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Getting ready for the next mission – Aparri
Luzon
With his thoughts still focused on his R&R in Australia, Everett “Smitty” Smith landed back at Lipa City, P.I. only to discover that a mission was scheduled. The last remaining organized Japanese group, the Shabu Forces, were holed up in the northeast corner of Luzon and General Swing had organized the Gypsy Task Force to take them out. On his orders, this unique unit would include “all Camp MacKall veterans.” This would include men from the 187th Infantry, the 511th, the 457th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion, a platoon from the 127th Engineers and two platoons from B Company. Despite Gen. Krueger’s disapproval, Lt. Col. Henry Burgess, now 26 years old, would be the commanding officer. (Smitty was at the ancient age of 30, one of the oldest paratroopers besides one other soldier and a few of the officers.) Col. Lahti (31) would be CO for the reserve unit.
LTC Henry Burgess
Col. John Lackey, CO of the 317th Troop Carrier Group/5th Air Force, with very little notice, began loading 54 C-47s and 13 C-46s at 0430 hours, 23 June 1945. His plane was the first to leave Lipa airstrip and the constant rumbling of the planes soon became “Vs” in the open skies. Within the transports, every man appeared as a clone to the next. Individuality was lost among the uniforms, bundled parachutes and rucksacks filled to capacity with ammunition, first-aid, water and C-rations.
Each man stood and checked the chute of the man beside him when the “Gooney Birds” lurched at 0900 hours; the smoke flares from the forward Pathfinders were spotted and green lights flashed for the paratroopers. The stick of men hooked up to the static lines and proceeded to jump into vertical development. With mandatory, disciplined silence, the traditional battle cry, “Geronimo,” is only heard within the imaginative faculty of 1,030 men. All these diverse personalities would react separately to the same experience.
C-47 Skytrain ‘Gooney Bird’
Each man, for his own reasons, volunteered for the perilous duty that might end his life. Each man went through various stages of development and arrived at the same destination. Each man had been chosen for their good health, general toughness and honor. A jump into combat is reality in its most crystalline form.
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Military Humor – 
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Current News – U.S. Airborne Day, 16 August 1940 – Present
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Farewell Salutes –
Nelson Bartlett – No. Smithfield, RI; US Navy, USS Tarawa
Peter G. Byrd Jr. (104) – Beaumont, TX; US Navy, WWII
For Freedom
Alexander Carlyle (100) – Grand Forks, CAN; RC Air Force, navigator
Frank Deppe – Grand Rapids, MI; US Army, WWII, ETO
Peter J. Girardi – Mount Vernon, NY; US Army, WWII, ETO, 385th Infantry
Hal Hatch – Portland, OR; Civilian, WWII, welder, Navy Shipyard
John Hutchinson – Wallaceburg, CAN; RC Air Force, WWII
Robert M. Kelliher (100) – Riverdale, IL; US Army Air Corps, WWII, B-24 pilot, 461st Bomb Group
Homer Lester – Pulaski, VA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, HQ Co/2/187/11th Airborne Division
Whitney Newcomb Jr. – Jonesport, ME, US Navy, WWII
Beuford Webb – Ft. Worth, TX; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 511/11th Airborne Division
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This is here… Just because…
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C.B.I. General Stilwell & the 11th Airborne Division on Luzon
Lt. Gen. Joseph W. Stilwell wasn’t around, so caricaturist Don Barclay, who wanted to meet the CBI Theater commander to sketch his familiar features, did the next best thing – captured them from a photograph.
General Joseph W Stilwell along General Joseph W. Swing and Lieutenant General O. W. Griswold salute during the playing of the national anthem in Luzon, Philippines. General Stilwell shakes hands with several of the officers of the United States 11th Airborne Division. He pins a Silver Star on a sergeant and other officers. Recipients of awards march past. Location: Luzon Island Philippines. Date: June 9, 1945.
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Military Humor –
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Farewell Salutes –
Rene Antil – Fitchburg, MA; US Navy, WWII
James T. Bailey – Randolph, OH; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, 101st Airborne Division
Ronald Barkel – Coopersville, MI; US Army, 11th Airborne Division
Patricia Ann Carroll – Los Angeles, CA; US Army, WWII / beloved comedian/actress
Charles Civil – Ocala, FL & Jarreau, LA; US Army, WWII & Korea
Malcolm Counsil – Nampa, ID; US Navy, WWII, USS Thompson
Anthony ‘Tony’ Dow – Los Angeles, CA; National Guard / beloved actor
Melvin “Bob” Kroeger – Flandreau, SD; US Army, WWII, PTO
George McLean – New Orleans, LA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, Sgt., 93 BG/8th Air Force
Ralph T. Potter – Galveston, TX; US Merchant Marines / US Army, WWII, ETO, Lt. Colonel (Ret.)
Eugene “Tex” Ritter – Unity, PA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, CBI, C-46 pilot, 1st Combat Cargo Sq./14th Air Force (over ‘The Hump’)
Michael Tarkane – Valparaiso, IN; US Army, WWII
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Pacific Theater items
Lipa Railway Station, May 1945
showing damage, looking south from Lipa Cathedral
The 11th Airborne continued their patrols, moping up details and training at Lipa. General Swing had another jump school built that created 1,000 newly qualified paratroopers. Plus, the entertainer, Joe E. Brown came to visit.
The new glider school concentrated on the “snatch pickup” method, whereby a CG-4A Glider on the ground with a towrope and a C-47 with a hook. As the plane goes overhead at an altitude of 15 feet, it snatches up the glider and brings it to 120 mph in a matter of a few seconds. (The noise from the plane, shock and whiplash must have been overwhelming.). With May drawing to a close and the Japanese Army being pushed to the northeast corner of Luzon, the men of the division began to realize something was afoot.
Joe E. Brown passing out mail call on Luzon
23 May, at least 65 square miles of Tokyo had been incinerated by bombs and napalm. Later, the same action was taken over Yokohama, Osaka and Kobe. This left over 100 square miles of the principle Japanese cities devastated and one-third of the country’s construction destroyed. Japan’s factories were demolished.
The Sixth Australian Division attacked and occupied Wewak, New Guinea. This is relevant because it housed the headquarters of the Japanese Eighteenth Army. A major boon for the PTO (Pacific Theater of Operations).
Young Japanese girls wore headbands that designated them as Special Attack Force members. Daily they would recite the Imperial Precepts for Soldiers and Sailors before they began a twelve-hour shift in a makeshift factory in Kokura, Japan. Here they were producing 40 foot balloons to carry a bomb package across the ocean as they were released to drift on the Pacific jet stream.
Japanese balloon bomb
A total of approximately 9,300 of these weapons were made and about 342 reached land, some as far east as Ontario, Michigan and Nebraska. Some were shot down or caused minor injuries and one hit a powerline of the nuclear weapons plant at Hanford, Washington. But – 5 May 1945 – near Klamath Falls, Oregon, a pregnant woman, Elyse Mitchell and five students were killed on their way to a picnic. These were the only casualties of the war in the 48 states.
Click on images to enlarge.
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Military Humor – 
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Farewell Salutes –
Wallace Bryans – Omaha, NE; US Army, Vietnam, Airborne Ranger, Master Aviator, (Ret. 24 y.), 2 Bronze Stars, Purple Heart
Charlie M. Chester – Clarksville, TN; US Army, Sgt., 101st Airborne Division
William Coughlin – Atlanta, GA; US Army, Lt. Colonel (Ret.), 82nd Airborne
Andrew G. Coy – Pure Air, MO; US Army, Vietnam, 5th Special Forces (Ret. 25 y.), Bronze Star, Purple Heart
James F. “Stocky” Edwards (100) – Nokomis, CAN; RC Air Force, WWII, ETO, P-40 pilot, Lt. Col. (Ret.32 y.), Wing Comdr.
Ralph Grogan Sr. – Critz, VA; US Army, WWII, ETO, Co B/9th Armored Battalion
Henry “Jimmie” James Sr. – London, ENG; RB Navy, WWII, gunner, HMS Sheffield
Bette Jensen (100) – Bedford, TX; US Women’s Army Air Corps WAC, WWII, aviation
Earl R. Lewis Jr. – Meadville, PA; US Army, Vietnam
Anne McGravie – Edinburgh, SCOT; British Women’s Navy WRENS, WWII
Thomas Rawlins – Bellbrook, OH; US Army, 11th Airborne Division
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Lipa, Luzon | May 1945
Lipa, after bombardment
1 May 1945, the recon platoon found a company-sized unit of the enemy in the 187th’s zone of responsibility. The 2d battalion, along with 81mm mortars and LMGs (light machine guns) spread out to attack the enemy on three sides. F Company had a kill count of 92 Japanese versus one man of theirs missing the following day. From 3 May on, the fighting was considerable. 10 May, with the situation easing, the division left the area to be patrolled by Filipino guerrillas and was once again united and prepared to set up their base camp amongst the ruins of Lipa.
During the month of May, a new T O & E (Table of Organization and Equipment) was put into effect as replacements finally arrived. A battalion was added to each glider regiment. The 188th Infantry and the 674th Field Artillery became parachute units. The 472d Field Artillery Battalion was added to Division Artillery and the 187th became a Para-Glider Infantry Regiment. For the first time since their creation, the 11th A/B totaled 12,000 men.
VE-Day
7 May 1945, the war in Europe was over, the famous V-E Day, and the men of the 11th Airborne were very happy for their counterparts in the ETO, but they knew the Japanese would remain solid and faithful in their convictions. The fighting in the Pacific would continue, it was a matter of honor to the enemy.
My father, Smitty, had told me of the hatred the G.I.s felt for the enemy and granted, he wasn’t overjoyed at the prospect of getting shot at, but he said he had to have respect for their patriotism and tenacity. (Yamato damashii – Japanese spirit and Bushido – the way of the warrior.) Now, the troopers began to wonder if they would receive ample reinforcements. Rumors began to fly. (Actually, 6 May 1945, 8:41 p.m. Eastern War Time, in Reims, France after 5 years, 8 months and 6 days, the Third Reich ended.)
10 May, the 11th A/B Division regrouped outside Lipa. If a soldier was not at an outpost or out on patrol, he was helping to build a camp in the coconut groves with those all too familiar pyramidal tents. Bamboo and steel matting was used to raise the tents up about a foot since it was about to become rainy season once again. Between two mountains, USO shows and movies began to arrive and a jump school and glider classes were held for the “green” replacements.
11 May, was the first span of 24 hours in a total of 101 days that no one from the 11th Airborne Division had killed one of the enemy. Their average before that had been 93.8 Japanese per day and during that time General Swing was unable to afford even one company to be in reserve. (I believe this in itself deserves a commendation.)
Legionary U.S. ship, Bunker Hill, thought to be unsinkable, unfortunately succumbed to Japanese kamikazes.
USS Bunker Hill, May 1945
Article on USS Bunker Hill attack.
CLICK ON PICTURES AND STORY TO ENLARGE.
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Military Humor –
“EVEN IF SHE IS A BOOBY TRAP, CAN YOU THINK OF A BETTER WAY TO GO?”
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Farewell Salutes –
Helen Bailey – Dixonville, AL; Civilian, WWII, Hagler Field, radio operator
Darren Collins – Broken Arrow, OK; US Navy, Information Systems Technician 2nd Class, USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70)
Robert Davis – Nelsonville, OH, US Navy, WWII, USS Gardiners Bay
Catherine Howarth – Middletown, NY; Civilian, WWII, Civil Air Patrol
Leo LaFauce – Springfield, IL; US Army, WWII
Over the horizon
Theodore Mertz (100) – Vallejo, CA; US Navy, WWII
Gwendolyn Ross – Westlock, CAN; Civilian, WWII, military Aircraft maintenance
William O. Wood – Tallahassee, FL; US Army, WWII, ETO, SSgt., 328 BS/93 BG/8th Air Force, B-24 gunner, KIA (Ploiesti, ROM), To be buried 8/1/2022
Christopher Young – Irving, TX; US Army, Desert Shield & Desert Storm, Medic, 528th Special Operations Battalion (Airborne)
Jerome Zeugschmidt – Bronx, NY; US Navy, WWII,
Robert Zimmerman – West New York, NJ; US Army, WWII, ETO
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Mount Malepunyo
Mt. Malepunyo, Japanese defenses CLICK ON TO ENLARGE.
The next operation was Malepunyo. The exhausted men of the 187th were sent to Tiaong to relieve the 188th and allow them to join up the 511th regiment and the 8th Cavalry while they (the 187th) would remain to cut off any Japanese fleeing the high ground. The 187th laid ambushes for 10 miles and confirmed some 400 enemy killed or captured. During three simultaneous banzai attacks coming across the bridges, the 187th were told by a prisoner that they had nearly caught Gen. Fujishige.
Swing received orders to “go it alone, capture Mount Malepunyo and destroy all the Japanese thereon.” This was an area of thirty square miles of hills with a mangled rain forest and bamboo thickets. It had no roadways and was surrounded by wet slopes intermingled with sharp ridges. At one ridge, the troopers spotted fifty to sixty Japanese about 300 feet below them bathing in a stream as if they were oblivious to a war shattering the world around them. The men of the 11th A/B were certain that there was nothing luckier than to literally catch the enemy with his pants down!
But the Japanese were far from done. Holding higher ground, they slowed down the advance of American forces with snipers and machine gun fire. In one particular incident in what was called Hill 2610, men of the 511th were surprised to receive gunfire from carefully hidden apertures in the underground Japanese command post. The Japanese had to be flushed out using flamethrowers. The Americans were not without casualties. Wrote Flanagan:
“Before being mowed down, they (the Japanese) pulled one last trick which cost us casualties. Several of the Nips, as they ran out of the caves, threw large demolition charges into the air, where they burst, wounding and killing our men as well as themselves.”
Gen. Masatoshi Fujshige
After one fray, a patrol of the 187th found a Japanese diary attesting to the starving conditions the enemy were facing. The book read that they were without any communication to or from their headquarters. They were praying for help from Manila and hoped they would die bravely in their fight with the Americans. (Any papers found on the enemy were immediately handed over to a Nisei G.I. for translation).
General Fjishige gave an interview on 27 May 1946 at the Luzon POW Camp No. 1. He said, in reference to the plans for Macolod, that he took one month of planning and organizing the defense himself. He had their positions so well camouflaged that they could not be detected by land or air and were stocked with some of the best troops he had. The general stated that whoever attacked Macolod deserved the highest U.S. Army honors.
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Military Humor – 
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Farewell Salutes –
Ross Avellone – Lake County, OH; US Army Air Corps, WWII
Frank Blair – Sioux City, IA; US Navy, WWII, USS Blackhawk
Felix Bonacci (103) – brn: ITA; US Army, WWII, ETO, Interpreter
Guinevere Doyle Collier – Evansville, IN; US Army, 59th WAC unit
Melvin Frankel – Bethlehem, PA; US Navy, WWII, PTO, USS New Mexico
Branford Freeman – Artesia, MS; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, 506/101st Airborne Division, mortarman
Gerald Grimes – Canton, OH; US Army, WWII
Clyde Hope – Amigo, WV; US Army Air Corps, WWII, 1st Lt., B-24 bombardier
Phyllis Brown Jones (100) – Flint, MI; Civilian, WWII, “Rosie” for the Hudson Motor Company
William J. Kerby (101) – Twin Pines, MI; US Army, WWII, ETO, 2 Purple Hearts
Barclay McFadden – Memphis, TN; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 11th Airborne Division
Larry Storch – NYC, NY; US Navy, WWII, sub tender USS Proteus / beloved actor-comedian
Ronald Taylor – Sandy, UT; UA Army, HQ Co/ 187th RCT
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Mount Macolod part 2
The reduction of Mount Macolod
2 April, the 187th attacked and cleared the area to the base of the mountain, but were unable to hold the ridges. One pocket of the enemy were dug in between the two southern ridges and small Japanese patrols were strewn along the highway near Talisay, indicating to Colonel Pearson that the enemy held that sector. His feelings were confirmed when his command post was hit with Japanese 155mm artillery shells. The quick reactions of the 674th Glider Field Artillery Battalion to counterattack saved the 2d 187th.
Shelling Mt. Macolod
Captured Japanese artillery, Mt. Macolod
8 April, General MacArthur released a communiqué to state that because of the 11th Airborne’s actions, “…all organized enemy resistance in the southern part of the island was destroyed and liberation was at hand.” As usual, his assessment of the situation was premature, but it was just the type of enthusiasm that endeared him to the Filipino people. His optimism gave them the strength to persevere through some gruesome events; such as when the 2d moved through Sulac, the men found one hundred Filipinos brutally massacred and discarded in a ravine.
7-17 April, the battles around Macolod continued making this one of the bloodiest battles the 187th ever fought. The regiment received massive downpours of artillery, but when the troopers discovered that the guns were all grouped together, they were eradicated. The 187th was exhausted by this point and diminished even further by casualties and wounded, but rest was not on the schedule.
18 April, Col. Pearson brought in tanks and 155mm howitzers to coordinate with the 187th and their fighting would continue for two more days. The 11th Airborne had pushed the Japanese back to Malepunyo. On the 19th, any cave found near the 1st battalion was sealed. Those hideouts discovered near Cuenca Ravine had gasoline drums rolled into them and were ignited by grenades. This not only killed a number of enemy soldiers, but also eliminated the vegetation that would normally provide cover and possible infiltration routes by the enemy. When the battle for Macolod was over on the 20th, the regiment had 13 casualties and 11 wounded.
12 April 1945, while sitting for a portrait, the President of the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, collapsed and died. The unsuccessful haberdasher, Harry S. Truman, would take over the reins of the country.
telegram of FDR’s death
Click on images to enlarge and read.
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Current News –
The USS Samuel B. Jackson, has been found 4 miles beneath the Philippine Sea.
The USS Samuel B. Roberts sank during a battle off the Philippines’ central island of Samar on Oct. 25, 1944. The vessel had engaged the Japanese fleet as U.S. forces worked to liberate the Philippines, which was then a U.S. territory, from occupation. The skirmish was the final engagement of the larger Battle of Leyte Gulf.
Eighty-nine of its 224 crew members were killed, according to the newspaper.
“This site is a hallowed war grave,” retired Rear Adm. Sam Cox, head of the Naval History and Heritage Command in Washington.
The Sammy B was hit by a Japanese battleship and sank, along with the USS Johnston
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Military Humor –
How Willie and Joe bore up under the elements… “Now that you mention it, it does sound like the patter of rain on a tin roof”
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Farewell Salutes –
Jack Avis – Westfield, CT; US Army, WWII, ETO
William L. Ball – Keene, NH; US Army, WWII
Chester J. Bochenek – Chicago, IL; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, B-29 bombardier
Frank Celentano – Simsbury, CT; US Army, WWII, Silver Star
Richard “Bud” Gill – Smithfield, VA; USMC, WWII, PTO
Daniel Krauss – Albrightsville, PA; US Army, 503rd Regiment (Airborne)
Felix Marcello – N. Versailles, PA; US Army, Korea, Co D/187th RCT
Edward N. Patterson Sr. – MO; US Army, 11th Airborne Division
Jeffrey A. Peters – Newark, OH; US Army, Sgt., 101st Airborne Division
Ray Shadden – Nacogdoches, TX; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 187/11th Airborne Division
Mount Macolod, LUZON
Mt. Macolod, Luzon
US Army still fighting Yamashita’s formidable soldiers…
When General Swing, Commander of the 11th Airborne Division, moved into the stripped-down Manila Hotel Annex, General Krueger began to visit him every other day. His competitive nature tried to get Swing to back-off from pushing into Manila first by saying, “don’t stick your neck out,” but Swing replied, “It’s been sticking out a mile since we landed.”
Mount Macolod was not some minor hill to be taken, this was a major battle for the 11th Airborne. It stands almost 3,107 feet, nearly vertical. On two sides, after a 1,200 foot drop, it has three ridges descending gradually. The north to south nose was known as Brownie Ridge, the east as Bashore and the third, a heavily wooded area that connected Mt. Macolod with Bukel Hill.
Brownie Ridge was the most heavily fortified section encompassing those infamous caves and tunnels previously built by enslaved Filipinos. G-2 (Intelligence), informed the soldiers that they would be up against the Japanese 17th Infantry Regiment and the 115th Fishing Battalion (Suicide Boat Unit), under the command of Colonel Masatoshi Fujishige (Fuji Force).
Mount Macolod, Luzon
For the attack, the 187th, the 760th & 756th Field Artillery Battalions, the 472nd, the 675th Glider Field Artillery Battalion, the 44th Tank Battalion and Company B of the 127th Airborne Engineers were used. (To help avoid what could become very confusing here, I will concentrate on the 187th.) They were equipped with 155mm howitzers, 105mm howitzers, sawed-off 105mm howitzers, Sherman tanks, chemical mortars and flame-throwers. Air attacks were brought in to assist. An entire squadron of P-47s made numerous runs with bombs and then proceeded to strafe the enemy sectors.
F and G Companies of the 187th began house-to-house fighting, but were met by massive machine-gun fire. The enemy was dug in too far underground. Napalm strikes were brought in which enabled the 1st of the 187th to go around to the north of Dita and the 2nd held its position near the town. This was 27 March 1945.
Both units made a frontal assault into the Macolod area the following day. The flamethrowers were used on the enemy bunkers and E and G Companies made it to the top of the crest. Their M-1 fire took out snipers and more advancement was made, but the Japanese returned with mortar fire and a withdrawal was necessary. The enemy came at them throughout the night and following morning with banzai attacks. This was a fierce and bloody battle, especially for men who have never been sent into reserve for rest.
machine-gun pillbox, Hill 843
The small islands that XI Corps had to secure were Caballo, a mile south of Corregidor; Carabao, hugging the Ternate shore; and El Fraile, about midway between the other two. The Japanese on those islands posed no threat to Allied shipping–their ordnance was too light–but, like other bypassed Japanese garrisons, they had to be taken sometime. Although the islands had little or no military significance, the operations to secure them offer interesting examples of military ingenuity and unorthodox tactics.
Some of the 11th A/B troopers were put into a new light. There were no airdrops and no amphibious landings. They used native outrigger canoes to land themselves on Saipang Island where the enemy was using machine-gun fire on the troopers. It was mandatory that machinery to be eliminated. Therefore, at dawn, the canoes moved out. The paratroopers behaved like natives, but fought like soldiers and the small island outpost was cleared of Japanese.
Click on images to enlarge.
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Military Humor –
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Farewell Salutes –
Robert M. Adams – Elk Grove, CA; US Army, 11th Airborne Division
James D. Chandler – Jenkins, KY; US Army, Vietnam, West Point graduate ’54, Colonel (Ret. 22 y.)
Courtesy of Dan Antion
Larry Duncan – Wilmington, NC; USMC, WWII, PTO
Alexander MacDonell – Victoria, CAN; Royal Canadian Artillery, WWII, RC Electrical & Mechanical Engineers, Lt. Col. (Ret.)
John McKeon Jr. – Philadelphia, PA; US Navy, Commander
Floyd A. Miner – Lowell, MA; US Army, Korea, 187th RCT
William C. Phelps Jr. – Winslow, AZ; US Air Force, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Senior MSgt.
Omni Putikka – Grand Rapids, MI; US Army, 11th Airborne Division
Dwight S. Ramsay – Fordyce, AR; US Army
Francis Vinci – Middletown, CT; Cadet Nurses Corps, WWII
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Stories from Los Banos
Jerry Sams, Los Banos taken with a hidden camera
Oddly, people were allowed to volunteer for a transfer to Los Baños, which my parents did. On April 7, 1944, our family was among 530 internees loaded into trucks for the trip South. At first it was much better. There was a kindly camp commandant, Lt. Col. Kimura, with one leg, who we kids called “Peg Leg”. We got better food and he gave candy to the children. And we could live together as a family. But unfortunately, that didn’t last long as the cruel, evil and sadistic Lieutenant Sadaaki Konishi was installed as the Camp Supply Officer. [source: “My Life as a Child Internee”, Robert A. Wheeler]
Strangely, the rescue of the 500 Santo Tomas internees on February 3rd would not be announced on the Voice of Freedom until the end of the month, leaving the Los Baños camp completely unaware of their fellow internees’ freedom.
In retribution, the Japs became even meaner. We were down to one official meal. Instead of husked rice, we were given a small portion of palay (unhusked rice) that would normally be fed to the pigs. As much as we tried to roll or pound it, the shell remained. If you didn’t hit it hard enough, the husk wouldn’t quite break and it was inedible. If you hit it too hard, you smashed the rice kernel. Conditions were desperate. People were dying so fast that the gravediggers, men who were themselves in miserable condition, could hardly keep up. [source: “My Life as a Child Internee”, Robert A. Wheeler]
S. Davis Winship
Yesterday morning, after nights and days of listening to sounds of the battle of Luzon, far and near, we awoke to the beautiful sunrise typical of late Feb. and out of the north came 18 transport planes, ours, and to our amazement, out of the planes poured parachutists; the most beautiful sight ever seen by my gray eyes. Simultaneously firing started all over Camp. Ridiculous as it may sound, I was indulging in my usual morning shave, a practice I have stuck to whether soap was available or not. And I kept right on as if nothing was happening. It was not bravery, nonchalance, coolness, or anything of the kind. Bullets were tearing thru the bamboo walls and open windows of our barracks, – and I finished shaving, washed up, cleaned my tools and put them away. About then the first of our troops, American and Filipino irregulars appeared, and we were ordered to prepare for immediate evacuation. And then occurred one of the most astounding feats of military history. 2200 unprepared civilians were grabbed bodily from the midst of a hostile force, in strongly held territory, with not over a dozen wounded, military and civilian, in 3 hours time, and removed from danger. [source: Letter by S.Davis Winship, courtesy of David Record]
“My husband’s aunt was about 5 years when her family were taken as prisoners at Los Baños. Her parents were missionaries and they fled to the forest to hide. They did survive for a time hidden in what they called the “forest farm.” Soon they had to surrender as they were afraid of being killed if found. They were there for 3 years and their whole family managed to survive. Thank you for writing about this rescue. I get tears in my eyes every time I read about the rescue. It was one of military’s proudest moments!” Blogger, Kat Lupe
Sister Beata
“Hi, thanks so much for a thorough report on this much forgotten, yet most successful rescue ever! My aunt, Sister Mary Beata Mackie, a Maryknoll missionary in the Philippines was among those rescued. She and all the other sisters returned to their Motherhouse in Ossining, New York, thank God. And Sr. Beata then went back for many many years to continue their good work with the wonderful Filipino people.
“You can read an article I wrote about my aunt, Sr. Mary Beata Mackie, and the other Maryknoll Sisters rescue. I also interviewed Sgt. John Fulton for this article. He was on the History Channel’s special about the amazing and daring operation.” Christine Synder
http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/remembering_a_world_war_ii_death_trap_and_a_miraculous_rescue
Fr. William R. McCarthy
Father McCarthy was assigned to the Maryknoll Mission in the Philippine Islands. During his first year, he worked in the Catholic Action program in Cebu City. He also served as a non-commissioned chaplain at a U.S. Army post, “Our meals became progressively worse. During our last month of imprisonment, the struggle forced us to eat weeds, flowers, vines, salamanders, grubs and slugs. Deaths mounted to two a day in January 1945.”
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Current News –
Remember that 14 June 2022 is the U.S. Army’s 247th Birthday, as well as Flag Day!!!
U.S. Army 2022
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Military Humor – 
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Farewell Salutes –
Thomas Bryan – McKeesport, PA; US Army, Korea & Vietnam, Lt. Col. (Ret. 25 y.), Bronze Star, Silver Star
Nathan Carlson – Winnebago, IL; USMC, Corporal, Tiltrotor Squadron 364/MA Group 39/ 3rd Aircraft Wing
Leroy Davis – Rockford, IL; US Air Force, Vietnam, Top Gun, Lt. Col. (Ret. 20 y.)
Clifton Doucet Jr. – New Orleans, LA; US Navy, WWII, USS Philippine Sea. radarman
Donald Gebhardt Sr. – Forks Twpk, PS; US Navy, WWII, PTO
Robert E. Hutcheson – Lawrence, MA; US Army, 1/188/11th Airborne Division
Nicolas Losapio – Rockingham, NH; USMC, Captain, MV-22B pilot, Tiltrotor Sq. 364/ MA Group 39/3rd Aircraft Wing
John T. Malestein – Grand Rapids, MI; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO
Seth D. Rasmuson – Johnson, WY; USMC, Corporal, Tiltrotor Sq. 364/MA Group 39/3rd Aircraft Wing
Jon Sax – Placer, CA; USMC, Captain, MV-22B pilot, Tiltrotor Sq 364/MA Group 39/3rd Aircraft Wing
Evan Strickland – Valencia, NM; USMC, Lance Cpl., Tiltrotor Sq 364/MA Group39/ 3rd Aircraft Wing
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Los Banos part 2
Los Banos depicted by: Mariusz Kozik
First Lt. John Ringler was in charge of those troopers who would drop 900 yards from the camp. They made their jump at approx. 500 feet instead of the usual 700-1,000′ since the drop zone was so small and the men would have less exposure time. They made three V’s-in-trail by the nine Douglas C-47s from the 65th Troop Carrier Squadron/ 54th Troop Carrier Group/5th Air Force. Some of the men ran across open fields to achieve their assigned positions. Ringler and his company went down a riverbed from the northeast (photo) while others came from the south and southeast.
Major Burgess went across Laguna de Bay with the amphibious vehicles as the main attacking force. The noisy amtracs slowly made their progress to shore with hopes the enemy had not heard their arrival. Once on the beach, the 457th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion dismounted at San Antonio to defend the area.
Los Banos rescue map
On land, Lt. George Skau and his 31-man platoon infiltrated with the Filipino guides and banca crews. (a sailing vessel usually used for fishing and trade) Once the men eliminated the tower sentries and guards, the soldiers attacked and entered the camp. The internees ran into their barracks or ditches when the firing began. One man said that at the start of the war, they were still using WWI materiel, so when they spotted the domed helmets of the troopers, they believed the Germans were there to help the Japanese. When the reality of the situation became apparent to them, the G.I.s had over 2,000 excited and hysterical people to contend with, but many of them were unable to walk. Every moment was crucial as the enemy could arrive at any minute. Sometime during this period, the guerrillas faded back into the jungle.
11th Airborne aiding a Los Banos internee
The 11th Airborne’s G-4 amassed 18 ambulances and 21 trucks to take the 2,122 internees to the New Bilibid Prison, where they would remain for a few weeks before being shipped home to the U.S.. They had been prisoners for three years.
The 188th had some casualties while confronting the enemy, but not one person was killed during the raid. The story of the Los Baños Raid and rescue 26 miles behind enemy lines was downplayed in the newspaper because of the fall of Iwo Jima. Reporter Frank Smith was at the raid, so the story did get out somewhat.
The Japanese supply warrant officer, Sadaaki Konishi, who actually ran the camp, was able to escape the American raid unharmed. He, along with others of the enemy and the YOIN (Filipinos that were pro-Japanese – makapili) continued to kill and burn the homes of the surrounding population. He was later accused of six counts against the laws of war, tried and found guilty of five charges. Sadaaki Konishi was executed on 17 June 1947.
CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE.
First-hand accounts from this mission will follow in next Monday’s post.
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MILITARY HUMOR – 
PARATROOPER HUMOR
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FAREWELL SALUTES –
Donald H. Arsen – Centerline, WI; USMC, WWII, PTO
Edward L. Blount – Pocahontas, MO; US Army, WWII
George K. Bryant – Pensacola, FL; US Navy, WWII, aviator, Bomb Sq. 75
Jean Chancellor (105) – Jerome, ID; Civilian, WWII, War Dept.
Robert Clingen – Luzon, PI; Los Baños internee, WWII / US Navy, Vietnam
Lydia Daikens – Oakville, CAN; Lee-Enfield rifle production / WREN, WWII
Sherri Fox – Virginia Beach, VA; US Army WAC, WWII
Jack Garrett – New Hyde Park, NY; US Navy, WWII
Alvin Henderson – Sacramento, CA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, pilot / Civilian, Air Force
Arthur W. Latta – Boulder City, NV; USMC, WWII & Korea, (Ret. 23 y.)
Richard Zimmerman – Pittsburg, PA; US Navy, WWII
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Los Banos part – 1
Los Banos University
“I doubt that any airborne unit in the world will ever be able to rival the Los Baños prison raid. It is the textbook airborne operation for all ages and all armies.”
____ General Colin Powell, US Army, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 25 February 1993
G-2 Henry Muller was required to collect any and all intelligence that he could, from anywhere he could find it – that was his job. A grower from Mindanao who had recently traveled south from Manila told him how awful the prisoners of Los Baños were doing. This was the first Muller had heard of the camp. It turned out Gen. Swing, commander of the 11th Airborne Division also had not been told about it. They presumed that being it was outside the area of their orders from MacArthur to be the reason of this lack of info. But Muller could not forget what the grower had said, “They are in pitiful shape. They’re dying.” He had to find out all he could about that camp.
map, Los Banos
23 February 1945 demonstrated the result of teamwork between General Swing and his troops, the Filipino guerrillas and the intelligence supplied by an escapee of the internment camp of Los Baños, Peter Miles. The man’s photographic memory gave a detailed layout of the prison and the exact sites of the guards and armaments. Mr. Miles had memorized the strict regimental daily routines of the Japanese and the specific times when the guards changed shifts and had their exercise periods, which would put them a safe distance away from their weapons.
Dry riverbed route to Los Banos
Los Banos camp was originally the University of the Philippines Agricultural School. It was situated forty miles southeast of Manila and on this date in history was 26 miles behind enemy lines. This operation needed a multi-pronged attack using each principle of war to the maximum. Above photo shows actual path taken to sneak to the camp.)
The guerrillas provided intel and also guided Lt. Skau’s reconnaissance platoon into position under the cover of darkness. The army did help supply them with radios, ammunition and food, but the loosely organized groups also later stole the 11th’s supplies, calling it a justified gift.
By this time, Everett “Smitty” Smith was an NCO and when I’d asked him many years ago if he was part of the Los Baños Raid, he said, “No, I was occupied somewhere else. I didn’t have any contact with them until after they were brought out.” As best as I can find in my research, he was busy with the rest of the 187th near the 457th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion that was commanded by Captain Flanagan. (The captain would later become Lt. General E.M. Flanagan, author of many WWII historical books, including, “The Los Baños Raid: The 11th Airborne Jumps at Dawn“) Although Smitty wasn’t at this dramatic feat of the 11th Airborne Division, It is an operation that anyone associated with the division remains proud of to this day.
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Military Humor –
Sounds like the 11th A/B
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Farewell Salutes –
David Bailey Jr. (100) – Sacramento, CA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO
Unice E. Baker – Jesup, GA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 188/11th Airborne Division
Ty Casey – brn: SK; USMC
Jean Daily – Dallas, TX; US Army WAC; WWII, 45th Air Squadron, nurse
Jack Hoover – Mt. Calm, TX; US Army, WWII, ETO, 36th Infantry Division
Lydia Maile (102) – Worchester, MA; Civilian, WWII, munitions production
Emmy Lou Papagni (100) – Fresno, CA; Womens USMC, WWII
Arthur Rivkin – Minneapolis, MN; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, B-24 co-pilot, 8th Air Force
William Slane Sr. – Schenectady, NY; US Army, Korea, 187th RCT
John W. Welch – LaCrosse, WI; US Army, HQ Co/11th Airborne Division
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Pacific Paratrooper 
