Japanese as aboard the veasel perisbed.
It is with deep regret that t must ootify you of this unhappy culmination 01. the king
period of anxiety and suffering you have experienced. You have my heartfelt sympathy.
Sincerely yours,
J .A. UUO
Major General
The Adjutant General of the Anny
BESSA NG PASS
It was a march down memory lane for
President Marces as the nation marked
the 32nd anniversary of the victory of the
combined Filipino and American forces at
Bessang Pass yesterday with appropriate;
ceremonies at Fort Bonifacio and Nichols
Air Base.
The President who had borne arms in
the battle for a 5,OOIHoot mountain that
guarded the beleaguered J apanese
General Tomoyuki Yamashita 's forces in
a last-ditch stand in the Mountain
Provinces recalled the glory and glory
days in the rites.
First of all, he and his comrades-at·arms
paid homage to the tomb of the Unknown
Soldier at the Libinganng mga Bayani at
Fort Bonifacio. A large number of Filipino
troops, many of them still unknown, died
in the battle.
Then , he was the principal speaker at a
lunch commemorating the battle at
Nichols Air base.
The First Lady, Metro Manila Governor
Mrs. lmedla R. Marcos, also attended the
ceremonies.
During his talk, the President said that
the battle represented a decisive chapter
in Philippine history when the struggle for
liberation finally proved triumphant and
supreme.
"Of all the battles of the liberation, it
was this one decisive encounter that
finally brought the Japanese forces on
their knees and paved the way for the fuJI
recovery of the whole counb-y," he said.
He recalled the Japanese had dug in the
strategically located pass, 5,000 feet above
sea level with the full might of their arms.
" Against this strategic defense line were
arrayed five regiments of the USAFIP in
NorthLuzon," the President reca lled .
He said the USAFIP troops began as a
motley group of officers and men from the
resistance and landing forces many of
whom were green volunteers and a
number, survivors of the battles of
Corregidor and Bataan all under the
command of Col. Russel W, Volckmann.
The battle lasted lor four months. The
final phase 01. battle, the President said ,
wou1d be remembered for its ferocity ,
courage and the high cost suffered on both
sides.
" It was this mighty heave of courage ,
endurance and determination that turned
the tide at the pass and brought the
Japanese to their knees," he said.
Sir John l'IIasterman
Through Sir John's system, Britain and
the United Slates received a clear indication in August, 1941, that Pearl Harbor
woukl be the first American target if the
United States became involved in the war.
or
'Ibe significance the information was
not grasped and the United States was
unprepared when the Japanese bombed
Pearl Harbor four months later.
Aug.t. 1117 - 5
OUTGOING COMMANDER'S SPEECH
Joseph T. Poster
I stand here before you tonight with
mixed emotions. I feel deeply honored to
have been chosen your National Commander for this past year, for which I will
always be grateful. However, I can't help
but feel somewhat melancholy at the fact
that 1 will very shortly become a " has
been" .
I would like to take this opportunity to
thank my dear wife, Helen, who has
sacrificed far above what was expected of
her, because without her patience and
understanding throughout this difficult
year , all that has transpired would have
been impossible.
I look back over my year as National
Commander with justifiable pride; going
back to our last Convention in Atlantic City
~ our meetings at the Freedom Foundation in June and October; our executive
board meeting in Pennsylvania's Pocono
Mountains last August, and our winter
meeting at Annapolis.
We have accomplished much this year,
and I am proud that all of the objectives
and goals we had established for ourselves
have been fulfilled.
HeleD Poster, Co-a.airmao Era Saccone, Bea Saccone, and Oat Going Comm8oder
Joe POfiter.
Dear Joe:
27th Bomb Group to meet in Savvanah to
dedicate Memorial Plaque to its officers
ST. LOUIS
andAirmen.
All officers and Airmen of the old 27th
Cont. from page 1
Bomb Group will be meeti~ in Savannah,
far as the 1840'S, when daredevils were Georgia on the 6th through the 8th of Oct.
making balloon ascensions. Sl. Louis has 1977 for the 2nd reunion of the 27th Bomb
been fascinated with air and space travel. Association. Purpose of the reunion will be
When Charles Lindbergh, supported by a to dedicate a Bronze tablet in Memory of
group of S1. Louis businessmen, made his those that have passed away.
non-slop, solo flight from New York to Brig. General Williams Hipps, President,
has announced an outstanding program
~aris, the city was established as an
and says that if you did enjoy Savannah in
aircraft center.
1974 that you will find this get together
So, it is not surprising that the first much better and a lot more fun. Most
spacecrafts to carry American astronauts activities will take place at Hunter Field in
beyond the earth were built in St. Louis. St. Savannah. Hq. will be the Ramada Inn.
Louisans have continued to be pioneers in For any extra information please write to
medicine, the environment, education, the association Secretary: Sam Moody.,
architecture, industry, and the arts. While 102 Bay Berry Road, Longwood, Fla. moo
pioneers of the past are remembered, Sl.
Thank you Joe
Louis is a vital city of the seventies,
Sam
participating vigorously in the daily dash
WE NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE!
for the future. Today, St. Louis is experiencing its greatest period of new Mrs. Eva Williams
construction, especially in the downtown 402 Madison Avenue
Placentia, California 92670
area.
Mrs. Eva Williams would like to hear
This is the Spirit of St. Louis. . a rich from anyone who knew her brother,
history, a vibrant present reflecting the Howard James, from the Four Marines.
north, south, east, and west; and a
If you have any information on Howard
promiSing future in America's third James, please contact Mrs. Williams.
It is believed Howard James went down
century. We invite you to relax, explore,
and enjoy our city. Let the Spirit of St. on a Japanese ship of which there were
Louis Smile on You!
only five survivors.
6-1beQuan
However, the most important goal I
have set for myself has not been completed, because I discovered that what I
most deeply wanted to accomplish could
not be done in one year, in two, or in three;
that is to instill in each and everyone of us
such pride in our organization that it
stands above us as mere people and individuals; that our organization stands as
a shrine of humanity born in inhumanity,
of love born in hate, and of dedication to
our fellowman, which was born in
comradeShip few men on this earth could
possibly understand.
So, as I step aside as National Commander and tum the gavel over to John
Bennett, I must again remind you what we
are here for, why we exist as an
organization. ~ The comradeship we all
feel for one another exists because we
were once thrown into hell together, and
some - like we here today - lived, but
many are no longer with us. Let us never
forget them and their loved ones, because
this is the very essence of our purpose. To
stand as a symbol against man's
inhumanity to man, and as a constant
reminder for the entire nation so that we
will never f()rget the degradation we and
our country' suffered at the hands of
Japanese and that this very degradation
unified us here tonight in a bond. of
comradeship unparalled before, or since.
Thank you for allowing me to serve as
your National Commander.
Donald M. Coombs, Stonington, ME,
04681. Member of " B" Co. 803RD Eng.
would like to contact men from his outfit.
J.R. COYLE
James Russell Coyle, 59, of 126 E . Main,
East Helena, died ' ·2·71 at the Fort
Harrison VA Hospital following a lengthy
illness.
He was born AprU 14, 1918 in Omaha,
Neb., the son olClaude and RutbCoyle. He
attended schools in Nebraska and Iowa.
He entered the Army in 194I and served in
the South Pacific. In June, 1942, he was
taken prisoner by the Japanese in the
Philipplnea. He wasn't released by the
Japanese unW September, 1945. While in
the Pbillpplnes, he was awarded the Silver
star,LegiooofMerltaudPurpIeHeart.
On Aug. 23, 1947, Mr. Coyle married the
former Marjorie Smith in Helena.
He Is survived by his mother, Ruth/
Coyle, Spokane; his widow ; three
daughters.
WEIDMANN
ROCCOMATZ
COL. C.E. HOWARD
Rocco H. Matz, 681 Garfield Street,
Huletoo, Pennsylvania, 18201 , passed
away 28 February 11m at the Hershey
Medical Center 01 tbe PeMSylvania State
University. "Rex" as he was popularly
known, was the victim of heart failure and
he would have been 57 years of age on July
Retired Army Col. Charles Edward
Nason Howard, 69, a survivor cA the
Balaan Death Ma rch in World Warn, died
Wednesday May 7, 1977 at Walter Reed
Hospital after a long illness.
From 1959 Wltil his retirement in 1961, he
was president of the Army Physical
Evaluation Board here.
Born the son of an Army officer at the
old Ft. Mott, N.J ., Col. Howard bad spent
part of his youth in Wa shington. He
graduated (rom the Military Academy at
West Point in 1931, and was commissioned
in the field artillery .
He was assigned to the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, and after
serving at Army posts in this COWltry. was
sent to the Philippines.
Col. Howard commanded a unit of the
Philippine Scouts, who fought in the battle
for Bataan. Taken prisoner, he survived
the Death March and was sent to Japan
where he was held prisoner until the end d.
the war.
He then served at the Pentagon and Fl
Meade. and in Germany, France and
Korea, where in 1958 and 1959 be was
senior adviser of the 5th ROK Corps.
Col. Howard held many decorations,
including the Silver Star and Legion of
Merit He was a member of the Society of
the Cincinnati.
He is slU'Vived by his wife. Elizabeth, of
the home in Arlington; two daughters,
Mrs. Chadwick C. Thompson, cA Ft. Hood.
Tex.. and Mrs. Henry W. Austin, of
Virginia Beach ; a brother, retired Navy
Rear Adm. James H. Howard, 01
Alexandria, and five grandchildren.
3rd.
Rex arrived in the Philippines with the
7th Chemical Company and this unit was
disbanded on Rataan. Rex was then attached to the 31st Infantry 1.mtil the
surT'eIlder 00 April 9th. He was interned at
both Cabanaluan and later in Hiro Hata,
Japan where be was held for two years
before liberation.
Rex leaves his wife, Peggy. one sister,
Delores ; anda brother, Fred alsurvivors.
Honorary PaUbearers included Past
National Commander ArthlD' A. Breasi
and Howard "Skinner" Ayres, formerly of
the 28th Material Squadron of Clark Field,
both long·time friends of thedeceased.
Notification of death.
Major- Harvey Weidmann, REserve
Officer, USA., died of a beart attack, age
FAULKNER
82, was a civilian mlningengiDeer, weaton
active duty with the Army e~ in
Ace Faulkner died June 19, urn.
Bataan. Died in his bome town of Baraboo, Attended the San Diego Convention was
Wisconsin in December 1976.
hospitalized on June 2nd. SUrvived by wife
R.I.P . Evelyn.
DA Y OF SURRENDER
By WILLIE JURADO
WilDe J.ndo wu plato. serceaat 01
the ZItd pla'-. Co_pIIay I, Zad. Batt.aUoa.
ZBd. FA (mac:blae JIlD) re~ Zad.
Regular Divis'" 01 u.e USAFFE. He wu
ODe .f u.e few Dewa,.penBeII . . r....
ill Bataaa aad lanived tile Dell. Marcia
aDd the Ca,.1 Coacealntioa c..p.
Bataan had fallen!
The sound of rifle fire had ceased in the
stale air, there was the absence of the
unusual soaring Jap planes and blasting
eaMon's roar. Peace or was it unearthly
silence . . . reigDed. Black Saturday
during lent, April 9, 1942 - a day I shaD
never forget and still so vividly remember,
like it was only yesterday.
The night before, I was told by my
commanding officer that we were then the
main line of resistance. I ordered my men
to dig in and prepare for next day's battle.
But that morning soldiers were ruMlng
from
all direction, Filipinos and
Americans alike. 1 asked wbat the matter
was aoo was told that the fighting was
over, Gen. Jonathan Wainright bad 0rdered all FiI·Am troops of the USAFFE in
Bataan tosurrender.
I could not believe it. Only a week ago we
were told that a big American convoy was
on its way to bring us food and arms. I
didn't want to believe that Bataan had
fallen . I called up the company and
batallion command posts - the phone
rang in vain . . . no one answered. Only
then did I realize, with bitter acceptance,
that something was reaDy amiss.
My limbs trembled and I felt a painful
10neliness in my heart. There was a
mixture of deep agony and helpless sadness from within my system. I was only 21
and to give up my life for freedom and
country reigned supreme. Three months in
the jungle fastnesses ot Bataan - made
me a fun gl'O'NnmanJ I would raUler face a
thousand deaths than surrender - aU that
mattered was victory. All seemed i(EtI It
was more than death itself - the ignominy
of defeal
Taking full control cA myself I urged my
men to be brave. I told them that all was
not lost. Though brave and big men they
were, tears nowed from thelr eyes - they
wanted to f,ght . I shook their hands and
bade them goodbye.
I was with two cAficers - Lt. Jose
Nepomuceno and Captain Rogado, going
to the national road where FiI·Am soldiers
were waiting for the victorious forces d.
Nippon. 00 the way we saw soldiers lying,
lame and dying - some mercifully dead, I
prayed awhile - boping that the dear Lord
wcukl take heed and that a miracle would
happen.
Two bours of walking brought us to the
road in Cacaben. 'Ibere I saw hordes d
soldiers, poorly clad. sickly, thin,
emaciated and unsbaven. We were too. We
waited for the victors to arrive.
While waiting I started to think . What
would happen to us? What would the Japs
to do us? I closed my eyes as I sat on a big
rock by the side of the road. I remembered
borne - the nice food, my lovi"Ilr mother's
care, the solt bed, the nice bath and a visit
to my girl friend's house.
Tears began to swell from my eyes. I
could hardly hold beck my tears from
falling . Then the tanks of the enemy came
roaring and we were told to stand at attention.
From one of the tanks - a Jap d.flcer
told us to place our hands at the back of cur
nape and form lines of four . We ColJowed
the order. What else could we do? Then the
Japs swarmed over us and took a ll the
valuables they could fioo.
We were herded Uke scared chicken guarded by armed Japanese soldiers on
both sides of the r oad -shouting Kura and
other Jap invectives whicb not one of us
understood. Thus began the infamous
Death March to Camp Odonnel in Capas,
Tarlac.
To me. April 9 is a day of infamy and
ignominy - a day to remember but
perhaps, better to forget!
Aupel, 1177-1
DEDICATION CEREMONIES
SR 38 8ATAAN MEMORIAL HIGHWAY DEDICATION
MONDAY, JUNE 13, 1977
3:00 PM
ON SR 38 and SR 32, west of 37 in Noblesville
INDIANA
Organized on the eve of America's entry into World War I, the 38th Infantry Divisi~
has compiled an enviable record of service to state and nation during peace and war.
Its units rought in France during the 1917·18 conflict. some of them as part of the
celebrated Rainbow Division, an outfit made up of Natiooal Guardsmen from 26 !llates.
Mobilized in January 1941 , the 38th - which then included Nationa1 Guard units [rom
Indiana. Kentucky and West Virginia - helped defend the Gulf Coast after the Pearl
Harbor invasion scare. The division then served in Hawaii and New Guinea before undertaking its majorcomoot assignment of the war - liberation of the Philippines.
The 38th was assigned the task d. recapturing Bataan Peninsula, where Americans
and Filipinos had so resolutely fought a doomed delaying action against the onrushing
Japanese in 1942. 1be tragic episode is forever etched in America's military heritage as
an example of uncommon heroism and suffering in the(aceof hopeless odds.
On January 29, 1945, the division landed in Subic Bay, at the west neck of Bataan, and
began to wrestle control olthe peninsula from a determined and wen·entrenched enemy.
First Phase of the operation involved gaining control of Zig Zag Pass, a twisting mountain trail which traversed the neck of Batasn.
It woul~ be difficult to find worse fighting terrain i near-vertical cliffs, hairpin trails
and heavy Jungle. The Japanese bad forged a complex of entrenchments, tunnels, caves
and pillboxes to provide barricades against advancing Americans. The encounter was a
bloody one, with fierce battles almost every mile.
By mid-February, the pass was in American control. The Japanese bad considered
Zig Zag impregnable and l06t more than 1,800 troops defending it. Guardsmen of the38th
suffered losses too. Forexample, baH of its second lieutenants were casualties during the
fighting and were replaced by enlisted men who were given batuefield promotions.
The second phase of the Bataan operation called for a drive down the.east coast,
coupled with an assault landing at Mariveles, on the pen.il"lSula's southern tip. Units of the
reinforced 38th trllantry Division began the lS--mile drive southward and encountered
only scattered opposition. Engineers quickly built bridges as infantrymen engaged the
enemy in sporadic fire fights . The Mariveles beachhead was taken without casualties. In
only seven days' time, from the onset of the second phase, the peninsula was secure.
Since that lime, the 38th Infantry Division has held the designation : "The Avengers
ofBataan."
Later, the Guardsmen cleared resistance from rortHied islands in Manila Bay,
secured mountainous regions west of Clark Field on Luzoo and "mopped up" areas east
of Manila .
The tradition of dedication and heroism lives on today in the 38th Infantry Division,
considered by many observers to be the (irst National Guard division in the nation. The
Avengers of Bataan are pace-setters among National Guard organizations in the quality
of training and personnel. On numero\1'S occasions - mOllt recently the devastating
blizzards of the winter of 1971 - Guardsmen d. the 38th have provided valuable
assistance to citizens and communities in Indiana and Michigan, where Its units now are
located.
WILLIAM J. WATI
JAP SHRINE
Within the confines oflhe park, known to
the old Cebuanos as Plaza Libertad, Is a
spanking new shrine for the dead Japanese
and Filipino soldiers of the last war. 1be
imposing 50,000 memOrial, seemingly out
of place amidst the shabby surrounding,
nevertheless. is a favorite spot for
meditation and prayers by visiting
Japanese tour groups.
The monument of President Ramon
Magsaysaysay, who died in a plane crash
in the hills of Cebu in 1957, has long since
been tom down and removed by the city
government (rom Plaza Independencia.
because it was reportedly too poorly DUilt.
The monument to "the man 01 the
masses" was however, never replaced.
8-TbeQuan
COME TO ST. LOUIS
IN 78 MEMORIAL
AT JEFFERSON BARRACKS
that the Japanese had already moved
artillery into place on a n "S" curve.
"1bey had them like sitting ducks,"
Diaz said in describing how the American
tanks were picked off as they drove around
the curve.
Diaz spent perhaps an hour solwnnly
looking over the hilly ground which
marked the battlefield. "I 'm the first one
to return" to the site, he said.
ROYDIAZ
Thirty-five years after the surrender of
Bataan to the Japanese in the early days 0{
World War n, Salinas farmer Roy Diaz
made a pilgrimage to the Philippines
where so many of his comrades fell .
Diaz, now 50, was a tank mechanic with
the Salinas National Guard 40th Tank Co.
when the Japanese overran the Philip-pines. C.Co. I94th TK-BN
Just 47 of the lOB--men in the Salinas
Tank Company survivied the Balasn
Death March and Japanese prison camps
to return home. Diaz still carries a scar
across his head where he was struck by a
Japanese officer 's sword when an escape
attempt from a prison camp was
discovered.
Diaz returned to the Philippines at the
invitation of the government of President
Ferdinand E. Marcos which sponsored a
Reunion for Peace to bring together
veterans from aU three countries: the
United States, Japan and the Philippines.
But nearly as soon as his plane touched
down April 2 in the Philippines, Diaz left
the official reunion gathering and struck
out alone for the town 01. Lucbam in
southern Luzon where "We (the Salinas
tank unit) lost five tanks Christmas Day in
1941 ."
For Diaz, a return to the old battlefield
was the only reason for his long
pilgrimage. "I wanted to see the spot just
to satisfy myself, I guess," be explained.
Diaz received a VIP welcome from
Filipino officials in the remote area of
Luzon because, with the exception of a
young Peace Corps worker, " I was the
first American to be down there in 36
years," he said.
The province governor loaned Diaz the
use of a four-wheel drive Scout to locate
the
battlefield,
and
assigned
a
photographer to record the event.
"Hell," Diaz gleamed in recalling the
treatment he was accorded, "I was like
MacArthur. fJ
At LUcbam, Diaz was greeted by the
mayor who vivdly recalled the brief clash
between the Americans and Japanese 35
years ago.
The mayor apptrently was among the
Filipinos who after the battle helped a
wounded Glenn Brokaw, now a Salinas
accoontant, into a taxi and drove him to a
makeshin hsopilal in Lucbam.
With the maYl..r's help. Diaz had no
trouble locating the site where the Salinas
tank platoon was ambushed on a curve by
Japanese artillery.
Diu round the site in the mountains
above Lucbam amid rice and cOCOJWts.
"You kind oC get a Iwnp in your throat,"
Diaz recalled in looking over the site
where five or his friends were killed. Of the
15 men who escaped, about haH returned
from the war.
On that Christmas Day in 1941, the tank
platoon bad been ordered to move up the
road to engage Japanese forces. unaware
IOVINO
Deli delights Highwood residents
OPENING A DELICATESSAN in Highwood (including the sale of lox and bagles)
soWlds as incongruous as a bocce ball
court in Skokie.
But Neil Iovino, proprietor of the twoweek old Iovino's Delicatessan, 456
Sheridan, has defied the odds successfully
once before.
The Highland Park resident, was a
survivor of the "Death Mar('h of Bataan"
in Wortd War Il and three years in
Japanese prison camps. Certainly,
making a goof it with a Jewish-style deli in
the North Shore's famous Italian community sbould be a piece of salami for the
.
talkative war veteran.
TRIBUTE TO JOHN M. EMERICK AND
THE AMERICAN DEFENDERS OF
BATAAN ANDCORREGl DOR
liON. AUSTIN J . MURPHY
OF PENNSYLVANIA
IN THE HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES
Wednesday, JWle 22, 1m
Mr. MURPHY of Penl1Sylvania. Mr.
Speaker, t am extremely proud to rise in
this chamber to pay tribute to Mr. JohnM.
Emerick and his fellow American
Defenders 01. Balaan a nd Corregidor to
remind the American people that the
exemplary courage ol these men must not
be forgotten . In a short time this great
Nation will be celebrating its 201st birthday . With the echoes 01. a grand
celebration of our bicenteMial fadi ng in
the distance we must not forget the
sacrifice of so many common working
Americans that have brought to the end 01.
this first year 0{ our second centruy.
Mr. Emerick and his comrades in arms
endured inhuman captivity and years of
torture, disease, and misery to return to
the COWltry that they loved so well that
they orrered their all. On May 30,1977 John
M. Emerick received a belated award of
the Purple Heart created by Gen. George
Washington with words :
And let it be known that he wbo wears
the Order of the Purple Heart, has suffered
in the defense of his homeland and shall
forever be rewarded by his fellow countrymen.
To Mr. Emerick and the American
Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor both
alive a nd fallen, I musladd, may the spirit
and courage shown by this handful of men
and as demonstrated by John M. Emerick,
as a n example of the great and strong
s pirit of the American Nation, not be
forgotten by any generation of Americans.
WEE BONNIE
Singer is ailing
REDWOOD CITY mPH - Wee Bonnie
Baker, 60, the si~er whose rendition 01.
" Oh, Johnny," in the early 1940s sold 1.5
million copies, is under treatment at
Sequoia Hospital for a heart ailment and
malnutrition.
Hospital officials disclosed Thursday
that Miss Baker , a resident of Redwood
City, was admitted a week ago and her
condition was fair .
Born in Orange, Tex., she was singing
with the Orin Tucker band in 1939 when she
found a copy of the World War I tune "Oh,
Johnny." She made the song a hit with her
own inimitable style. She sang at our Clear
Water Convention.
1978 CONVENTION
IN ST. lOUISI.~O.
PLAN NOvy
one another and herded into box cars,
taken toa prison camp.
Three more operations a nd three more
prison camps were next {or Iovino. "One
day," he said, " the Japanese picked me
for work detail at Nicholas Air Field to
work on runways. My hip gave out and I
was sent back to Cabanatuan, a lucky
break for me. One night, the Sixth
Rangers, headed by Col. Mucchi and the
help of the Philippine guerillas, made a
surprise attack on Camp Cabantuan. They
killed all the Japanese and we were
rescued.
" . FIGURED IIIGHWOOD never bad a
delicatessan," Iovino said, explaining the
reasons behind h:s new venture. "Since we
opened, we can't even keep up with the
crowds. The people love the food. And we
haven't even advertised yet.
" We're closed to Fl Sheridan, too," he
said. " 1 like to be close to the Anny guys. I
feel I might meet someone 1 knew in the
prison camp. Or, people may want to know
if I saw their relatives, if I knew what their
last words might have been. 1bere are still
many who are miSSing inaction. "
Thus, while enjoying the new experience
of peddling corned beefs on rye, Iovino
remains affected and involved with his
war ordeal of 35 years ago.
It began in 1939 when the Chicago native
joined the U.S. Marines. "1 was looking for
travel, adventure and education," he said.
" I must say I got the three of them."
After two years in China, Iovino was
assigned to the Philippines and after one
week on the islands, Japan had attacked
Pearl Harbor. The Americans were then
forced to defend the Pbilippines.
"I was the first Marine wounded in the
defense of Olongapo Navy Base, which
was under heavy aerial attack," Iovino
vividly recalled. " When the bombs were
falling, 1 went to hit the ground with my
rifle in a prolong positioo to break my fall .
Shrapenel hit the stock of the rine and hit
me in the lower abdomen.
" TIlE IMPACT KNOCKED me on my
back and I was lying helpless when my two
Marine buddies came back to give me first
a id. Meanwhile, fires were all around.
Women and children were killed in their
homes."
The worst was yet to come for Iovino.
Not yet healed from his wounds and a
subsequent operation, his unit was captured by the Japanese army. "It was on
Bataan that I was forced to march in the
infamous "dea th march" because the
Japanese had no transportation," he said.
The men were forced to march, constantly proded by guns and many didn't
make il Iovino said " luckily, I only lasted
10 miles." He a nd other seriously injured
men were tossed onto trucks, piled on atop
August, 1t77-9
M / M HarTy C. Dunlavy, Fresno, Calif.
M / M Joseph E . DuPont, Jr.,
Plaquemine, La.
M / M RobertP. Farner, Vista, Calif.
M / M Harry C. Dunlavy, Fresno, Calif.
M / M Joseph E . DuPont, Jr.,
Plaquemine, La.
.. , Calil •
M .' M RobertP . F raner, V·IS."
M / M Harold M. Farrell, Carmichael, Calif.
M / M Robert Ferguson, Jackson, Calif.
William H. Finkin, Tustin, Calif.
M J MJack E. Fish, Eureka, Calif.
George Fox, Little Rock, Ark.
Edwin K, Franklin, Paramount, Calif.
M / M Robert W. Gayler,SaJt LakeCity, ut.
M I MDonaid C. Gibson, San Diego, Calif.
M / M Orville E . Gilmore, Barstow, Calif.
M I MFrank A. Glischinski, Anaheim, Calif.
M I M Harry Goldstein Los Angeles Calif
M / MAlGoodge,PiUsburg,Calif. '
.
M / M William E . Griffiths, Piscataway, N.J.
M / M Darwin D. Grunwald,
C.bula Vista Calif.
M / M Thorn~ N. Hamby, Artesia, Calif.
William N. Harris, Westminster, Calif.
M / M James M. Heard, San Luis Hey, Calif.
M / M Thomas Hebert, Wilmington Ohio
Roy L. Henderson, Hooks, Texas '
PatHitcbcock Des Moines Iowa
Louie F . Hol~an, 8arsto~, Calif.
LIST OF FOURTH MARINES WHO
Jack
R. Hinchman, San Clemente, Calif.
ATI'ENDED REUNION ON MAY 5th, 1977
Virgil B. Hood, Carlsbad, Calif.
M / M James L. Hoops, Oceanside, Calif.
M MCarIW, Abemath)r,
MI M RaymoodA. HufstuUer,
Midwest City, Okla.
Encinitas, Calif.
Stanley C. Allen, Yucaipa, Calif.
JolmC. Janecek,Cohanbia,S.C.
M M Jack Ames, Yuba City, Calif.
M / M Shirk G. Jansen, Spokane Wash.
M M Uoyd G. Andersoo,
M I M Sidney F . Jenkins, oa~, Calif.
Nora Springs, Iowa
Henry Jenn New Hampton Iowa
M M Don B. Armstrong, Anaheim, Calif.
M / M Dick
Johnson, Phoenix, Ariz.
M MRhinehardtAschenbrenner,
Sterling, Co.
M / M ElmerR. Johnson, Carlsbad, Calif.
M M EdmondJ. Babler, Waupum, Wis.
Wallace R. Johnson, Fallbrook, Calif.
Bobby T. Bacon, San Angelo, Tex.
M ,' M ArthurW. Jones, Del City, Okla.
M M SilasP. Bames, Putney, Ga.
Douglas C. Jones, Albequerque, N.M .
Barney Barnett, Pinole, Calif.
M / M Howard A. Jordan, Elkhart, Ind.
Casey T. Bazewick, Columbus, Ohio
Julian Jordan, Pacific Palisades, Calif.
M M Harold K. Beaver, Fair Ow, Calif.
M / MJames H.Kerns,
M M William H. Been, Las Vegas, Nv.
San Luis Obispo, Calif.
M I M Louis Bertz, Winnemucca, Nv.
M / M otis H. Ki~, Fort Worth, Tex.
M MLeoJ.Bogler,St.Louis,Mo.
M / M Arthur W. KlingbeU, Edina, MilUl.
M I M Douglas W. Bogue. San Diego, Calif. Fred E. Loenig, Oceanside, Calif.
M M John R. Boswell, Danville, Calif.
William J . Lang, Reno, Nev.
John R. Breeze, San Diego, Calif.
M I M Carl L. Lange, San Diego, Calif.
M I M Albert R. Broderick, EI Paso, Tex.
HalT. Leber, Sanger, Calif.
John A. Burns, San Diego, Calif.
PauiC. Lees
Alvin L. Case , Miami, Okla.
John B. Lippard, Del City, Okla.
Robert A. Clement, Pine Bluff, Ark.
M / M Elmer E. Long, New Bern, N.C.
Clifton E . Copeland, Indianola, Miss.
LeoJ. MasseUi, SanJose, Calif.
M I M Orval J. Coniveau, Pensacola, Fla. ArthurF. Mates, Streater, Ill.
M / M Anthony Costa, Concord, Calif.
Robert Martineau, La Habra, Calif.
M I M Lloyd E . Crumpacker,
M / M Willord H. Mensching, VISta, Calif.
EI Cajon, Calif.
Melvin Mikkelson, Santa Rosa, Calif.
Gen. Donald L. Curtis, EI Cajon, Calif.
M / MJack Z. Miller, Pasadena, Calif.
M I M H.D. Davis, Huntington Beach, Cam. M / M Leland Montgomery,
M / M Howard L. Davis, Oxnard, Calif.
San Diego, Calif.
M I M Oscar Dean, Oceanside, Calif.
M I M Talton B. Montgomery,
Santa Ana, Calif.
M / M Harold S. Dennis, Carlsbad, Calif.
M / M Frank H. Dillman, La Mesa, Calif.
M I M Angel Muniz, Oceanside, Calif.
M I MAlvie McDaniel, Jefferson City, Mo.
Carmen DiMeo, Buffalo Grove, m.
M / M Harry F . Douthit, DaUesOregon
M I M Glen Me Dole, Des Moines, Iowa
Charles E . Dreasher, Oceanside, Calif.
AlbertC. McGuire, Santa Ana, Calif.
John R. McMilliam , Farnington, Mo.
M I MLouis E . Duncan, Vista, Call!.
FOURTH MARINE REUNION
Celebrating the 50th anniversary o( the
departure of the Fourth Marines (rom San
Diego and the 35th year of the Fall of
Bataan &: COITegidor, 137 survivors of the
Fourth Marines came from all parts of the
U.S. to stage a reunion in their home port
of San Diego.
In what is believed to be the largest tumout of any unit at an ADBC convention, and
with the complete cooperation of the
Commanding General of the Marine Corps
Recruit Depot, San Diego, Major General
Kenneth Houghton. the 5th of May 1971 will
be a day long remembered. Highlights
inc luded a tour of the base, a parade
honoring the 4th regiment, noon mess with
the recruits, a banquet attended by 241
Fourth Marines, wives and guests, and a
pageant depicting the history of the Flag.
Major General Houghton addressed the
groUp and the history of the regiment was
given by the wartime Exec., General
Donald Curtis. Last but not least. the
meeting of old comrades, many or whom
had not seen each other in 35 yeats or
more, made the day most memorable.
M.
lO-The QUlin
John Negro, Bellflower, Calif.
M / M George B. Nelson, Rio Vista, Calif.
M / M Lynn H. Nelson, Norco, Calif.
M I M RobertH. Nemitz, E1Cajon, Calif.
M / M Robert E. Newson, San Diego, Calif.
Harry Nolting, Chula Vista, Calif.
RayW. Patterson, Fountain Valley, Calif.
Vito M. Pepitone, San Diego, Calif.
M / M William R. Pettit. Kernville, Calif.
FrankP. Phillips, San Diego, Calif.
M / M Glen N. Phillips, Canton, Ohio
Frank Pick, Bringham City, Utah
M / M Robert W. Piper, Sugar Grove, Ohio
Raymond J . Provencher,
GaroenGrove, Calif.
M / M Ray Rapp, Spring Valley, Calif.
M / M John F. Ray, Arlington, Mass.
Edward~. Ricbwalsk.i, ~inelan?er, Wis.
John L. Ritter, Santa Moruca, Calif.
M / MJ08ephF.Roplski,p~,Ga ..
M I M John L. Rogers, Oceansuie, Calif. .
M I M LeonardL. Rogers, Supulveda, Calif.
M I M AlbertC. Sautter, ~ie, Texas
M I M Leslie R. ~oggin, Grindley, Calif. .
Donald (Tl'evolllS)Shaw, Buena Park, Calif.
Herman E. S!Dith, San An~o, Texas
Rufus W. Smlth, Hughes Spnng, Texas
M I M Edward Stefanski, Ea~t Troy ,.Wise.
M / M Jack F . Taylor, Lakeside, Calif.
Jam~ A. Thomas, Ka~s City, Mo.
FranclS, Thompson, Lltcbfield, Coon.
M I M Jack D. ~pson,
San Juan Capstrano, CaUf.
M J MGeraldA. Turner,Oceanside,CaUf.
M / M J~ M. Vaughan, Glendale, Calif.
M I M Pierce L. WardIow,~n,~.
M I M Elwood Whitby, Anaheim, Calif.
M I M Clifford WUkeni~, Crawfotd, Col.
M / M Ted R. Williams,
ElSocorro Baja CaUl., Mexico
M / M Vance W. Walsh, San Diego, Calif.
1977-78 DUES
DUE-SEND TO
SECRETARY
BATAAN HOTEL
New luxury hotel
A luxury hotel atop a hill with a
panoramic view oftheSouthChina sea and
Corregidor Island will be opened mid-July
for the convenience of local and foreign
tourists.
Called Kamaya Point Hotel by its owneroperator, the Landoil Resources Corporation, it is named after the historic
starting point of the infamous Death
March in Mariveles.
Located within the 284-hectare " Las
Maniolas" Village of Landoil, the hotel
which bas 100 ricbly-carpeted Suites, is
expected to fill the present shortage of
hotel requirements in Bataan and
COITegidor.
It is a first-class hotel, fullyairconditioned with individual thermostat
control, a TV set, telephone, piped·in
stereo music, and hot-cold water facilities.
Dear Joe :
Just rinished reading the Quan, dated June 1977, saw where Mrs. Frances Barnett
finally received information about hetson KeMeth Rannells.
Wish I knew about it, could have gave her a ll the information on Kenneth. We're in the
same ward at Cabanatuan, was near him when he died at 1:30 PM on July Z1th 1942,
cause of death was Malaria.
Years ago I wrote to the Postmaster at Corning, California , requesting the
whereabouts or Mrs. Helen Rannells whose address was at Box 24, Corning, California .
Received an answer back stating that the whereabouts or Mrs. Rannells is unknown.
While 1 was a prisoner oC the Nips, I kept a diary of the events and deaths that took
place at O'Donnell, Cabanatuan and other areas.
Spent many days at O'Donnell and Cabanatuan while the disint.ernment was being
accomplished. All the remains were taken to the Manila Cemetery, also those that died
at Bilibid, Cabu, Calumpit bridge, Palawan, Tayabas. Also those that died in Japan,
Korea, Manchuria, Formosa and other areas were brought back to the Manila Cemetery.
What beats the hell out of me, is that Washington notiCied our beloved folks back home
that their sons died in certain camps and the date of death, they never mentioned what
they died from .
I received over two lhol&nds letters from the families of our deceased comrades,
answered all olthem, they wrote back that the information I gave them were the rltSt
knowledge they had ever received on what happened to their sons.
While I was in charge cl disinternments, I signed thousands ofcerUficates on the sta tus
of our deceased friends, stated their names, when they died and cause of deaths, all this
information went to Washington.
Fonnany years I have been trying to get the addresses of many people The addresses
the men gave me before they died, I have, but many of the families moved away and I
tried to contact them.
So before I sign oCf, please note may new address. I however live in the same place.
And thank you Ralph Levenberg for taking an interest in Mrs. Barnett. It's guys like
you, that makes our organization good, it shows that our men care for our Gold Star
Parents.
Columbus, Ga,
2 May 1977
Convention Chairman
Nat' l. Convention of Amer. Del. of B&C
EI Cartez Hotel
7th &. Ash, San Diego, CA 92101
Greetings - To all in attendance at the
3200 national convention of the Amer. Def.
ofB&'C.
It would be a pleasure to hear Crom
anyone who was a member of the Fifteen
Hundred Man Detaillhat left Cabanatuan
July 15, 1944 and boarded the "Oroyoko
Maria", (I believe was the the name of the
Prison Ship) on the 16th of July - laying
out in Manila Bay six days before sailing
on the 22nd of July - arriving a t Maji on
the 4th of August, 1944 and debarking on
the morning of the 5th August, 19M - and
anyone who was in the group that was sent
to Fukuoka camp NO. 3 - near Yawata,
where we worked In the VIIWllta Steel
Works: My detail was "Di-Ni-Seu"
(where the 13 stacks were located ).
Also, I would be very Interested in
hearing any information from anyone in
camp 100B, Lips, Batanga, P .l. from the
latter part of J anuary, 1943 - until about
the middle of February, 1944, and particularly I would like to hear from anyone
who was a member of the "shooting
squad" <so-called) from which House and
Steele "took off for the hills," on the night
of about 25th of January or so, 1944: there
were eighteen of us involved and sixteen of
us were punished by the Japanese (The
Japanese excusing two men because they
were cooks, and slept in the Cook's
shack I ); the names of whom I can only
remember the following : Fra" Workman, PI. Pleasant, W. Va ., John Suveceh,
Texas - I believe, Malcolm L. Wascom,
Mt. Herman, La., Chester A. Deller, A-C·
0803rd Engr. (AUN ): Deller, 1 understand
is now at Ft. Lauderdale.
There was a man on the squad from
Lafayette, Ind., whose name I cannot for
the life of me remember!
I would also like to hear from anyone
COMMANDER
We are sorry to report Commander John
Bennett was hospitalized for a slight heart
attack around the 4th of July. We have
received the good. news that John hal
returned home from the hospital. Take it
easy John.
U you have time send a get well card to
Rose Benishake, wife and hard worker for
our Secretary. Address is on masthead .
Our prayers are for you Rose.
Editor's Note
We have received some letters from
members who cha llenge some statements
of facts in some of the articles.
Frankly, I don 't know personally who
would be correct, the maker of original
statements, or stories, or someone who
takes issue. Things would be hard to prove
now and our memories are getting shorter.
Q - I stopped making payments on my
National Service Life Insurance term
policy three years ago. I am now 58 and
want this coverage again. Can I get it?
A - Yes, provided you can meet good.
health requirements as specified in VA's
Application for Reinstatement form, and
by paying premiums for the month in
which the policy lapsed and the month in
which reinstatement occurs .
who was a member of the QM DeL, Ft.
Mills, Corregidor, P.I .
Hoping for most enjoyable convention , I
am.
Sincerely,
JamesH. Warnack
4216 Snelli~ Dr.
Columbus, GA31907
,
Pictured is SgL Alfred Berest 01 Long Beach, CaWornia belna: greeted by e el. A1ge
San_ (Ret.I, National Commander 01 &he AmerkaQ Legion. Philippine Department,
a nd rormer Secretary 01 National Derense. To Santoll;' rlgllt is Major General Rafael
Zagala IRet.) , National Commander 01 Philippine Defenders 01 Bataan and Corregklor
and rormer Commanding General, Philippine Army. The occasten was Bataan Day,
April 9 which commemorates the fall of Bataan.
August, 1.n - I I
BATAAN AnERMATH
Part I-Flllpiao HOItages ill Japan
By MarlaDO Villarin
B. . . . .,.... Mia.MOta
After the fall oC Balaan and .Corregidor, some 12,000 American and 75,000 Filipino
prisoners of war (POW's) were herded into Camp O'Donnell Here, some 33,000 died
during the fll'St few months of captivity. This appalling figure will remain etched in the
memory of those of us who survived
It was at this stage that the Japanese forces began a series of moves to utilize the
surviving Filipino POW's in some form or another, rather than Jose them at Q'Dormell
from the ravages of malaria, dysentery am starvation. Most of the American POW's had
already been shipped to Japen and Mareburta to work at the mines, airfields and war
production plants; others had been sent to Caball8bJan, Bilibid and Davan. The Filipino
POW's were being "paroled" to show the extend oC J apanese "magnanimity,
benevolence and generosity" aod, according to them, to belp in the rehabilitation oC the
puppet Philippine.......,...
I still remember the statements that the Japanese forced aU Philippine Army (PA)
and Philippine Scouts (PS) personnel loslgn whUeat O'Dormell. 1besestatements were:
1. That 1sball never raaseRttnS against the Imperial Japaoese Forces.
2. That I shall never attempt to eeeape from this camp rI any other camp to which I
may be assigned.
3. That any refusal to 00ey orders of any Japanese soldier will be considered a
hostileacl
4. Tbatall prisoaen committing bI:Btile Bclll 01' atlemptinc; to escape will beshot.
One of the projecta of the Japanese was the establi&hmera of the Bureau of C0nstabulary (BC) to maintain a semblaDee of law and order In thevariOWI Philippine cities
and provi.ncs. '[bey (eU that the best nucleus (or this (orce would be the able bodied
survivors from Bataan and Ccnegidor who were still at O'DonDelI. Since there was DO
response from volunteers, the dreaded JapaDeSeKempei Tai (Military Police) took over
and made tbese&ectioo themselves. I was in a group 01 about500 POW's selected and sent
to Camp Dau, near Clark Field, in box cars under heavy guard (or our fltSt indoctrination that lasted three months.
It was here that we POW's discussed our future among ourselves and agreed that,
since we bad 00 choice, having Filipino policemen in towm was (ar better than baving a
garrison 01 Japanese troops who were living off the land. humiliating a vanquished
population, and moles~ our "magandarw dalagas" (pretty girls) . The hwniliation
consisted mosUy of Filipinos bei.qJ slawed in the race whenever they passed Japanese
soldiers witbout bowing. We felt that United Stales Anny Forces in the Far East
(USAFFE) vet.eraDS would serve as an effective "buffer" between the Japanese
military forces and the local population.
RuaseU Brines, an Associated Press correspondent stranded in Manila, interned at
Santo Tomas University, and repatriated on the exchaDRe ship Gripsholm, wrote a book
during the war eotiUed UaW Tbey Eat S&oaetI. In his book he referred to the BC as the
"bostage army." Excerpts from it read as follows :
"Filipino soldiers who survived the weary days of Bataan share the accumulated
misery of prison camps with their American comrades; shared it until their spirits were
so broken that no price seemed too great for release. There was a price when thousands
of them finaUy were granted "freedom" - continued military service under the
Japanese.
"Propagandists screamed about the
"generosity" of this policy .. . They were
not interested in humanitarianism or in
winning popular support by freeing war
captives. TIley wanted trained men for
their new army . .. Those whose p~
Americanism or anti..Japanism bad not
been destroyed by bardship were left to
rot, at least until they were more
amenable. Several thousand were involved in the widely publicized releases,
occurring every few months, \l>l18lly ooe
thousand at a time. Many were required to
report for constabulary ~ty . . . 'Ibe
remainder, most of whom were ill, were
given more time.
"Before the war, that organization was
the police force for the a~hipeIago's
ouUy~ districts, with a deserved reputa·
tion for integrity and bravery. Today it is
the openly i&i:leled army of the bogus
IZ-TheQu.
·'republic." It will be sent to the battlefront when Allied forces attack the
Philippines . . . Behind the Filipino troops
will beJapanese machine guns."
The above expressed the author's fear,
which never really materialized. Except
for perhaps a handful, who even then did
nor 8gb! the ADied forces, the 8C was
mainly anti..Japanese, deserting at appropriate moments. 1be desertions with anns
of the entire BC force in Cabanatuan.
Nueva Edja province, in 1944 were only
one of several instances In the archi·
pelago.
The paragraphs excerpted above were
corroborated by Dr. Alvin C. Powelelt in
his recent book USAFFE. He was among
the last American POW's to leave Camp
O'DoM-ell for Cabanatuan. Entries in his
diary quoted in his book read as folloW9:
"January 2, 1943 - On this day large
numbers of Filipino patients were
discharged to subgroups for military
training.
" J anuary 9, 1943 - Fifteen men were
released from rut hospital to the
subgroop. Also 500 men were released to
the constabulary, and 3,000 were to be used
for the Imperial Guard."
From Camp nau I was sent to the BC
Academy No.3 in Caloocan with 300 other
POW's for three months' training under
the Kempei Tai. When they asked me if my
father and two younger sisters were still
living at the same address in Manila, I
realized that they were ready for reprisals
on families of those who decided to take to
the hills. The addresses and names of
members of families of those conscripted
at O'Donnell was apparenUy on me a t
Kempel Tai beadqua.rters. Since the PA
personnel records had been taken to
Bataan and burned before tbesurrender, it
dawned on me that the information on
families had been apparenUy furnished·by
Japanese civillans who lived in prewar
Philippines. They were gardeners, carpenters, fishermen and businessmen, most
of whom held reserve commissions in the
Imperial Japanese Army. 1be most
DOtoriO\l> of them was the owner of the
Mori Bicycle Store in downtown Manila,
who at one time was the commandant of
the
POW ClImp at Cabanatuan.
Apparently,
a
Japanese
named
Hashimoto, wbo operated a "halo halo"
(refreshment) store a few doors down the
street where I lived, must have furnished
information about me and my family to the
Kempei Tai. His family knew my family .
1bey used to see me daily going to work in
my PA uniform.
At the training camp we were roughed
up and a lot of faces were slapped when we
failed to understand or obey Japanese
military commands. They practiced their
favorite judo tricks at our expense. Butwe
had a few choice words for them in
Tagalog which, luckily, they did not understand. One of the most tiring routines was
the Japanese goose ~lep during drills. M
punishment for mistakes committed by a
POW, the entire company would be made
to run around the streets of Caioocan (or
miles until a daten or so would drop from
exhaustion_
The armed Japanese MP's at the
academy would always manage to ouUast
any 'of us- when it came to long distance
running . They were wen fed , while our
meals were rationed. Besides, we were
just recovering from a long siege of
starvation while at O'Donnell, not to
mention malaria and dysentery. These
bad been preceded by a two-meal a day
diet of mosUy " Iugao" (rice soup with
little milk) on Bataan and Corregidor
since February 1942. My occasional detail
as kitchen police helped me considerably
as I managed to steal bananas and egg;
intended for the Japanese mess.
Some of the POW's in our group
(CoaUaliedoa Page 13)
(CoaUnued from Page 1.2)
managed to contact emissaries 01. guerrilla units from the respective provinces.
We were told to stay wbere we were and
obtain information on the Japanese for
transmittal to the guerrillas. Somebody
bad to be on the other side as the "inside"
men. We were never bothered by guerrilla
units because they knew we were all
USAFFE personnel biding time. At this
time, we were aware of hundreds of executions by decapitation daily. Young starving Filipinos would trespass into
Japanese camps for the purpose of
scavenging through garbage cans. When
caught, the poor feUows would face the
sa.murai sword without any trial.
Not content with the Philippine projects
then in effect, the Japanese Military
~dministration took an additional step to
Insure the cooperation of the Filipinos.
They decided to send a representative
group to Japan consisting of PA commissioned personnel paroled from O'Donnell
and now in the BC, and young civilians
whose fathers bad no choice but to serve
under the puppet regime. How I was
se1ected from among thousands in the BC
I'll never know.
There must have been some 60 Filipino
hostages in different locations in Japan
when the program was in fun swing, and
many more were being sent from Manila.
One of the early civilian hostages was the
son of Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos of
the Supreme Court who had been executed
by the J apanese for refusing tocoopetate.
There were many high ranking figures
summarily executed during the occupation, including rive paroled Filipino West
Pointers who had served on Bataan and
Corregidor (Brigadier General Fidel
Segundo, Commander of the First PA
Regular Division, a nd Colonels Eustaquio
Baclig, Juan Moran, Pastor Martelinoand
Alejandro Garcia) . Brigadier General
Vicente Lim, the first Filipino West
Pointer and Commander of the 41st PA
Division, was killed in action on Balaan.
The noncooperative attitude of the Filipinos was very evident. Those who were
DOt formal members of clandestine or
guerrilla organizations resisted the
J~~~ese in their characteristically
FliJPlno ways - warniog guerrillas or
J~panese troop movements, furnishing
aid, shelter and supplies to such guerrillas,
and playing docile in the eyes of the
Japanese but planning mischief behind
their. backs, such as stabbing a Japanese
soldier in some dark alley. The Japanese
felt that one good way to make the Filipinos cooperate, or keep them from going
underground, was to hold the sons 01
important people as hostages by sending
them to Japan as " students" . The POW's
were part of the scheme since the
Japanese also wanted to win the. military
over on their side. Tbe Japanese called it
" spiritual rejuvenatioo" in order to
cleanse from our system the remaining
vestiges of American influence. They
claimed that Uncle Sam had poisoned our
minds and they wanted to show their
generosity to their (e1low orientals by
teaching them the J apanese language,
culture and history.
There were 30 of us selected to form the
rirst group. We underwent rigorous
"brainwashing" and were held in seclusion for two months before sailing for
Japan. The civilian group included the son
of President Jose Laurel, two sons or
Chairman Jorge Vargas or the Executive
Commission, and the scions of two of the
most powerful families of the Muslim
provinces of Cotabato and Sulu in Mindanao . Then there was Benjamin " benjo"
Osias. The son of the Minister of Education, Benjo had spent seven months in Fort
Sa ntiago fo11owing his capture by the
Kempei Tai for his guerrilla activities with
Hunter's ROTC and also Cushing's guerrilla units.
Minister Ca milo Osias was the Propa·
ganda Minister in President Manuel
Quezon's cabinet at the time of Pearl
Harbor. Because or his position, the
Kempei Tais were out looking for him
during the occUpation. He had been in
hiding, and to save him from execution in
the event of capture, President Laurel
made him the Minister of Education.
Benjo's older brother, Victor, a graduate
of the Philippine Military Academy. had
served on Bataan and Corregidor with the
Philippine Air Force. The designation of
the new Minister of Education was apparently instrumental in the release of
~njo from Fort Santiago. For Benjo,
belRg one of the hostages to Japan was far
better than facing execution or death from
starvation in Fort Santiago.
President Laurel's main objective was
the survival 01 the Filipino people. At great
personal risk , he staunchly refused to
declare war against the United States
which the Japanese had prevailed him to
do. He s uccessfully resisted Japanese
insistence that be allow Filipinos to be
conscripted for the Japanese Army. He
absolutely refused both demands in the
P hilippines and even later in Japan when
he was he1d hostage with his family . A
man of integrity, courage, and intellect, he
was well liked and respected by his people
- guerriUas as well as nonguerrillas.
A publication written by Grant Goodman
entitled "An Experiment in Wartime
Intercultural
Relations :
Philippine
Students in Japan 1943-1945, Southeast
Asia Program, Cornell University 1962" is
quoted below:
" Most of the interviewees . . . expressed the opinion that they had been
chosen by theJapanese as hostages ... on
the other hand many of those interviewed
mentioned thaltheir families encouraged
tbem to go, believing that the.y might be
safer in Japan than in thePhiJjppines.
" The reactions among the Constabulary
group were .. . ' I was completely against
it. I was s ick with malaria which was
recurring and tried to allege this as an
excuse, but we had to be very careful. '
"More than one of the Constabu.lary
group claimed they had gone into the
program with the encouragement of the
guerrillas who needed Japanese language
experts a nd who were eager for information 00 the internal situation of Japan, the
idea apparently being that the BCstudents
would go to Japan, learn the language,
learn a s much as they cou ld about conditions within Japan , and on r eturning to the
Philippines would slip away and join the
guerrillas."
Since there was no way oul of this socalled spiritual rejuvenation, those of us
from the military held secret meetings to
.....ork out cer tain objectives to make good
use of our stay in Japan for the USAFFE
cause.
Captain Elpidio "Duke" Duque, the
ranking officer of our group, was voted the
leader of the entire group. He bad been a
professor of mathematics at the Philippine
Military Academy in Baguio and. by an
odd twist of fate, he ended up in an un·
seemly capacity of a combat lieutenant in
command of an artillery unit (PA ), attached to a U.S. Army CPS ) unit on Fort
Drum just oCr Corregidor. It was a mission
with a detaclunent or PS soldiers that won
Lt . Duque and his intrepid Scouts the U.S.
Silver Star for gallantry in action. They
volunteered for that mission. Besides
recommending them for the decoration,
the Fort Commander! Colonel Boudreau,
promoted Duke to Captain. Here was a
brilliant schola r who had ranked highest in
his classes throughout his schooling and
ultimately graduated cum laude with a
degree in mechanical engineering. He
even ranked the highest in the cadet en·
trance examination to represent the
Philippines at West Point but he a lready
had a scholarship at the University 0( the
Philippines. and declined the a ppointment.
Duke is now a retired PA Colone1 .
Our objectives, as outlined by Duke,
were to be accomplished subtly, although
some were to be done openly and the
others secretly. The objectives were to
(1) foil a ttempts to make us subservient,
or to Japanize us; (2) win the Japanese to
free, democratic American ways; (3) sow
a spir it of dissension amongtheJapanese ;
and (4) engage in espionage when ever
possible. WhiJe in Japan, we carried out
the first three rather openly, and although
planned to be accomplished subtly, our
activities in this regard brought some of us
into unpleasant situations due to impulsiveness or sheer carelessness. The last
objective, of course, was carried out
secretly.
We sailed from Manila Bay on Ule Miike
Maru on July 9, 1943, arriving at Moji,
Japan, two weeks later after follO'Ning a
zigzag route to evade American s ui>
marines. We were lucky not to share the
same rate of three other Marus which were
torpedoed by American planes or submarines, and thousands of r\merican
(ConUnued on Page 14)
Angust, 1177-13
(CootlDuedfrom Page 13)
POW's on their way to Japan were killed
or drowned.
After two days out of Manila Bay 1 was
thrown into a cubbyhold in the bold of the
ship. The Japanese said somell)ing about a
diary. My diary was missing from my personal belongings. I put two and two
together. They kept me in that little
compartment until we approached Moji,
Japan. Not to be outdone, 1 started another
diary in Japan. This diary contained the
usual inflammatory stuff, besides three
entries on Tokyo Rose in Radio Tokyo In
1M3 and 1944.
The Japanese showed us around military installations, airbases and war
plants. We were unusually observant with ulterior motives. We saw some
American POW's working at the Kawasald F.,. r.err I
Iron Works and at the Shinagawa railroad
(u ..r.t') ..,;r~ 1itc. I':M H"iu
station. I'm sure they realized we were " /\,. ...1 iflo
.1.."$.
Filipinos on their side alter a surreptitious
exchange of " V" signs. If they only knew his self-built reputation that old soldiers
we had served with them on Bataan and never die. He just faded away.
When General Masaharu Homma, the
Corregidor.
Back in our confinement quarters In conqueror of the Philippines, heard that
Tokyo, Duke and the rest of us would PA survivors from Bataan and Corregidor
exchange notes and commit to memory were In Tokyo as "students," he invited us
the strategic locations ol military places for an informal visit Our Japanese
we had visited. Captain Duque and Benjo " supervisors" took us to Homma's place
Osias even made drawings of bomb and a lso to Premier Hideki Tojo to pay our
targets on two separate sheets which, "respects." Big deal. Down deep inside of
when overlaid,' pinpointed choice targets us we were giving the Japanese military
for bombing. Benjo's architectural clique in po"Ner the Bronx cheer. Both
drawings supported by the trigonometric were banged later for war crimes. Homma
was responsible for the death march, and
abilities of Duke provided the answer.
To avenge the loss of Bataan and Tojo for starting the WIlT.
After a few months in Tokyo, we were
Corregidor, the atrocities during the
march, the starvation and beatings at pretty well fed up with our regimented liIe.
O'Donnell, the barbaric treatment ol our The Japanese had completely faUed in
civilian population during the occupation, converting us to their way of liIe. Although
a nd the rape ol our women, and to prove we received better treabnent than our
our loyalty to the USAFFE, we had no American POW counterparts, the hum iliarecourse but to engage in subversive . tions and undue hardships were something
activities while in the enemy homeland else. Knowing that they wanted to win us
and obtain as much intelligence Informa- over to their side, we continued to resist
tion as possible for transmittal to General within the bounds of discretion.
They really tried to make us subMacArthur's headquarters at the proper
time. It was the most we could do for the servient. Twice a day we had to perform
USAF'FE while we were in Japan as the ceremony of facing toward the
hostages. Besides, we just could not recon- Emperor's palace and executing a 90degree bow; they made us take part in
cUe ourselves to the Japanese way d
Buddhist and Shinto ceremonies in their
thinking and their ideologies.
We were aware of the " I Shall Return" temples even if we were d other religions;
matchbooks circulated by the guerrillas in they made us run for miles to purge the
Manila as early as 1943. We knew he was last traces or American influence from our
coming back. MacArthur bad served in the systems once and for all ; and then there
Philippines a long time and he loved the were the frustrating and time--conswning
Islands. He organized the PA into 10 divi- "ltnkos" and " bangos" (roll call and
sions and was a very close friend d. Presi- count) for just a small group. We had to do
dent Quezon. His father had been the Com- it right if it took a dozen times. Entries
manding General of the Philippine such as "hungry today" or "could not eat
Department. Douglas MacArthur was like J apanese food " were very commooin my
a national hero to the Filipinos. We diary.
Among the students from Japaneserevered the man. When he "returned" on
his last sentimental journey to the occupied countries (Burma, Thailand,
Philippines in the late 50'S, 1.5 million Java, Sumatra, Annam, etc.), the
Filipinos gave him a tumultuous welcome Filipinos became notoriOllt as the most
in Manila as the liberator d the Phlli~ rebellious group at the International
pines. MacArthur enmpllfied the fighting School for the Japanese Language. With
soldier who refused to dJe. He lived up to Captain Duque as our spokesman. we
14-TheQila.
ViII.,.,. . .
r"---"
argued with our J apanese " supervisors"
to do away with our daily marchlngs in
formation to school and return, to a llow us
greater freedom during our off-hours, and
to ease other rules which we considered
oppressive or unreasonable. We won our
points. They even allowed us to attend
Mass at a nearby Catholic church where
the German priest recited his sermons in
Japanese. The group of 17 younger
civilians staged numerous sttxlent strikes.
There were daily cases of insubordination and discontentment. The most daring
was the case of Jose Ungria who attempted to escape. He got as far as the
northern island of H~ido, then to
Sakhalin near Siberia, in order to gel to
Russia but was captured and brought back
to Tokyo. It was a Japanese girl friend
whom Jose bad befriended during his
attempted escape wbo gave him away to
the police. His life was spared because of
the promise made by the Japanese to the
puppet Philippine regime not to harm, but
to indoctrinate, the Filipino students.
There was also a time when, at Duke's
call, we staged a silent strike, a sort of
ostracism, directed a8ainst our Japanese
"honcho," whereby we refused to talk to
him. This ostracism proved so effective
that he was forced to plead with us later.
The civilian group staged two strikes in
July and October of 1943; more in the
schools to which they were "deported"
from Tokyo. Mariano Laurel, the son of the
President, led the young civilians the way
Duke led our military group. The students
figured that the Japanese had sent them to
Japan as tools for propaganda. In tum, the
stul:ient leaders decided the Japanese
could not afford to take drastic action
against them without defeating the
propaganda purpose for bringing them to
Japan. In any case, when you are young,
you think you are indestructible. It can
happen to others - but never to you.
After 'our " graduation" from the language school, our military group r emained
in Tokyo fpr further police training. The
rebellious civilian group led by young
Laurel was dispersed and its members
were sent to various schools throughoUt
Japan for specialized traininl. Being
younger and more impulsive, they continued to get into trouble not ooly with
their Japanese superiors but also with the
police.
For example, Pel Vallejo walked out of
the classroom at Kurume one day in May
of 1944 following an argument with the
instructor and refused toattend classes for
more than a week until the school authori·
ties and four Filipino classmates prevailed
on him to return . They had a wilder
scheme in mind. This group, led by Smjo,
plaMed an "AWOL" from KUNme. They
were arrested by the Jumamoto police, 70
miles away, where they had gone ostensibly to return a previous visit by Cesar
Alzona, who was then assigned to Kuma·
moto. Actually, they went to spy out an
(CGDtlu.edCID Page IS)
(Continued 'rom Page 14)
aerodrome Alzona had seen.
Alzona himself was arrested at Kurume
and was returned to Kumamoto on representktions of the school authorities. In his
letter to our leader, Duke, Alzona also
stated that another purpose of the visits
with him of other Filipinos and one Bur·
mese was to finalize plans of simultaneous
student strikes and organization of anti·
Japanese associations of Asialics in their
schools and to exchange information they
had gathered regarding military and
allied war matters .
On another occasion, three of our young
boys at the Yokohama Police Academy got
out of the compound by climbing over the
wall, and sought sanctuary at the
Philippine Embassy. Ambassador Vargas
talked them out of staying and, in order not
to put the embassy in bad light, they
agreed to return voluntarily. The
Japanese police lined them up against the
wall and practiced their samurai sword
thrusts, holding their hairbreath strike
when the blades were directly above their
scalp. It goes without saying they had the
fright of their lives.
In July 1944 Ungria was recalled to
Tokyo from his schooling in Hiroshima,
followed by Alzona from Kumamoto, and
by Benjo Osias, Vallejo and a Japanese
from Kurume. They were branded as bad
influence on the other students, having led
strikes in their schools which were joined
in by some Japanese sympathizers. Back
in Tokyo, they were secluded in the
" rebels' dormitory" at Kashiwangi,
Higashi Okubo. These young rebels confided to us military elders information of
military value that they had gathered as
they moved away from the narrow confines of their schools and dormitories by
fraternizing with Japanese Christians and
other groups. Benjo also got in touch with
the dreaded Black Dragon Society, which
was dedicated to protecting the Emperor
from the military . He promised to keep
Duke informed on developments regarding this contact. Suddenly, the military
group was ordered back to Manila.
Having failed . with the lirst batch, the
Japanese in the Philippines started
recruiting a second batch. The arrival of
this second group of students from Manila
in June 1944 reswted in coordinated activities with those of lIS from the first
group. The new group also had its share of
"agitators" and "spies" and their influence spread to students from other
Japanese-controlJed territories. They
staged a strike in October 1944 because
they had been denied permission by the
school authorities to put up posters on the
bulletin boards about the religion, customs
a nd culture of Philippines.
On another occasion they boycotted an
athletic meet in 1944 where Japanese
students and those from Japanese-controlled territories were scheduled to participate. Japanese students were looking
forward to seeing the Filipinos in action
"Paroled" Vlllarla
again after the latter had registered the
,highest number of points at the athletic
competition the year before. They were
disappointed. Not one Filipino showed up.
(On a trip to Manila with the American
delegation of Balaan and Corregidor survivors to commemorate Bataan Day in
April 1977, I visited with a group 0(
students who had been with me in Japan.
Pisto Tijam of the second group told me
that the reason for the boycott was that
they did not want to take part in one of the
events where the pictures of President
Roosevelt and Premier Churchill were
hung in effigy as targets for bayonet practice. The students were supposed to make
a bayonet thrust for so many points.)
The anti-Japanese efforts of the students
got a boost in November 1944 when we, the
elders, were already back in the Philippines, Nine youngsters were enrolled at
the Japanese Imperial Military Academy.
In February 1945, II more Filipinos joined
them. By this enrollment., the Filipinos
gained access to secret military maps and
other matters unknown to the ordinary
Japanese. This information was sent out
through the Burmese military attache.
The information gathered by the students
was promptly turned over to the V .S.
Occupation Forces when they landed in
Japan.
Because of the forceful assurance that
Captain Duque had given G-2 and CtC officers during his interviews with them in
Manila in the early part of 1945 about the
anti-Japanese attitude of the Filipinos still
in Japan, the V.S. military immediately
sought these Filipinos. They were happy to
Dear Sirs,
I have just returned from a trip to the
Philippines lasting 30 days, some of which
was arranging for a plaque memorial to
my unit. the Provisional Tank Group.
Several groups have contacted the
Philippine Defense Dept. concerning such
memorials and I wish to announce the
following :
CoL Acosta, head of the Military
Memorials DiviSion, Dept. of Defense,
Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, Philippines
received a decision from the board con·
cerning the Bataan Memorial. A plaque
18" X 24" with any prac tical design and
lettering (send picture of what you want)
made of brass 1/ 8" thick , baked enamel
colors (branch of service etc. ) and the
natural brass. As an example the one I
ordered and paid for was as follows:
In Memory of the officers and men of the
Provisional Tank Group The 192nd and
194th Tank Bns. lnf. fL) Who fought on
Luzon 194H942. Cost of such a plaque is
Pl8OO,OO The one I ordered will be the first
one up. These will be places at the rear of
the Mt. Samat Memorial, On a retaining
wall where visitors pass to climb the trail
up to the cross.
Another official matter: The same
engraver can supply the Philip. Defense
and Lib. Mdeals at PSO.OO ea. and the Unit
Citation at P7.SO. Include at least $2.00 for
air mail. Card attached is address for both
plaques and medals.
Any authors or book collectors who have
duplicates:
I hand carried 15 books over with me,
donated by several authors and myseH
which started a library on Corregidor. The
book case is under construction with
plenty of room for more. Ship any
donations with proper inscriptions to :
Donation to TheCorregidor Memorial
c / o Lt. Col. ConstantinoP. Sibal, O.I.C.
Corregidor Memorial
MMD Dept. Vet's Affairs
Dept. of Defense
Camp AgUinaldo, Quezon City
Philippines
Do not order medals etc. from Col.
Acosta or Col. Siba), order from L.C.
Aguilar, Camp Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo,
Quezon City.
serve as interpreters, guides and clerks
attached to various U.s. Army units. 8enjo
served as a civilian agent of the lOth CIC
and worked under a Lieutenant Fong of the
US CIC. Following his recall to Tokyo in
1944, Benjo and five other young Filipinos
put on a Tagalog radio show once a week
on JOAK (nadio Tokyo>. They often tried
to tip orr the U.S. forces when the best days
for bombing Tokyo would be. But G-2
never caught on, apparenUy because the
show was in Tagalog.
After their repatriation to the Philippines in December 1945, some of them
served as interpreters in the trials of
Japanese war criminals in Manila.
(To be continued as Part n - Tokyo Rose)
August, 1977-15
lIST INFANTRY REUNION
The 31st Infantry reWlion and breakfas t
held May 4th during the 3Znd National
ADB&C Convention in San Diego was a
great success with 'E1 former members and
their wives present. All present eagerly
expressed a desire for another reunion
next year . Plans are being formulated for
a dinner meeting to be held at that time.
Humphrey O'Leary, Jr., came a ll the way
from the Philippines for this affair . Jay
Rye of Porterville, CA arrived after the
breakfast
meeting. Anyone having
knowledge 0( any 31st Infantry member
who was not present is requested to send
his current address to William Sniezko,
2701 E . Brookside Ave., Orange. CA 92667;
A listof those me mbers attending foDows :
NAME
BAJUKA , Edward
c 0 H. Wingate Indian School
Fl. Wingate, NM
Co. H.
Amenl'Oln DdeniJer!J ",£
Bataan & CorregidOl', lllc.
18 Wal'blcr Dr.
McKees Roc ks, Pa. 151~
\llllro':'>' ( :c .rr.·.·l itl n K..IIIII·...... 1
Udurn I ·n"' t ~ .. t : lla rall l l'l'll
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. PoSTAGE
PAID
Pittsburgh . Pa .
Permit No . 2648
DUES
ARE
PAYABLE
NOW
$4.00
l'I C;tloC Sc:nd COITl'11 . \thlrc~.:.1\"
\'·l~~
h ,,~,~.cr::
ov~,~,,~g""'--·---JONES. AlbertA .
904S. Chance
Fresno,CA
CoM
MARTIN , Norma n
104 Aloha
Santa Ana, CA
Co. A
STEWART, Al1Ius
SOC E. WiUiams
Santa Maria, CA 934M
Co. D
KING,A. H.
PO Box 577
........... AZ85232
Hq . Co.
MASt, Andrew
10035 Mill Sta . Rd., No. 127
Cascramento, CA 95827
THOMPSON. Otto E .
610 Granite
Pacific Grove, CA 93950
Svc.Co.
LACHMAN. LoW
Mn..TON,Gienn
21611 Rentz Rd.
JacltsooviUe, Fla . 32211
Co. A
DEVENY. James A.
BECK, Leon O.
40'735 Creston Sl
F.remonl, CA 94538
Anli-TankCo.
821 Waters Creek Rd.
WiderviUe, OR 97543
BELL, Jack H.
3148 Bainbridge Dr.
N. Highlands, CA 95660
Hq . Co.
DREGER, Forrest F .
8820 W. Pine Lake Rd.
Hiles, WI S4533
Co. K
BRAUN8ERGER. John
Rt . l , Box 1266
Eagle Creek. OR 97022
Anti-Tank Co.
EU.JS, Burton
115 Talmadge Way
Fridley. MN 55432
Co. I
CLEGG,C. E .
9034 Joan St.
Spring Valley, CA 9'JJ1n
Co. L
GARLEB. William J .
2123 Glenridge
Escondido, CA 92027
CO. H.M
COON, PhillipW.
2012 N. Columbia
Tulsa, OK 74110
Co.H
INGLE , Don
PO Box 261
Escondido, CA 9202S
Hq. Co.
Co. L
nACHEI lIES TOWN
HOLLISTER - Angry restden18 of this
farming town are protesting inflammatory
remarks by a local high school history
teacher who lectured his classes about the
Japanese in World War II .
John Buchanan acknowledged in the San
Benito High School newspaper that he had
told sutdents, "Remember Pearl Harbor
youJaps ."
He also repeated his comment, "As far
as I'm concerned the Japs got exacUy
what they had coming at Hiroshima and
Nagaski. ...
Recent graduates of the high school said
that this was not the first time Buchanan
had made such remarks in history tee-
.......
..
Buchanan', remarks might have lone
tmnoticed this year too had it not been for a
high school newspaper reporter who interviewed Buchanan about his beliefs.
11- 'I'IIIe g..
7fm Jonquil TetTaCe
NHes, IL60648
Co.K
LEWIS, Wayne B.
11015 Baldwin NE
Albuquerque, NM 87112
Co. D
LYONS. John R.
10641 BallastAve.
Garden Grove, CA 92643
Co. B
Co. F
O'LEARY. Humphrey,Jr.
'El Taurus, Belairi Makati
Phillippines
Co. L
SNtEZKO, WiUiam
2701 E . Brookskide Ave.
Orange, CA 92667
Co_B
RYE, Jay
PO Box 2072
Porterville, CA 93257
The reporter, Kalsu Kuki, is a Japanese
exchange student sponsored by American
Friends Service Committee.
K'*:i's article and an accompanying
explnation by Buchanan upset loca.1
Japanese Americana, many of them
wea lthy fanners and civil leaders who
were interned during Workt War II.
Buchanan's words also angered many
other residents of the area who had hosled
Japanese students as part of an annual
exchange program.
Last Thursday night about 60 c ritics 0(
Buchanan's leaching crammed into the
tiny high school library, demanding a
public apology and calling for action by the
school board.
Buchanan did not attend the school
board heari~
Speakers such as Kiyoshi Kawasaki,
president of the San SeDito County
Japanese American Cilize.. League
(JACL) , who described his chikllood in an
TURNER. H0t8ton
7000 Maynard Ave.
Canoga Part, CA 9130'1
Co.B
WALK,Earl
1525 Ora Dr.
Napa, CA 945S8
Co. H.
YOUNG, GeoI'geE.
PO Box 527
Lakeview, OR 97630
Co. A
interment camp dwina World War II,
called Buchanan's statements "an
outrage ."
Tom Taketa. national chairman of the
committee on discrimination for the
3O,()O()..member JACL called Buchanan's
remarks " the most blatanlexample of this
kind in recent years."
In a letter written by BlK':hanan and
published in "The Baler." the scbool
newspaper, the teacher explained, " I call
the people who murdered, butchered and
shot their way throup Asia and the
westem Pacific 'Japs just as I call the
perpetrators of homn in Europe ' Nazis .'
"
The teacher wrote that he has a different
" view of post.Japanese people as distinct
from those who warred upon WI."
Then Buchanan added. " Your people got
what they had coming to tbem in INS and
that lesson has now made them a peaceful
nation that I respect "
School board president Jay Jackson
scheduled a public meeting for June 16
with Buchanan to air the issue.
lEd. Some peopJe don't like the truth)