The first Filipino guerilla regimen in World War II

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Part of Philippine Armed Forces Journal

Title: The first Filipino guerilla regimen in World War II
Creator: Espiritu, Nieves
Language: English
Source: Philippine Armed Forces Journal Volume IX (No. 6) August 1956
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Fulltext: By Nieves Espiritu \ • N 10 December 1941, elements of the Japancs(' Kanno Detachment swept rapidly southwa1·d following their landing at Vigan, l!ocos Sur. Twelve days later the main task force of Homma's Fourteenth Imperial Japanese Army landed on southern La Union rendering untenable the positions in that province. The USAFFE forces in La Union bore the brunt of the fighting. Stiff opposition was organized in the vicinity of Bacnotan, at Baroro Bridge and at the barrio of Lisqueb by elements of the lith Division (PA). _r-~"'"'-'·'' The veteran Kanno Detachment, however, broke through the lith Division line at about the time that the main Japanese force was being landed in southern La Union Other elements of the 11th Division had been deployed at Oamortis along with elements of the 26th Cavalry Regiment (PS). M~anwhile, the 71st Infantry Regiment, 7Ist Di\•ision ( P A), under Colonel Donald Van Bonett, had been rushed to the Bauang area in La Union, where it occupied beach positions, generally from the barrio of Dili to the barrio of Paringao. In the Baguio area were two companies of the 43rd Infantry (PS) and one troop of the 26th Cavalry Regiment (PS). To escape envelopment, the units in central La Union were withdrawn to Baguio from where they intended to move dowu the Kennon Road to Rosario, La Union, thence to Pangasinan. The enemy, however, following his landings in the Agoo-Oamortis area, ad\·anced rapidly toward Rosario and immediately set up a blocking force a~ the junction of Kennon Road and Highway 3. Other clements of the main Japanese task force, landed in the Bauang sector, followed after the withdrawing USAFFE troops to Baguio \'in the Naguilian-Baguio Road. Activation When Bauang became untenable, Col. Bonett withdrew his regiment to Baguio, thence to Nueva Vizcaya over the tortuous mountain trail across Benguet. Captain Guillermo Nnkar's lst Battalion, 71st lnfnntry, which had provided the covering shell, was closely pursued by the enemy. The battalion had barely passed Baguio when it was dec!al·ed an open dty, and shortly after was occupiei:l by the enemy. Captain Nakar pushed on his battalion, but his rear was much harassed and could PHILIPPINES ARMED FORCES JOURNAL not get to Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya, of its plan of action. until 8 January 1942. By this time, Radiogt·aphic f'Ontact was macle the escape route w~s already under possible with the USAFFE headthe Japanese who had set up a strong quarters of Gen. MacArthur through road block at Balete Pass. a radio set brought down from Camp At Aritao, Capt. Nakar met Capt. Henry T. Allen in Baguio, by one Everett L. Warner of the Philippine Sgt. Jose Cabaiiero, with the help of Scouts, and Capt. Manuel P. Enri- native ca rgadores. In a return raquez, G-2 of the 11th Division (PA), rliogram, Gen. MacArthur congratuwho, having been denied the escape lated the officers for their initiative, route were already organizing and in recognition for what they did, stranded elements of the USAFFE \Varner, Nakar, and Enriquez were into a single outfit. In the confer- promoted majors, while Cabaiiero was ence that followed, the three officers commissioned as 3rd lieutenant in the decided to conduct indefinite resis- Philippine Army. General MacArtance against the enemy. With 800 thur also gave instructions for the officers and men, mostly stragglers 1st Provisional Guerrilla Regiment from the 11th Division, the 26th Ca- to harass the enemy from the rear, valry, the 43rd Infantry, and the 1st but nevertheless to preserve its orBattalion, 71st Infantry, and some ganization by discreetly avoiding dicivilian \'Oiunteers, they formed a rect contact with the enemy. The unit which they designated into the primary mission of the regiment was 1st Provisional Guerrilla Regiment of the gathering and dissemination of two rifle battalions and a headquar- combat intelligence. For this purters battalion. .pose, on instructions from 1\lacArEarly Organizational Set-Up thur, the 2nd Bn. was assigned the Initially, the regiment by agree- territory from Balete Pass to Bato ment of the conferees, was placed Ferry, inclusi\'e, while the Headquarunder the command of Capt. War- ters Bn. and the 1st Bn. were asncr, with Capt. Enriquez as regi- signed the area from Bato Ferry to mental executive and, concurrently, Aparri. commanding officer, Hq. Bn.; 1st Not long after the organization of Lt. Warren A. !\linton was assigned the regiment, Minton's 1st Bn., in regimental adjutant and S-1 and conjunction with Capt. Ralph B. commanding officer of the 1st Bn.; Praeger's Troop "C", 26th Cavalry, and Capt. Guillermo Nakar was raided the Tuguegarao airfield, in placed in commanrl of the 2nd Bn. Cagayan, and accounted for more RCP and the aid station were estab- than 100 Japanese casualties as well lished at the barrio of Santo Do- as the destruction of planes on the mingo, Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya. ground. Headquarters USAFFE was The CP's of the 1st Bn. and the 2nd so pleased with the result and it comBn. were established at Dupax and mended all the officers and men who Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya, respectively. participated in the raid. ' General MacArthur was subsequent- The subsequent raids conducted by !)' informed of this organization and the 1st Provisional Guerrill a ltegiment ou Japanese dispositions in the pal"t~ of the Japanese column was l"ich Cagayan Valley enraged the engaged by the detachment under ent!my, especially so because he need- Lt. Longno destroying one truck and ed the rich food resources or thl' Val- one command car and killing 49 JapJey. And these rich resources the ane!lf' soldiers. While this engage· enemy could not readily have. ment was taking place, the move· Changes of Command mPnt toward J ones, lsabela, contil n the third week or January 1942, nued. while Maj. Nakar's 2nd Bn. was oc- UJJOn arrival at Jones, Isabcla, un cupying defensive positions from 2 F{'bruary 1942, Warner resumed Bam bang to Balete Pass, reports came his command of the regiment. RCP from the RCP that the Japanese were was established at 1\lasaya, Isabela. pushing to the Cagayan Valtey in The CP's or the lst Bn. and the 2nd two columns, one through Highway Bn. were established at Sinauangan No. 5 and the other through the and Daligan, lsabela, respectively. Baguio-Kiangan Road. A message The radio set was installed and confrom the RCP followed instructing tact with Headquarters USA FFE wa~ Maj. Nakar to proceed to Bayom· reestablished through which a ruesbong with all his trooJJS, and assume sage was received from Gen. Flbc· command of the regiment in view of Arthur directing Warner (110w a the illness of both Majors Warner lieutenant colonel) to designate the and Enriquez. l si Provisional Guerrilla Regiment l\lajor Nakar, seeing the possibility into the 14th Infant ry Regiment, of hitting hard the enemy from his USAFFE. vantage positions in Bambang and On 15 March 1942, the following Balete Pass, requested deferment of changes were made in the command: the carrying out of lhe order. A the 2nd Bn. became the Hq. Bn. second order was further ignored. under Maj. Nakar who was, in addi· A third order was subsequently is- tion, assigned regimental exeeutive. sued, and so, Maj. Nakar pulled out, officer; the original Hq. Bn. became reluctantly, his headquarters and pro- the 2nd Bn. under Maj. Enriquez; ceeded to Bayombong on 27 January RCP was moved to the barrio of Usol, 1942. A platoon under Lt. Januario Jones, lsabela, while the 2nd Bn. Longno was left behind to cover the moved to Bayombong, Nueva Vizcawithdrawal. ya. The 1st Bn. remai ned under The 2nd Bn. arrived at Bayombong Capt. Minton. on the morning of 28 January 1942. Warner Leaves Command Major Nakar immediately assumed Between 15 February and 9 April command. In a regimental confer- 1942, the 14th Infantry mai ntained ence that followed, it '\'as decided continuous radio contact with USA Fthat the troops would move to !sa- F E headquarters It was resbela where better hideouts were avail- pom;ible for the re-capture of Bavomable. A few available vehicles shut· bong. Nue-va Vizcaya on 15 i'ia rch tied the troop~ to lsabela. 1942, and the killing of onP ;'1-hyatJn 29 J a nuary 1942, the ad\'ance muto, the J apauesP M ilitar~· AdmiPHILIPPINES ARMEO FORCES JOURNA L 0 -y--------:::;;-----., taan in early April 1942. Colon<'\ Warner, Capt !\linton, and some American officers of the 1st Bn. werf' particularly anxious with what the ?~~·""''-1 future had in store tor them. On 12 April 1942 these officers left Casiguran, Tayabas, after Col. Warner had sent a radiogram requesting Gen. \Vainwright, who had assumed C'lmmand of the U.S. Armed Forces in the Philippines (USFIP), to send a !'Ubmarine to pick him and his party at Casiguran Bay. General Wainwright radioed back directing ~~:t~~ Col. Warner to stay with his com~ mand. This message was rushed to Casigu!'an, but Col. Warner and the other Americans in his party had reconditioned a Japanese motor launch and had already sailed away. When Col. Warner left, Maj. Nakar being the next senior officer, was assigned by Gen. Wainwright as CO of the 14th Infantry, He was consequently promoted to lieutenant colonel on 13 April 1942. Upon th(' fall of Corregidor, no ra1liographic instructions were reCPi\·ed from G('n, Wainwright. Lieut~nant Cabaiicro, the Signal Officer, ni"trator for the province. It also rep01·ted that the radio station at <onstructed an air strip at the bar- Corregidot· was no longer in th(' air. rio of Palacian, Jones, lsabela hop- Not long after, Japanese planes ing that at some future date it may dropped surrender leaflets addt·essed establish air communication with the to Col. Nakar. A few days later main USAFFE force. Meanwhile, Gen. Wainwright sent a personal the 14th Infantry continued intensive emissary, Lt. Col. Theodore Kalaku training and maintained intense com- Ia, to get Col. Nakar to sp,rrcnder. bat intelligellC(' patrols. It raided the but the latter decided to continue the 'l'uguegarao and Aparri airfi(']ds and fight. other points between Santa Fe and At that time, Hq. Rn., less one Aritao. company which wa~ stationed at The uncertainties in the Jlmgles Tuao, Cagayan, was with the RCP caused much anxiety among- the at QuimmalhliSa, J ones, I sa bela, "A", American officers of the lith lnfan- "C", and elements of "D'' compa try, especially after the fall of Ba nics were positioned in the suHound ing barrios of Jones, while "8" Co., had become careless with joy oveJ less its headquarte1·s situated near the fall of Correg1dor. Bayombong, was at the ban:io of San Fernando, Bambang, Nueva Viz cay a. The radio t1·ansmitter was put up by Lt. Cabaiiero with the help of Capt. Robert Arnold, who was ofIn view of the scaJ·city of food, fice1· in charge of the U.S. Ail thr lack of sufficif'nt arms, muni- Warning Service in llocos Norte at tion and medicines, and in order to the outbreak of the war, and Ser easily hide the men and at the same geants Lebrojo and Domingo. On time facilitate the gatherin~ and re- 16 June 1942, the set was ready for laying of enemy information to ope1·ation. It was then decided to higher headquarters, Col. Naka1· or- contact MacA1·thur's hl.'adquartel'S in de1·ed a tactical dispersion of the Australia. command into small g1·oups, each of which was to be unde1 · an officer After long and careful delibera who was given a list of the men tion on the means of contact with under him. The men were instructed the view of deceiving the enemy and to 1-eport secretly to their officers at the sa~e time insure positive at least thl·ice a week or as often identificatiOn of whatever friendly as the situation demanded. The of- station is contacted, it Wa'S decided ficers, in tu1·n, were directed to to 3-"!'ume a radio call name. A gen~ submit thei1· intelligence reports at era! call was then to be sent out. least three times a week to the near. and upon contact with another staest contact station. A sel·ies of con- tion, th(' time would be asked after tact stations were established to which an inquiry would be made for facilitate the transmital of enemy in- the name of a wite of an officPr tellip:ence to Col. Nakal·'s headquar· identified only with his se•·ial nun te1·s. ber (thr ASN was that of Capt. Arnold). It would furthe1· request that the word MABUHA Y be sent Contact With SWPA over Station KGEI in San Francis On 13 May 1942, the regimental co, California. staff, the radio station, and about 70 officers and men moved up the In the last week of June, contact Cagayan River. RCP was estab. was made. The hour announced by lished in a small clearing about 5 the station contacted pointed that kilometers from the barrio of Doma- it was located in Darwin, Australia. bato, Pinappagan, Nueva Vizcaya, The men doubted, but two days Ia. on 15 Ma~· 1942. ter, in the evening, the name of the wife of Capt. Arnold and the word Frorp 15 May 1942 to 15 June Mabuho.y were sent over KGEl. Th'· 1942, the 14th Infantry gathered in scheme worked. It was now po!'1 tel.ligence information, destroyed live lhat the 14th Infantry was in brtdges, and harassed the enemy who contact with a friendly statinn. PHILIPPINES ARMED FORCES JOURNAL On 29 Se11tember 1942, the 14th sion. He sent agents as far north Infantry received a 1·adio message-- as Aparri and as fa1· south as Mn through KGEI, which read: nila to collect information about ''TO LIEUTENANT COLONEL enemy c:onc:cntrations, movements, NAKAR: and to gathct data on the treatment THE COURAGEOUS AND of American and Filipino prisoners S PLENDID RESIS TANCE: MAIN- of war. Some of these agents, upon TAINED BY YOU IN YOUR their return, brought with them COMMAND FILLS ME WITH newsprints of "THE SPIRIT OF PRIDE AND SATISFACTION BATAAN", a one-page mimeographed STOP IT WILL BE MY PRIVI- newspaper containing the latest news LEGE TO SEE TO IT THAT of world events as gathered from YOU AND YOUR OFFICERS Station KGEI. These bits of news AND MEN ARE PROPERLY RE- greatly bolstered the morale of the IVARDED AT THE APPRO- people in the Cagayan Valley. PRIATE TIMR S TOP MY AF- On 14 July 1942, Gen. MacArthur F'ECTION AND BEST \II/SHES recognizing the inv6'\uab!e services of STOP the 14th Infantry, offered to havl' MA CARTHUR" the regiment Incorporated with thl' Army of the United States, effectJvc In a radio message sent to SWPA, on the date of acceptance. In a J'e CoL Nakar informed SWPA that the turn radio message the next day, 14th Infantry had a strength of 62 Col. Nakar accepted the offer in be officers and 960 enlisted men. In half of all his officers and men who addition, there were attached to the were henceforth to enjoy the same 1·egiment three officc1 ·s :1nd 140 en. rights and privileges of the Army listed men of the Philippine Con- of the United States, effective of stabulary. 14 July. Later on, Gen. MacArthur in· Shortly rtfter a radiogram from sll·uc:t.ed Col. Nakar t hat t he mission SWPA requested information as to of the 14th Infantry, effective t hat where personnel could be landed to date, was to obtain and to transmit c:ontact the 14th Infantry, A US. intelligenc:e information to GHQ, Colonel Nakar made a radiographic SWPA. Colonel Nakar informed inquiry by what means these men SWPA that, at that time, he had would c:ome. The inquiry, being too no funds to run an intelligence net nah·e. was evidently ignore4 by work in Luzon for the purpose of SWPA. collecting enemy infonnation. In a return radiogram, Gen. Mac- Meanwhile, the Japa'llese massed a Arthur allthorized Col. Nakar to regiment, reinforced by Bureau of employ civilian intelligence agents Constabulary units and Ganaps for at the rate of P50.00 to Pl50.00 a the most intensive and systematir: l month. With this authority, Col. operations against Nakar's outf1t ~ Nakar embarked on t he new mis- 011 25 August 1942, the Japaaese forces reached Pinappagan, Nueva Nakac's Capture Y11:caya, and occupied the town. With the capture of Col. Nakar, a ~olone~ Nakar whose CP was about large number of officers surrendered f1ve " kilometers from ~he town had to the enemy many of whom were to evacuate all the s1ck and the later to escape and rejoin the out. wounded to a place farther east. The fit. Major Arnold who had eight followi-ng day, the Ja-panese, guided other officers remained in hiding in by the Ganaps and spies, raided the the jungles of the mountains of CP of. th_e 14th Infantry, burned all Jones while the Japanese combed the bu1ldmgs, and. captured valuable the hills for other officers of the records in the vicmity of the camp. regiment. Colonel Nakar escaped; he went further north t.o the barrio of Mi- Colonel Nakar was captured, but nuri, Jones, Isabela to contact a man the spirit that made the 14th Innamed Lleafio whom he hoped would fantry the great organization that guide him to a safer hideout. Lleafio it was never died out. After Nakar had guided Gen. Aguinaldo in his came Col. Manuel Enriquez, who escape to Palanan in 1901, and Na- had to surrender when his family kar was confident that Llea'iio would was apprehended and kept as hostagain be of valuable service. ages by the Japanese late in 1943. The Japanese played it smart, however. They followed close to the Another personality came into the heels of Col. Nakar and at Jones, picture when Lt. Col. Rumolo Manthey held a rally early in Septem- riquez took over the command of the ber and appe~led to the people for 14th Infantry, after the surrender help to capture the memebers of of Enriquez. Under Col. Manriquez's the 14th Infantry and thus restore leadership, the 14th Infantry now a peace and order in the region. This part of the U.S. Army For .. <>.s in appeal and the price money on the the Philippines, North Luzon head of Col. Nakar and his men (USAFIP, NL), liberated the big was too much of a temptation for portion of the Cagayan Valley rethe guislings of Jones. More than gion. The regiment, along with one man volunteered to point out elements of the Sixth U.S. Army, to the Japanese Col. Nakar. formed a part of the cordon around On 29 September tfl42, Col. Nakar Yamasita's Fourteenth Army headwas surrounded and finally captured quarters at Kiangan, Mt. Province. in a cave in the vicinity of Minuri, It was a platoon of the 14th Infantry Jones, Isabela. The Japanese pa- (AUS), USAFIP, NL, that first trol, augmented by 300 Filipino broke into the headquarters of Ya. Ganaps, was lett by the chief of po· masita in late August 1945, during lice of the municipality of Jones, one the liberation campaign in North named Sabaluca. Luzon. f Uv• liP lo f~• nob/• traditions of t~• peopl• -Monu•l t. O<~uon