Chapter 5 -The Japanese -American War in Panay Came to an End

My father returned to Dayhagan, Pilar from the Japanese concentration camp in Capas, Tarlac. He was imprisoned in Tarlac for more than 3 years together with Filipino war prisoners. He stayed home with my mother for about 3 months.

Then, he decided to join the guerilla forces in Northern Panay. He said it was dangerous for former Japanese prisoners not to join the guerillas. The commander of the guerrillas in Northern Panay was his former officer while training in Dingle military camp. He was inducted again for military service.

He was assigned to several places in the town of Concepcion, Iloilo. Then in Lemery and Sara and other towns in Iloilo and Capiz. In Concepcion, the Japanese build a cement fortress near the shore, about a kilometer south of the municipal building. Here, the Japanese have their surveillance center.

In the middle of 1944, the United States invasion forces under Gen. Douglas McArthur landed in Leyte in the Visayas Islands. General McArthur defeated fast the Japanese forces in Leyte. The Americans proceeded immediately to Panay Island. The Americans landed in Tigbauan, a town about 40 km south of Ilollo for the invasion of Panay and Negros.

According to Wikipedia, the Free Encylopedia, “The area of operations for the Battle of the Visayas was divided into two, because of the mountainous terrain of Negros Island. The planners chose to seize the western portion, including northwestern Negros and Panay islands during the operation in Panay, in their Operation VICTORY 1.

“Lt. Gen. Robert L. Eichelberger, the Eighth Army commander, appointed the 40th Infantry Division, a California National Guard formation and veterans of the Battle of Luzon, under Maj. Gen. Rapp Brush, with the 503rd Airborne Regimental Combat Team in reserve. Panay Island was the first objective.

“On 18 March 1945, after two weeks of aerial bombardment on Japanese positions, the 40th Infantry Division, spearheaded by the 185th Infantry Regiment landed unopposed at Tigbauan, several miles south of Iloilo City, where a 23,000-strong guerrilla force under Col. Macario Peralta had secured most of Panay. Recalled Gen. Eichelberger: "Filipino guerrillas and decked in battle gear".

Lt. Charles Stewart said: “An interesting incident occurred during the Panay invasion. The landing was several miles from IIoilo and I flew up to the city on reconnaissance.”

“After circling the city a few times, I noticed a group of people had come down to the beach, waving at us. They had printed in large letters in the sand, "Japs are gone." I radioed that good news back to the (U.S.S.) Cleveland. I imagine the troops walking up the road toward Iloilo City still took precautions. The regiment proceeded to seize airfields at Mandurriao, Iloilo City and Iloilo International Airport, down to Barrio Tiring in Cabatuan, Iloilo.

“The Japanese were concentrated in Iloilo City proper, and the 40th Division easily swept these Japanese outposts in two days. Mopping up operations by the guerrillas and 2nd Battalion of the 160th Infantry Regiment continued, and at war's end, some 1500 Japanese troops surrendered.

“Guimaras and Inampulugan islands, between Panay and Negros, were seized on the same day Iloilo fell, 20 March and the next day, respectively with no opposition.

“Overall, the Visayas operations of the U.S. Eighth Army suffered relatively light casualties in comparison to Japanese figures. The 40th Division in Panay and northeastern Negros suffered 390 killed and 1,025 wounded, with the Japanese sustaining 4,080 killed with another 3,300 succumbed to disease and starvation.” (By Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia)

My father’s battalion was part of the guerrilla forces that supported the landing of General MacArthur in the battles of Iloilo City and other parts of Panay. His battalion was under Gen. Macario Peralta. They fought in different parts of Panay Island

There were heavy fightings in different places in Panay, starting at Tigbawan, then Oton, Iloilo City, and other parts of Panay. Thousands have fallen. The Japanese-US war in Panay was coming to an end. The invasion of Manila and Luzon was immediately planned.

When the American Invasion forces were preparing for the invasion of Manila, my father’s battalion with another battalion from Panay were assigned to join the forces of General MacArthur. They were ordered to accompany American forces to Manila. Their battalion joined the Americans in the deadly fight for the liberation of Manila. He told me that the battles in Manila were very hard and deadly. Thousands of civilians and soldiers, Americans, Filipinos and Japanese died in the war to liberate Manila and other Luzon areas,.

During the Japanese-American War, my father knew one of the strong and committed forces that joined and fought with the Americans against the Japanese Imperial Forces were the Communists in Manila and Central Luzon.

The communists organized themselves into guerrilla forces, known that time as “Hukbong Bayan Laban sa Hapon (HUKBALAHAP)”, (The People’s Army Fighting the Japanese).

The Communists fought hard with Filipino and American soldiers, fighting the Japanese Imperial forces the last 4 years. They were led by Luis Taruc, Jesus Lava, Jose Lava, Guillermo Capadocia, and other national leaders of the Political Bureau of the Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas.

The HUKBALAHAP were veteran communist fighters who fought the Japanese from 1941 until the liberation of the Philippines in 1945. They were formidable guerilla forces fighting the Japanese during 4 years of Japanese occupation.

After the surrender of the Japanese forces and imprisonment of Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita, Commanding General of the Japanese Imperial Forces in the Philippines, my father‘s battalion was immediately prepared for the American invasion of Mainland Japan.

They were further trained and readied for the most dangerous mission of their lives, to fight the Japanese Imperial Army right in Japanese soil, in Japan’s mainland.

My father said: “Rudy, I took the opportunity to be part of the invasion forces to Japan, hoping to find some American soldier friends, who can help me go to the United States if I lived after the war in Japan. I looked forward to a job in the United States after Japan will be defeated. I hope to bring you and your mother to the United States if ever there was a chance”. But my father’s dream to fight in Japan and go to the United States was not realized.

President Harry Truman of the United States ordered the bombing of the two cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan with atomic bombs. That was the first time in the history of warfare, that the unknown destructive power of the atomic bomb was used on human beings.

In just a few days, more than a hundred thousand Japanese were killed in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These two atomic bombs brought Japan on her knees. The Japanese Imperial Force, under King Hirohito surrendered unconditionally to the United States.

The Filipino forces who were readied for the Japan invasion were called off. The hope and dream of my father to fight in Japan and go to the United States also died. But I think, he was happy to continue his military career. My father loved being a soldier. But the unconditional surrender of Japan changed the course of my father’s life and dreams.

Instead of Japan, their battallion was ordered to proceed to Tarlac and Pampanga. They were ordered to fight the communists, the members of the Hukbong Bayan Laban sa Hapon (HUKS) in Northern Luzon. My father felt, he could not stomach fighting and killing or being killed by former comrades in arms, even if they were communists.

My father told me, he had not slept that night. He struggled on his bed the whole night. Then, he made one of the hardest decisions of his life. He resigned from the Philippine Army. He left the Philippine Army.