|
Post by fots2 on Jul 25, 2012 21:40:41 GMT 8
"Americans and Filipinos made a gallant stand on Bataan and Corregidor until starvation, lack of supplies and ammunition and overwhelming enemy forces finally spelt their doom. As many as could do so took to the hills and became guerrillas. The remainder underwent the “Death March” out of Bataan..."
I wonder if this is one of the sources of the erroneous idea that Corregidor POWs endured the Death March. I still hear that today from tourists.
|
|
|
Post by pdh54 on Jul 25, 2012 22:13:04 GMT 8
Fots
I think maybe over the years the people on Bataan and Corregidor got lumped together when mention was made of the Philippines. This may be an indication of how it started.
I don't think anyone made the effort to distinguish between what happened to the two groups. You know...Laziness on the part of people reporting on it. Too many words in an article needed to explain it fully.
I know I fell prey to that thinking until I actually took the time to learn more about things.
|
|
|
Post by pdh54 on Jul 25, 2012 22:18:25 GMT 8
Having a fight with my keyboard. Sorry, am re-posting part one
Patty
“Miss U” by Margaret Utinsky published 1948 by The Naylor Company San Antonio Texas
Forward
When on December 8, 1941, a few hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese forces made an equally unprovoked, dastardly attack on the Philippines without declaration of war, those islands were defended by less than twenty thousand American troops, by one cavalry, two infantry, and two coast artillery regiments of Philippine Scouts which helped to man the heavy armament of the fortified islands at the entrance to Manila Bay. The Philippine Army, only partially mobilized, partially equipped, partially trained and officered in the lower grades by partially trained Philippine Army officers, was initially not of much use in the defense of the Islands. Later, after some battle experience, they did quite well.
It is to be remembered that at the time of the sneak attacks on Pearl Harbor and the Philippines, the Japanese had an Ambassador, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, in Washington who was supposed to be negotiating terms for the settlement of differences between our country and Japan, and at the very time, Japanese planes and fleets were approaching Hawaii and the Philippines. The Japs were running true to form.
After having destroyed the greater part of our Air Force in the Philippines on the first day (December 8), about 150,000 Japs, strongly supported by warships and airplanes, to be opposed by only 30,000 troops, all of the untrained Philippine Army except one regiment of the Philippine Scout Cavalry, landed in North Luzon. Landings were also made in South Luzon with the proportion of attackers to defenders about the same as in the north. As well attempt to dam Niagara Falls with mud, as to stop the hostile horde with the means available. Withdrawn by order of the High Command to Bataan, Americans and Filipinos made a gallant stand on Bataan and Corregidor until starvation, lack of supplies and ammunition and overwhelming enemy forces finally spelt their doom.
As many as could do so took to the hills and became guerrillas. The remainder underwent the “Death March” out of Bataan and the horrors, starvation, and in some cases torture of prison camps for over two, and for those who were moved to Japan and Manchuria, for over three years. How the prisoners who remained on Luzon were helped by the intrepid souls who stayed outside of the barbed wire is amply set forth in these pages. Those who were discovered helping the prisoners suffered unspeakable tortures and in many cases death.
And the guerrillas rendered valuable services. They continually harassed the enemy, gained valuable information and were ready to and did assist our forces when they made the great counter attack from the south. If these guerrillas were captured, they were put to death after unspeakable torture, which happened to several officers well known to the undersigned. God rest their gallant souls.
“Miss U” took every chance, ran every risk, and underwent torture in order to help the poor men behind the barbed wire, and finally had to go to the hills and join the guerrillas. Her gallantry and intrepidity were worthy of the best traditions of our country.
J. M. Wainwright General, U.S.A. (Retired)
|
|
|
Post by pdh54 on Jul 25, 2012 22:26:31 GMT 8
Miss U by Margaret Utinsky
Chapter 1 ENEMY ALIEN
It was January the second when the Japanese came into Manila. Through the nearly closed windows of my second floor apartment I peered out at them At every street corner Japanese officers with interpreters were setting up card tables, checking everyone who passed, searching for enemy aliens. Enemy aliens! That was a queer thing for an American to be in the Philippines.
My radio was tuned low and over it came a stream of orders. All British and Americans were to remain at home until they could be investigated and registered. That meant going to internment camps. The internment was a formality and it would not last long. Just a matter of three or four days, they said.
I was born Peggy Doolin, and having Irish blood, I don't like being told what to do. Thank God, I have never followed advice, even when it was good. To obey instructions and go tamely into an internment camp seemed like the sensible thing thing to do, but for the life of me I could not see what use I would be to myself or to anyone else cooped up there. So I decided to remain hidden – barricaded, rather, in my apartment until it was safe to go out and discover for myself what was going on and how I could get to Bataan where my husband was. For from the moment the inconceivable thing happened and the Japanese arrived, there was just one thought in my mind – to find Jack.
At least, this would not last. Manila was an open city and the Japanese were only passing through. They said so. Everyone said so. By morning, perhaps, they would be gone as swiftly as they had come.
I had been working as a volunteer nurse with the Red Cross and running a servicemen's canteen in my spare time. All that day I had been at the hospital. At six in the evening we were ordered home. On my way I was stopped by the crowds gathering on the street and inquired idly of a man standing near me, “Do you think it is true that the Japs will come in tonight?”
He gave me a strange look and said in kind of a choked voice, “What the hell do you think that is?”
Right in front of me a motorcycle was parked. The driver got off and removed his goggles. Then I saw the Japanese flags. They were already in Manila – they were beside me. I could not take it in. I kept telling myself, “Here they are; they have us,” but it made no sense.
A mob of people sprang up from nowhere and began pushing their way into the Bay View Hotel. I was caught up and swept along into the lobby and the elevator. We had reached the seveth floor before I could fight my way off – and I walked straight back into yesterday.
It was the cocktail hour, and on the seventh floor of the hotel Americans were ordering highballs and getting up card games. They did not even know the Japanese were in Manila! By the time the excited and disheveled crowd had unloaded from the elevator, they had begun to get the idea.
Almost at once rumors began to spread. No one seemed to know what to do – I didn't either, for that matter, except that it would not be what I was told to do. I ran down all seven flights and was trying to get out of the lobby when an American stopped me.
“Where are you going?”
“Home,” I said.
“You can't,” He protested. “I hear the Japs are going to start shooting at eight o”clock.”
“Well,” I said impatiently, “I still have fifteen minutes,” and I loped down the street.
|
|
|
Post by okla on Jul 25, 2012 23:12:42 GMT 8
Hey Fots....You are so correct in the fact that many people are under the mistaken impression in thinking the Corregidor POWS made the "Death March". I guess they assumed that the "Rock" quit the fight at the same time as did Bataan. Other folks, although they are aware that Corregidor held out for another month, are under the impression that the POWs from the fortress were taken over to Mariveles/Cabcaben and marched or trucked northward, not realizing that Manila was their destination after capitulation. If memory serves, some very reputable author (Wm Manchester? ) stated this in one of his books. I suppose these good folks don't have the time to "nit pick" every detail as we "more fortunate" souls do. lol, Cheers.
|
|
|
Post by JohnEakin on Jul 25, 2012 23:47:08 GMT 8
Just yesterday I received an email from a family member looking for grave information on their uncle who had died on the DM. Gave me name, rank, SN and said he served with the 60th CAC and died on June 6, 1942.
So I knew immediately that he didn't die on the DM because of the date, nor in O'Donnell because he was on Corregidor and Corregidor POW's went straight to Cabanatuan via Manila.
I checked the ABMC database and confirmed that all the information - including the unit - was correct, then checked the Cabanatuan burial roster and didn't find him. So I checked the O'Donnell roster - knowing I wouldn't find him there - and I did. There he was listed on the O'Donnell burial roster.
I have no idea how someone from the 60th CAC got to Bataan - most of the traffic went the other way - but he did. So there was at least one GI from the rock that did the DM and, while I didn't check, I'll bet there are others on the O'Donnell roster from there, also.
At this point, I've learned so much that I don't know what I know for sure. <G>
|
|
|
Post by pdh54 on Jul 26, 2012 0:26:15 GMT 8
John.
There seems to have been a lot of going back and forth between Corregidor and Bataan. Maybe this man got caught by the surrender and could not get back to the Rock.
|
|
|
Post by chadhill on Jul 26, 2012 1:17:48 GMT 8
|
|
|
Post by wwalker on Jul 26, 2012 2:21:34 GMT 8
There were remnants of the men from the 60th Coast Artillery that remained on Bataan after the surrender there. Battery Erie and Globe barely made it outa there in time, and there was so much chaos that men were left behind. However, I do not think the number of them is very big. Both of these batteries fought on Bataan throughout the siege until right before it fell. There were casualties from the fighting, and there were probably some of the wounded men from these units left in the hospitals there on Bataan.
I think the fact that there has always been a general confusion between those that were on Corregidor and Bataan is because the American public knew very little about the details on the surrender of the Philippines. Its simply a lack of knowledge that snowballs after the first error is published. After the war, many families just assumed that if their son was in the Philippines he was on the Death March. When an author commits this error it is nothing less than poor research, and very little fact checking.
WW
|
|
|
Post by okla on Jul 26, 2012 6:19:35 GMT 8
Hey All...I can testify that confusion over the fate of loved ones caught up in the PI in 1942 was rampant. I have posted on this Forum, a couple of years ago, how my Niece in Law's Grandfather, serving in both Companies G & H. 31st Infantry (US) Regt was taken prisoner. He survived the War, being liberated at Bilibid in early 1945. The family assumed for years that he made the Death March, but he told them, when he did talk about his experiences, that he DID NOT make the trek to San Fernando. They then assumed that he was one of the guys who escaped to Corregidor and was taken POW at that time. They, over the years, never really quizzed the old fellow, nor prowled thru his records, letters, etc. Once yours truly heard this story, when my Nephew married this man's Granddaughter, I dug thru his stuff and established that he was in either Hospital #1 or 2 on Bataan when Genl King went to see Genl Homma. Now how he made the trip to Bilibid remains a mystery to me. Maybe the wounded were trucked around thru San Fernando or make the trip by some type vessel from Mariveles, etc but I never pieced that together from his belongings, letters, etc During his captivity his Daughter, my niece in law's mom, said he mentioned laboring at Clark Field. This makes sense, as the Japs used POW labor, cleaning up Corregidor, and other places, including Clark. This family never was too interested in learning the true and complete story and he was deceased when I became aware of the fact that he was up to his eyeballs in a lot of history, fighting on the Abucay Line, etc with the "Polar Bears". I did help the Grand Daughter refurbish his uniform, including getting the Blue Sea Lion shoulder on the right shoulder and the Red Caribou patch on the left, and that kind of thing. She was the only one of her family, I felt, that really gave a d**n about the true nature of what this guy did and endured during the years he was on Bataan and later as a guest of the Emperor. This is a rehash, but maybe some of the newer members of this Forum haven't read some of the older posts, so I will pitch it out there again. Cheers. Postscript...He was a very religious man of the Evangelical variety, never or seldom missing Sunday services and Revival meetings. At one of the Revivals, there was to be a Japanese Christian Missionary featured as the main Speaker. Old Sam Hendricks sat that one out, as told to me my Niece in Law.
|
|