Jose Calugas [column]

Title

Identifier

Roll of Honor

Language

English

Source

Philippines 3 (2) April 9, 1943

Year

1943

Subject

Philippines--History--1898-1946

Calugas, Jose--Biography

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Abstract

Jose Cabalfin Calugas was a member of the Philippine Scouts during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for actions during the Battle of Bataan.. He was given the Congressional Medal of Honor, this medal-the highest that the United States can bestow.

Fulltext

Beginning with this issue. PHILIPPINES is publishing a roster of Filipinos whost· Jistinguishc:d service to the United States and to their country have won for th:·m oflicial rcco.~nition or popular acclaim. Tht· list will include the name. citation if any. and as much bio,!;r.1phical d:1ta ;is is availnhle here: it is inccndcd co provide a reference source co those who would note the p:in ch;1t Filipinos ha\'<.: played. and art· pl.i)·ing. in this war Jose Calu2:as ' Citation: "THE COXGRESSIONAL MEDAi, OF HO~OR TO JOSE CALUGAS, Sergean1. Battery B. 88th Field Artillery, Pbilippint• scouts. linited States Army for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of dutv in action with the enemv at Culis, Bataan ·Pro,ince. Philippine Islaiids. January 16, 19-1-2. W11en the battery gun po· sition was shelled and bombed until one piece was put out of action and casualties caused the remo,·al of the remaining can· nom~ers to t<heller. Sergeant C.alu!las. mes" sergeant of another battery, voluntarily and of his own accord, proceetled 1,000 yards across the shell swept area to the gun position and joined the volunteer gun squad which fired effectively on the enemy although hea''Y bombing aml shelling of the position ..-ontinued." To a Filipino soldier belongs the signal distinction of wearing the first Congressional Medal of Honor awarded in this war. This medal-the highest that the United States can bestow, was given to Jose Calugas, a sergeant in the Philippine Scouts. He was born in 1908 in a small barrio called Tagsing in the town of Leon, Iloilo far from Culis in Bataan where he showed his heroism. His people are farmers. He at· tended and finished his high school in Iloilo, and enlisted in the Philippine Scouts in 1930-where he has an excellent record. A small man, he is 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighs 11 (i pounds. He is married and has one son. The action for which the award was made rook place near Culis, Bacaan, on January 16, 1942. Culis is a small barrio of about two thousand people near rhe town of Hermosa in the northeastern part of Bataan. The village nestling at the foot of the Bataan and Zambales hills, is only two miles from the piauresque military road that connects Pampanga with the Olongapo Naval Base. The place ~RS thick with woods and underbrush and swift screams. Bur the Japanese had already captured that miliAPRIL 9, 194~ .Tc!-ius A. Villamor Citntio11: ••Th•• l.ll~Tl'.\Gl'ISllF.D ~ERV· ICE CROSS i1.1 uwur1l•·1I lo ,lf'>'Ul< :\. \'illamor, Captain. Air t:orp. Philippitw .\rmy. for ex· traor·dinm·,· lwroi~m in 1u-lio11 al Z11l1h111 l-'i••l1I. Quezon City. Philippim• 1~1m11(,.. llf'<'t'lnher IO. 19-t.1. In till' fm·•· of h•·an· t•m•m\· fir•• frotn tolrong t'IU'lll)" air forl'f'~. b1pt<1iD \·ilia· mor lc.'fl hit• lliµht of thn••• pnr>'uit pfom·~ into action a11:ain1:1t all:U'kin1t Japmw"e pl:inf'!'I. n~· his conto11ir11011,; t·xam pie• of t•ouraµ•· anti leadc-r>1hip. aml ut µrf'al l'<'t'>•onal lrnz;ird ht·· yond the c•all of clut~·· hi,i fli1tht wa;. cnahl.-d lo rout the attaekin;t plant»'- th.-rt'l•y pren•nt· inp: appt·!'!'iahh• tlamup:•· lo mntt-ri:1I al thi>' station. Captain \'illmnor is ale1111w:1r1led THE OAK LEAF CLllSTEH. to he worn with liis Distinguish..-d St•niee Cro~!I for the following aet of extraor11inarv ht>roi~m in :ietion near Ba· tangas. Philippine Ir.lands. December 12, 1941: During an all:t<'k on tlw airdrome at Ra111ngas hy a11proximald~- fifty-four Japanese bombers, Captuin Villamor took off from that fieltl leading ~ix pursuit plunes aml en· gaged the enemy. B~· this heroic adion against enormous odds part of the attacking planes were driven off, one of the enemy planes being destroyed by fire from Captain Villamor's plane. In contrast to Sergeant Calugas' viccory on land, Captain Villamor's two vicrories have been in the air. His rwo awards are the result of two daring advenrures in the sky. Behind Jesus Villamor·s background is a wealth of cul· ture and high position which could have easily assured him a life of professional ease. But he chose to pioneer in Philippine Aviation. Six years younger than Calugas, Jesus is the youngest son of one of the Island's most distinguished jurists, the late Ignacio Villamar, Supreme Court Jusrice and first Filipino President of the University of the Philippines. Jesus took up commercial nviation, and, lacer he was sent ' Jose Calugas ( Co11th111ed) tar)" road ;lnd c:i.1t off Olongapo. A successful stand at Culis had ro be made to ;\!low more time for the soldiers in the rear ro strengthen rheir defenses. This the Japanese knew. And on the morning of January 16th, they decided to wipe out all the batteries .ibove the Culis sector with synchronized air ;md artillery bombard· mcnc of the defender's battery emplacements. Battery B to which Sergeant Calug;tS belonged ""'s not in action time day. Another battery was answering the C•lllnon lire and sc\·ere bombings. Sergeant Calug;1s was ;u his pose in the kitchen. Suddenly one gun w:is pur out of commission. All the cannoneers were killed or ""ounded. U(X'n seeing this, Ser· geant Calugas voluntarily ;md withour being ordered ran 1,000 yards across the shell-swept ;1rca w the gun position. Exposed to incre-.ising shell fire. surcoundered by the dead and mangled bodies of his comrades, he succcssfull)' org;1n· ized a squad co place the gun hack in commission. By their ·gallantry in action these men were able to stop the adnncing enemy for several days. Sergeant Calugas' present whereabouts arc not known. it is presumed that he is in a Japanese prison camp. Here and There (Co11tin/ied) Under che present bw, it has been held chat while Fili pinos may not be classified as aliens, they can not be rnn· sidered citizens of the United States; and, therefore. can not enjoy the resident"s hunting and crapping privileges in Alaska. They have been classified as non-residents and have been paying SSO license for large game and SIO for small game instead of the $2 for both large and small gam<: licenses charged to residents. Citizens of the Commonwealth of the Philippines are not prohibited by law from engaging in commercial fish· ing in the Terrirorial waters of Alaska. ONLY Filipinos who have served or hereafter serve honorably in the milicary or naval forces of the United States during the present war are eligible for naturalization. Pending in Congress, however, is a bill "to authorize the naturalization of Filipinos who are permanent residents of the United States.'' * * * UNDER the Philippine income tax law, every citizen of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, whether residing at home or abroad, having a gross income of Pl,000.000 or over, including dividends, for the taxable year, is required to file income tax returns with the Philippine Col· lector of Incernal Revenue. During the present war emergency, Philippine income tax returns may be filed with the Office of the Resident Commissioner of the Philippines at 1617 Massachusetts Avenue, N. W., Washington, D. C. Payment should be made out in United Stares currency, in favor of the Philippine National Bank, New York Agency. 10 Jesus A. Vilhunor (Continued) to Randolph Field, Texas, to study milit11ry aviation. He also went co Kelly and Chanute Fields and specialized in aerial photography. Back home after his brief stay in America, he taught orhcr Filipino boys how to By. He was aware of the coming of w;1r and so prcp.ued himself for that. Jn his first adventure against the enemy, that won him the Distinguished Service Cross, he displayed coolness and courage in the face of overwhelming odds. Two days after his first encounter. on December I 2. 1941, the ;iirdromcs in Batangas province were besieged by lifryfour Japanese bombers. This time Villamor had six planes only, but che odds failed to daunt him. He said. '"I goc so mad. I forgor to he scared." Liter he saw a second llight of cwenty·scven pbnes which he thou~ht wf:'re Americans. He found om his mist.1ke in time ,;nd fnrrhwirh led hi' group in ;1 headlong charge that hrokt· tl1(· enemy·, form.1rion .ind dro,·e them off. Villamor was bsr hc.1nl of lrnm Atistr.llia ""her<: he sem .t card m his friend; in tlw Fim Filipino lnbntry in California with chc message. ·see '"tt 111 M.1n1l.i'"" UNDER the r<:tcm ruling of 1ht· Cmred Sr.ires Commissioner of Internal Rcvcnut·. WJ).:C'5 or sJl.iri<"s recei,•cd by Filipino citizem from mher sourtcs rlun rht· Philippine Governmenr. for sc·niu:s rt·nJN1.:<I in tlus countr\', ;Ire subject to the Fcdernl in«>mc t.ix .md such Frlipir;o citizens should file their income mx returns with the Fedcn•I Gov· crnment, and P·'l' the wrresponding incnme r.1x to the United States Government. The allowance paid br a fur<:ign governrncm co cover the living expenses of students sent by rhat government co the United States for advanced training is nm subject to income tax. Anr amount paid hr an employer to such stu· dent is considereJ compensation for services performed io the United States and is tax;rblc to the student. The Philippine Library of Information, l0<;ated in the Philippine Commonwealth Building at 1617 Massachusetts Avenue, N. W .. was organized early this year, under the Office of Special Services of the Philippine Commonwealth, ro serve as a clearing house for informarion about the Philippines. It mainrains dose relations with the Library of Congress and the libraries of other governments and agencies; it provides data to other offices of the Commonwealth and to the general public, Filipinos and Americans, for use in speeches, pamphlets, maga:zine articles, feature srories, radio programs; and it gives assistance to schools and other organizations preparing study-programs, bibliographies, and related materials on the Philippines. Solomon V. Arnaldo, formerly assistanr professor in Ii· brary science at the University of the Philippines, is chief of the Library and Miss Remedios C. Vergara is the librarian. PHlLU'PINBS

pages

9-10

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