Filipina Heroine
The Silver Star is the third-highest honor for gallantry in the U.S. Armed Forces. Previous recipients include Audie Murphy, Chuck Yeager, and Norman Schwartzkopf. But few people have heard of Magdalena Leones – she was a Filipino woman that served as a guerrilla soldier under U.S. command in World War II.
Leones was in her 20s when she joined the Philippine-American military effort. She is part of a small group of women – and is the only Filipino woman – to receive the award for her heroism. She died on June 16th in Richmond, California at 96-years old.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors recognized her on June 28. “We are diminished by the passing of Corporal Magdalena Leones, Silver Star Filipina World War II veteran — the only Asian to receive this honor,” Supervisor Jane Kim said. “Corporal Leones has paved the way for many women that are breaking barriers in every arena. I look forward to her story and the story of the 250,000 Filipino World War II veterans being told for all to remember.”
Leones was part of why General Douglas MacArthur was able to return. Leones was able to gather the parts needed to make a radio that allowed communications with MacArthur, which in turn led to the invasions at Leyte and the re-taking of the Philippines.
The Army awarded the Silver Cross to Leones on October 22, 1945.
“For gallantry in action at Luzon, Philippine Islands, from 27 February to 26 September 1944,” the citation reads. “During the period cited, Corporal Leones repeatedly risked her life to carry important intelligence data, vital radio parts and medical supplies through heavily garrisoned enemy-held territory.”
“Although she knew that detection by the enemy would result in torture and execution, Corporal Leones fearlessly continued her perilous missions between guerrilla forces throughout Luzon with notable success. Through her intrepidity and skill as a special agent, Corporal Leones contributed materially to the early liberation of the Philippines.”
Lt. Gen. O.W. Griswold, commanding officer, U.S. Army, signed the citation. San Francisco’s Civic Center has had the citation and a replica medal on display in their Filipino Veterans Education Center since last January.
Rudy Asercion is a Vietnam veteran and the leader of American Legion Bataan Post 600 in San Francisco. He said that Leones’ heroism was not widely known, even in the Filipino community. “She was very private and deeply religious who never talked about her exploits,” Asercion told NBC News. “No one knew anything about her. We didn’t hear about the Silver Star until we commemorated the Leyte Landing and MacArthur’s return in 2004. Then I vetted and researched her and found out the truth. She’s a Filipina, an Asian woman. A Silver Star holder. The only one.”
Leones moved to the States in the late 1960s. She worked for the telephone company. Family members mourned Leones in a small, private funeral.
“Even with the Silver Star, there were no top brass, no admirals, or generals, to remember her. It’s very sad,” Asercion said. “No obit in the mainstream papers about her heroism either. Nothing.” She will be buried in Libingan ng mga Bayani, the place where the Philippines buries its heroes.
“The biggest issue to me, is she was not recognized by anybody, in the Philippines or the U.S.,” Asercion said, still troubled by her lack of recognition. “She’s elite, a one of a kind hero.”
Click on images to enlarge.
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Military Humor –
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Farewell Salutes –
Ian Boxall – Bellevue, AUS; RC Army, Vietnam
Alfred Cabral – Walpole, MA; US Navy, WWII
Arthur Gordon – Rochester, NY; US Navy, WWII, PTO, USS Cabot
William Herbert – Cherry Hill, NJ; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 11th Airborne Division, Signal Corps
Thelburn Knepp – Peoria, IL; US Army, WWII, ETO, 89th Infantry Division
Douglas Lane – Chatham, CAN; RC Army, WWII, 17th Field Reg/3rd Forward Observer Unit
Harold Madson – Eastpointe, MI; US Army, WWII & Korea, 1st Lt.
Darby Silvernail – Huntsville, AL; US Army, Afghanistan, Medical Corps
Kenneth Trickett – San Bernadino, CA; US Navy, WWII, fire control, USS Price
Edward Yamasaki – Honolulu, HI; US Army, WWII, ETO, 442nd RCT (author)
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Posted on May 11, 2017, in Uncategorized, WWII and tagged 1940's, History, Leyte, MacArthur, Military History, Pacific War, Philippines, Tributes, veterans, WW2, WWII. Bookmark the permalink. 184 Comments.
Reblogged this on Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News.
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Thank you, Ned.
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Reblogged this on We Served Too.
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Sharing their story is a great service!
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Fascinating story. My father, Colonel Arthur Philip Murphy (1913-1982), was a guerrilla in North Luzon during the period 1942-1945. He never surrendered, was never captured, and never wounded, but came away with a fistful of medals and decorations, including the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Legion of Merit. He rarely talked about the war, but he did write hundreds of letters which I discovered only after my mother’s death in 2005. Based upon those letters, and a dozen years’ worth of research, I’ve written a book detailing his experiences, scheduled for publication in the next year or so. I’ve learned his guerrilla organization, United States Armed (Army) Forces in the Philippines-North Luzon (USAFIP-NL) tried in every way possible to gather radio parts in mid-1944 in order to cobble together a transmitter so they could make contact with MacArthur’s headquarters in Australia and, hopefully, begin receiving some of the supplies and weapons they’d learned were being smuggled in by submarine. In all of my research, this is the first time I’ve run across the name Magdalena Leones, but I’d be willing to bet she was responsible for smuggling some of those radio parts up into the mountains of Kapangan, Benguet province, where USAFIP-NL had its headquarters. I’ll check and see if it’s still possible to mention her by name in the dedication of my book, The Luckiest Guerrilla. Thanks for telling her story. She was truly a heroine.
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Your book sounds terrific, Patricia, but you did have a magnificent subject – your father – to start with!! Thank you very much for including Col. Murphy’s story here and please keep me up to date on your research and publication.
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PS. You need to put some of this info into your blog and start brewing interest into “The Luckiest Guerrilla” now.
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I’m in the midst of trying to set up a website and get started blogging (about my book and other things), but it’s not so easy when one isn’t twenty-something anymore and wasn’t born knowing all the jargon.
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Don’t I know it!! I was basically a complete illiterate when I started blogging, but wonderful people like Pierre Lagace are always willing to share their knowledge. I’ll help if I can.
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You also might wish to check into “High Pockets”, the Colonel may have used her to get messages out.
and Florence Ebersole Smith Finch. I am planning a post on her for next week
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We have to make our efforts in the direction we believe to be the right one, as I think you are doing here. Thanks for telling her story on your blog GP. A few more people know about it now.
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Thank you, Ankur. The bravery here of one woman saved lives and I felt that did bear repeating.
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Thank you for honoring her, GP!
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It is my honor.
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Fantastic piece of history gp, what an outstanding and courageous woman was Magdalena Leones, a pity her story is not more wildly known and she being accorded the recognition she justly deserves.
Cheers.
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If only my little blog here could start a trend of honor, instead of all the arguing and decent I keep hearing and reading!!
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Thanks for sharing this. Her contributions should be remembered.
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I appreciate you taking the time to read it. It sure took a lot of people all over the world to end this.
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Would be good to see her celebrated during Women’s History Month and at the Smithsonians!
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Yes, it would at that, Rosemary. You’d think at least the National Pacific War Museum would have something on her, but I’m coming up empty there too.
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Yes, she could have made quite a name and reputation for herself on the grounds of that heroism. The fact she chose to keep quiet about it is to her infinite credit; it shows that some are brave for the right reasons. She seems to have had a great family, BTW – maybe they should accrue some bebefit from their mother’s courage.
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It seems that the braver they are, the quieter they are. That’s a credit to their character, but the younger generations don’t learn much from them. Hopefully all who knew her were taught by example. Thank you for coming by, Frederick.
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Thank you for this story. A brave and wonderful lady.
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And modest too, like all of the brave ones!
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You are right. My step-father served in Europe as a Para-trooper. He won’t discuss it. We were saved by brave women and men. I pray our children know. Freedom was very costly.
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If your step-father is still with us, do you think he would be willing to write down his memories for the Veteran’s Project?
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No. He won’t discuss it. He was in Germany and Europe in 1943-1945. He is a preacher and he is ninety years old. He bowls six days a week. Smartest man I know. I believe he left behind. My family lost many in WW2. My dear Grandmother father and son were serving. One was in Europe and one was in Asia. On the same day. My uncle son was killed and my uncle lost his leg.
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Your family has sacrificed greatly for our freedoms.
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USA and world pay a costly price. I pray we don’t allow the new wars to take-back all the deeds of honored men and women.
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My prayers are with you, John.
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Did Schwartzkopf do anything actually heroic, or did it come with the job?
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No one just gets ‘handed’ the job of General, they have to earn it. Starting as a West Point grad for him. An except from his biography:
Schwarzkopf was highly decorated in Vietnam, being awarded three Silver Star Medals, two Purple Hearts, and the Legion of Merit. Rising through the ranks after the conflict, he later commanded the U.S. 24th Infantry Division.
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So many dudes in high offices get decorations sprinkled all over, it’s refreshing that here’s someone who’d been there, done that. Kudos to him~!
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I know what you mean. Obama has 2 Grammy Awards and a Nobel Peace Prize under his belt – WHAT peace in hell did he take credit for? Then he turns around and gives the bumbling Biden the President Medal for Freedom!!
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It’s not what you do, or even what you know … it’s who you know …
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What an impressive and inspiring story!
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Thank you for reading it, Tiny. I wish we had known while she was still with us.
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I read a couple of newspaper reports from the time of her death, and had to smile at the story of her grandchild doing a report on her life at school, and not being believed by the teacher. After the child took grandma’s medal to school, the teacher became a believer! She apparently was self-effacing, and didn’t promote herself by touting her service. That’s rather a nice contrast to so much of what goes on today.
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The bravest are usually the most humble. Unfortunately, It makes me suspicious of some.
Thank you for stopping by and commenting, Linda, I’m so glad your father’s stamps brought us together!!
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Thank you for making us aware of this Filipina heroine. What a fine work it is that you do here, GP!
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Actually – they did all the work, I’m just lucky when I come across their story!! I wish more of these stories could be mentioned in the school systems.
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GP – There are too many unsung heroes. Thank you for sharing this story with us. A truly remarkable woman.
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Oh, there sure is at that, Judy! I’m glad you found the story interesting. Hope this note finds you well.
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I was touched to read about Cpl. Leones. Having been born in the Philippines, I’m sad to say that I never heard of this humble heroine. I’m happy to know about her now and will have to ask my mom if she’d ever read about Cpl. Leones’ achievements and courage. Thank you for posting about her!
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My pleasure. I only wish I had her story while she was still with us. If you remember, could you please tell me what your mother might recall?
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A very interesting story. What a courageous lady.
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So many go unheard of, so thank you for reading this.
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An inspiring story.
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Yes, quite a story.
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Thank you.
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Thank you very much.
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Thank you very much.
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