FREEDOM AT DAWN – 60th Anniversary

FREEDOM  AT  DAWN – 60th Anniversary

By Col. ( Ret.  US ) Frank B. Quesada 

This is a true story related by this author about his participation in the  daring raid how Fil-Am guerrillas and U.S. Army troops rescued and liberated 2,146 American POWs from prison, about to be massacred by their captors – in February 23, 1945 in Los Banos, Laguna (Luzon). Philippines.
      
Uncommon Platitude
Gen. Colin Powell, of the U.S Joint Chief of Staff said, I doubt that any airborne and guerrilla unit in the world will ever be able to rival the Los Banos raid. It is a textbook operation for all ages and all nations.
        
The Prisoners-of-war
Nearly sixty years ago today, on February 23, 1945 emaciated and tortured Americans and allied prisoners-of-war literally walked out of the Los Banos prison camp safely without any casualties except for two young guerrillas killed in a hand-to-hand skirmish during the assault and rescue.

Joint-Rescue Operation
The daring rescue was staged by the Hunters-PMA-ROTC Guerrilla and the US 11th Airborne Division contingent together with other units during the Liberation Campaign  in the Philippines. 
 
Hunters(PMA-ROTC) Guerrilla
The Hunters was founded  in 1942 by a handful of cadets of the Philippine Military Academy (the West Point of the Philippines) and ROTC undergraduates with meager military training. Its founders were PMA cadets Eleuterio L. Adevoso (PMA ’44) and Miguel Z. Ver (PMA ’43) Gustavo C. Ingles (PMA ’45) Emmanuel de Ocampo, Honorio K. Guerrero, Vic Estacio, Vic Novales, Raymundo Gozun, Alfedo Foz, Vic Salvador,  and  Tereso Pia Villa,, followed later by many stout and strong hearts, others  i,e., like this author, associate (PMA’44).
 
Irregular/Unconventional War
Through the ensuing years they quickly learned the art of irregular and un-conventional  warfare, from hit-and-run raids,  through beg-borrow-and-steal  of procurement  of logistics in order to maintain their operation of inflicting heavy casualties and damages against the enemy, with very little casualties on their part since 1942.

U.S. Army Forces
On January 31, 1945 U.S. Liberation Forces landed in Luzon one of which was the XIV Corps of Lt.Gen. R. Eichelberger, with the 11th Airborne Division led by Maj. Gen. Joseph M. Swing  USA, in Nasugbu, Batangas. and  was met by Col. Gustavo C. Ingles (PMA’45), Col. Janet Ferrer (PMA’44)   together with Gen McArthur’s representative from Australia,  Major  Jay Vanderpool,  USA.

POW  Concentration Camp
At the University of the Philippines,  College of Agriculture at the foot of mystic Mount Makiling, in Los Banos were some 2,146 American and allied POWs as captives of the Japanese Imperial Army troops hoping against hope for salvation.

Not until January of 1945 did the U.S. Army order for the liberation of the POWs finalized the original  plan by the Hunters, refined by the 11th Airborne General Staff – to free the  hapless POWs.
 
Final Assault Rescue
Final orders then came for the ultimate assault and rescue of the POWs to be carried out in February 23rd at 07:00 Hours. The overall assault plan was validated by Hunter Col. Marcelo Castillo, USNA ’38 before we went in to action.
 
Guerrillas  Deployed
In February 22nd guerrillas were confidently deployed under cover of darkness around the POW camp in assigned stations that night  before the early morning assault upon the camp. Others arrived on Feb. 23rd.

Men lay on the ground for warmth, motionless, but wide awake  awaiting for the drone of the expected C-47 aircrafts that would disgorge the para-troopers at the designated para-drop zone guarded by guerrillas.  Their jump was the signal for us to commence the attack. Men prayed. There were indeed no atheists in the foxholes.

My Ingress and Assault
I took the southeastern corner of the POW camp as my point of ingress into the camp, near the charcoal mill bound by a boot creek  that would  lead me to the POW’s barracks, and waited for dawn, to shoot  down  the Japanese guards in the guard post.

As the morning mist lazily crawled through the double barbed wire fence, blurred shadows of the enemy guards moved nonchalantly about the camp preparing for their early radyo taisyo (their  morning calisthenics) as they stocked arms. This was their great mistake that gave us advantage during our attack.
       
The U.S. Paratroopers
Paratroopers were aboard the planes drew nearer and  the sound of the C47s grew louder and louder as they flew approaching  the camp. Our men prepared for the signal to attack.
 The enemy continued their morning routine without the slightest idea of what was going to happen to them. The element of surprise was in our favor. Most of all, God was on our side.

Premature  Assault
In one corner of the camp, a Japanese guard chased a hedge-hog and fired at the animal nearly hitting one of the guerrillas camouflaged near the barbed wire fence. Capt. Marcelino Tan, sensing that they were discovered by the enemy guard, gave the order to return fire .
 Upon hearing the firing, the guerrillas around the camp simultaneously commenced the premature ground attack. Pandemonium broke loose as machineguns and automatic rifles barked without let-up.  Men breached the fence and chased the scampering Japanese guards towards their barracks. Unarmed guards were hacked mercilessly to death by guerrilla bolo squads to their painful death as the enemies finally joined their ancestors. 
 
Hand-to-hand Skirmish
A handful of enemy guards, however, were able to put up a makeshift defense but was mowed down by superior guerrilla firepower. Hand-to-hand skirmish  ensued which killed two young Hunters  (Atanacio Castillo and Anselmo Soler) They  were hastily buried near the college chapel where they now rest in tranquility.

A Turkey Shoot Out
As I breached the south-eastern corner,  and fired at the two guards barricaded in a guard-post instantly silencing them. I was cocksure they also joined their ancestors  Then I proceeded towards the POW barracks where I saw and met Terry Talbot, a POW, frightened and shaken,  who asked me Who are you?.

I gave her my name, and  that I was one of the liberators, then told them to prepare for evacuation. They hugged and kissed me as I struggled to proceed with my mission to secure valuable documents from the enemy office intended for the counter-intelligence command to sort out and examine them.
 
Mini-Reunions
On my way to the enemy barracks, I also met an old pre-war family friend, John Ferrier, a POW who said, What kept you guys so long? All I could say was John, time flies and it’s good to see you alive. I told him, Pack up your things, for  you’re going home.

As I got nearer the enemy barracks, I met  Col. Gustavo Ingles (PMA’45) together with Lt J. Skau of the 11th AB Scout party that breached the main gate of the camp where they met slight resistance from the guard house, which they blew into kingdom come and eliminated  all the enemy guards.
 
The Brown Boots  Landed
At the para-drop zone, the 11th AB brown boots jumped at a perilous height of 500 hundred feet, quickly re-grouped and joined the melee inside the camp. They did a fine job of annihilating the remaining Japanese stragglers . Lt. J. Ringler of the 11th AB kept his men intact, including my pre-war chum, Bob Fletcher, a son of an American old timer in Manila,  who jumped with the brown boots. He said, Frank, how are you? I never saw you for sometime in the city? I said, Bob, I was in the Sierras most  of the time hunting the enemy. We parted and never saw each other again. He returned to the US along with the expatriates.
 
 Guerrillas Planted the Flags
 On one of the barracks atop a makeshift flagstaff, were three flags: (a) the Stars and Stripes, (b) the Philippine national tri-color, and (c) the Hunters 45th Regimental banner  flying triumphantly, which I brought  later to the  Presidio of San Francisco Museum, of the U.S Sixth Army for display after the war.
 And for display during the grand celebration initiated by the US 6th Army honoring the forgotten Filipino-American heroes of World  War II, at the Presidio of  San Francisco.
 
A Theatre  of Ovasion
Going  back to the firefight at the camp, sporadic gun fires were heard around the camp from mopping up parties, followed by an ominous silence. POWs sensed that they were safe to come out from their huts, all rushed out to hug us, abundantly. Unashamed tears of joy flowed down their cheeks  to express their  thanks and gratitude. It was quite an unforgettable sight.

A few mini-reunions went on quietly in a corner of the camp. while Frank Smith, of  Chicago, a U.S, news correspondent who was  with us when we stormed the POW camp. Movingly quickly, he located his family among the POWs. God was with them as they  tearfully embraced and prayed for thanksgiving. It was an emotional sight to see them together one more,  as I watched with – a lump in my throat. 
 
Prayers of Thanksgiving
Priests and nuns (as POWs) in the camp knelt down and offered thanksgiving for  their emancipation on that clear day of February 23rd saying amazing grace for all of us.

The day was wearing off quickly, and the Evacuation Officer, Maj. Henry Burgess must clear the camp as quickly as possible before any Japanese reinforcements arrive. The sick, women and children were loaded first in the 672nd  Amphibian tanks  unit under the command of  Col. Gibbs.

Evacuation via Laguna de Bay 
The tanks filled with POWs and some troops were ferried across the Laguna de Bay from Mayongdong Point, north of Los Banos to Muntinlupa, Rizal where the POWs were examined and treated by U.S Army doctors. 

The Red Cross  was on hand to process them for repatriation back to the U.S.. and  the POW’s preferred destinations.

War correspondents had a field day interviewing the POWs that had a thousand and one stories to tell. It was a festive day for all of us.
 
POW in Liberation Campaign
One POW, Peter Newsome, a Britisher – preferred to stay and joined us in the mopping up campaign in Luzon. I later learned that he was conferred knight-hood by the King of England for his heroism in WW-II. 

We last saw each other  and had a glass of beer  in San Francisco, California  after the war, when  he testified along with my boyhood chum, Benjo Osias, who was brought by the Japanese to Tokyo as Yoen, during the war, but was able to return to the Philippines, and was then  as  witnesses in the trial of Tokyo Rose.
  
Enemy’s  Revenge
Back to Los Banos – a week later after the raid,  the Japanese in full force returned to Los Banos and massacred  thousands of  civilians in retaliation to save face. To the sons of the Bushido lost of face is worse punishment than death. Thus – they have to avenge their hurt to regain  forfeited Bushido’s honor. They vented their ire against Filipino civilians. Men, women and children were bayoneted to death, then thrown into the water wells. Others were set on fire during the scorch-earth revenge.

Los Banos survivors  blamed us, liberators for not leaving combat troops to protect them. Albeit, those casualties were those who did not heed the warning by local guerrillas to leave the place before and  after the raid.

We never lived that reproach down for many years. It was not a time to point fingers. Local guerrillas were unable to protect the civilians for lack of arms. Besides, civilians were hard to control. 

A Time of Healing         
Time was a great healer.  fifty years later, in Los Banos during the anniversary  celebration, Col Ingles and myself was given a chance by the townspeople the opportunity to elucidate on why and how we were quickly re-deployed under orders for the mopping-up operations out of Los Banos to another area.  So did the US 11th Airborne contingent neededfor the liberation of Manila.

We showed them copies of  our orders, and was accepted by them. We were reprieved and acquitted a pass over.
 
Camaraderie  Forvever
This powerful story will live forever in our hearts to remember that while there is life, there is hope. And that we stole precious minutes of contentment one day at a time. minute by minute, out of our lives to exist under the iron heels of a savage enemy. And never forgot the POWs in Los Banos.

Up until now, we write to each other, a phone call  for  exchanges pleasantries like long lost families. We meet in mini-reunions. As the years pass away  our ranks diminish, and nothing but deeply etched memories remain forever. 

For we are only young at any age as long as we can dream, can’t we? Never regretted having lived at all to hell and back.

 Nessun magior dolore, che recordasi del tempo falice nella miseria, (There is no greater sorrow than to recall, in misery, the time when we were happy..(Dante wrote  in Inferno)
War taught us to love and hate and to forgive. However, It lies not in our power to love or hate, for the will in us is over-ruled by fate ! (Marlow)

Los Banos was a testing ground for all of us who participated in this God’s challenge where it is not so much greatness of all our troubles, as the littleness of our spirits which makes us humble. (Adopted).           

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NOTE: This story has accounted a bit more about the participation of the Filipino-American guerrillas – in order to give them credit which was not clearly portrayed in many books and stories printed in the U.S.

The whole detailed account may be found by reading my book on the making, or the internet version of Freedom At Dawn, by this author. It is in the internet under the same title. And the book in  the making entitled Ordeal in War’s Hell.

Books and videos were produced about such exploits among others i.e., book entitled  Los Banos Raid by Lt. Gen.(Ret.) E. Flanagan,  book: With No Regrets, by Patricia Brooks of New Zealand.

Videos such as: Epitafh by Patricia Brooks;  Rescue At Los Banos, by Holywood’s Keystone Pictures;  Battle of Bataan ad Corregifor,  The Bataan Death March,’ by the Pacific Islands Production.