As Allied forces retook territory the Japanese had wrested from them at the beginning of the war in the Pacific, the fate of prisoners of war (POWs) and civilian internees was of major concern to the Allied high command. This was particularly true in the Philippines, where thousands of survivors of the Bataan Death March, as well as American and European civilians, were being held prisoner.
General Douglas MacArthur, the U.S. commander in the Philippines, ordered his subordinates to make every effort to liberate camps in their areas of operation as quickly as possible. Daring raids were organized to free prisoners and internees ahead of the attacking American forces, for it was suspected that the Japanese captors would slaughter their charges before they could be rescued. These fears were not unjustified–on more than one occasion, POWs had been slaughtered by their guards.
The former University of the Philippines Agricultural School at Los Baños, a town on the island of Luzon some 40 miles southeast of Manila, had been converted into an internment camp for more than 2,000 civilians who had had the misfortune of falling into Japanese hands at the beginning of the war. The 2,122 internees who were at the camp in the late winter of 1945 were of many nationalities, though the majority were American, and of every age, including infants. For more than three years, the internees at Los Baños, along with POWs in other camps, had waited patiently for the day when their liberators would arrive. On January 9, 1945, the U.S. Sixth Army waded ashore at Lingayen Gulf and began moving south. Three weeks later the Eighth Army landed at Nasugbu and began moving north. Within a month, the advancing U.S. forces were on the doorstep of Manila. For the occupants of the Los Baños camp, rescue appeared imminent.
As the advancing U.S. forces drew nearer and nearer to Manila, General MacArthur became concerned that the Japanese might decide to slaughter the American POWs and other Allied civilians under their control. During the Sixth Army's movement south, troops liberated American and other Allied POWs in several camps.
One of the most spectacular liberation efforts was that conducted by the 6th Ranger Battalion at Cabanatuan. A Ranger task force, assisted by Filipino guerrillas, penetrated deep into Japanese territory and, after crawling more than a mile on their bellies, attacked Cabanatuan prison and freed some 500 POWs, bringing them 20 miles to safety. Nearer Manila, elements of the 1st Cavalry assaulted the campus of Santo Tomas University and freed more than 3,500 civilian internees.
Los Baños was some 25 miles southeast of Manila and thus outside the primary line of advance for the American forces. Located on Laguna de Bay, a large freshwater lake, Los Baños was accessible to amphibious and ground forces. Because Los Baños was located in the 11th Airborne Division's area of operations, a third means of attack was also possible: a paratroop assault from the skies.
The 11th Airborne Division had arrived in the southwest Pacific in mid-1944. Under the command of Maj. Gen. Joe Swing, the 11th had undergone theater training in New Guinea prior to taking part in the invasion of Leyte. The 503rd Regimental Combat Team and the 11th were the only American airborne forces to fight in the Pacific. After Leyte, the parachute elements of the 11th moved to Mindoro, while the glider troops prepared for an amphibious landing at Nasugbu Bay. On January 31 the 188th Glider Regiment landed at Nasugbu with the Eighth Army. Four days later, the airborne infantry of the 511th Airborne Regimental Combat team jumped onto Tagaytay Ridge. Because of a shortage of available transport, the 475th Parachute Field Artillery and other support units jumped in the following day.
Once on the ground on Luzon, the 11th Airborne began working its way toward Manila after the parachute and glider elements had linked up. By mid-February, the 11th was engaged in combat along the so-called Genko Line, a fortified system of interlocking pillboxes running along the south side of Manila. Although the division was already engaged in heavy combat, General Swing and members of his staff were well aware that they were responsible for liberating the Los Baños internees. The problem was that they had not yet determined the best method for carrying out the mission.
The Filipino guerrilla groups operating in the area played a key role in the liberation of the camp. The Hunters-ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps) Guerrillas, made up originally of former cadets of the Philippine Military Academy, were one of the most active groups, along with ex-ROTC students and other former college students. Other groups included President Quezon's Own Guerrillas (the PQOG), the Chinese Guerrillas of Luzon and the Hukbalahaps, a Marxist group with their own agenda for the Philippines. To bring some order to the guerrilla effort, U.S. Army Major Jay D. Vanderpool had formed a combined guerrilla command known as the General Guerrilla Command (GGC) of Luzon. The GGC would coordinate operations against Los Baños.
Inside the camp, there was some dissension as to whether the internees should make any effort to make contact with the Americans and effect a rescue. Los Baños was filled with civilians, with the exception of 12 U.S. Navy nurses. Some of the men were of military age, however, and one or two had tried to enlist in the U.S. forces shortly after Pearl Harbor but had been unsuccessful.
On the night of February 12, 1945, Freddy Zervoulakas, a 19-year-old Greek-Filipino, slipped out of the camp and made contact with the guerrillas. He was sent back into the camp with a copy of a letter from Major Vanderpool instructing the guerrillas to make every effort to free the internees–but the internee committee responsible for governing the camp decided that it would be best for the internees to do nothing. Nevertheless, several male prisoners slipped under the wire in the days before the rescue.
On Sunday, February 18, Major Henry Burgess, commander of the 1st Paratrooper Battalion, was ordered to withdraw his battalion from positions on the Genko Line and proceed to Manila. While the battalion rested, Burgess reported to the 11th Airborne Division headquarters, then located at Paranaque. The 26-year-old major met first with Colonel Douglas Quant, the division G-3 (operations officer), who informed him that his unit was going to be involved in the liberation of 2,000 civilian prisoners from the camp at Los Baños. Burgess spent the remainder of the day at headquarters, meeting with division Intelligence and Operations and planning the mission.
The following day Burgess met Pete Miles, an internee who had escaped from the camp the previous day and been conveyed by guerrillas to the 11th Airborne Division. Miles provided information of the layout of the camp and the schedules of the guards, details that were essential to complete the mission precisely and without needlessly endangering the internees.
The division plan called for a multi-pronged assault on the camp. A parachute company would launch the raid by jumping into a drop zone inside or adjacent to the camp at dawn on the day of the attack. The division recon platoon would cross the bay in advance of the main party, make contact with the guerrillas and organize them to attack the camp sentries exactly at H-hour. Major Burgess' battalion, minus one company, would proceed across Laguna de Bay aboard amphibious vehicles and provide the main body of the attacking force. A combat team was to attack overland from Manila on Highway 1, with the objective of providing a blocking force to cut off any Japanese reinforcements.
For the parachute assault, the 511th's regimental commander, Lt. Col. Ed Lahti, selected B Company of the 1st Battalion, commanded by 1st Lt. John M. Ringler, because it was closest to full strength. Heavy combat in recent days had severely depleted the ranks of all the division's units.
One unique factor in the Los Baños mission was that the planning for the raid itself was generally left up to the men who would do the job. Ringler personally planned the airborne phase of the mission, down to selecting a 500-foot-jump altitude instead of the usual 7001,000 feet, so the men would be exposed for less time. Ringler also determined that the drop formation should fly three V's-in-trail of three planes each because of the small drop zone. Nine Douglas C-47s from the 65th Troop Carrier Squadron of the 54th Troop Carrier Group were selected to make the drop.
The division reconnaissance platoon under Lieutenant George Skau played a major role in the Los Baños operation. Skau's 31-man platoon would be responsible for infiltrating into the area around the camp prior to the raid and linking up with the guerrillas, then integrating the indigenous forces into the rescue effort. The soldiers of the platoon were typically of the 'rugged outdoorsman' variety, and their familiarity with hiking, camping and hunting especially suited them for missions deep behind enemy lines.
On the evening of February 21, some 36 hours before the planned attack, Lieutenant Skau's recon platoon moved out by truck for the barrio of Wulilyos, where they met Filipino guides and the crews of three bancas (sailing vessels ordinarily used for fishing and trade in the coastal waters of the Philippines). The first banca moved out at 2000 hours with Skau and his headquarters group aboard. A second, larger banca set sail some 15 minutes later. The third was meant to sail right behind with the bulk of the platoon's supplies and men, but the Filipino captain discovered that the rudder was broken. Repairs took two hours.
The trip across Laguna de Bay was planned to take two or three hours. But it was not until the wee morning hours that the first banca finally touched shore near Los Baños after an eight-hour journey due to light winds that failed to fill the sails. One of the bancas was still in the middle of the lake at daybreak and making little progress. The Filipino crew spent the rest of the day trying every trick in the book to get the heavily laden vessel to its destination, but it was well into the evening when the banca reached shore. The paratroopers of the recon platoon had spent most of the day crouching uncomfortably beneath the side rails of the ship to avoid being seen by the Japanese patrol boats that still ruled the waters.
After reaching shore with only a portion of his men, Skau began making plans to carry out his mission with the small force that had landed with him. While his men rested out of sight, Skau met with the guerrilla leaders and two escaped internees in a schoolhouse in the barrio of Nanhaya. Ben Edwards, one of the former prisoners, sketched the layout of the camp on the school blackboard for the paratroopers. Assuming that the last banca would arrive in time for the rescue, Skau broke his group into six teams and assigned from eight to 12 guerrillas to each one. Edwards and the other internee, Freddy Zervoulakos, each accompanied one of the teams. Late that evening, the third banca finally reached shore. Shortly after midnight, the recon platoon teams began moving out from their rendezvous point at the schoolhouse for their attack positions.
The amphibious element boarded amtracs and moved out at 0500 on February 23. Fifty-four amtracs from the 672nd Amphibian Tractor Battalion set out across Laguna de Bay from Mamatid, their noisy engines giving notice that the attacking force was on its way. In the pitch-black, pre-dawn darkness, a lack of landmarks forced the tractor drivers to navigate solely by compass.
At Nichols Field outside Manila, the paratroopers boarded nine C-47s at 0530. Half an hour later, the pilots started their engines. After takeoff, each of the jump planes orbited over the field until all nine were airborne and had joined the formation. At 0640 the C-47s headed southeast over Laguna de Bay toward Los Baños. Fifteen minutes later, the pilots signaled a six-minute warning by turning on the red paratrooper jump lights in the cargo compartments of their airplanes. At 0700 Ringler stepped from the door of the lead C-47; the Los Baños raid was in progress.
As the jump planes passed over the camp, the Japanese sentries were in the process of changing the guard, and the internees were lined up for morning roll call. The plan called for the recon platoon to attack the sentry positions and other Japanese strongholds as the troopers were floating to earth, but only two of the five teams were in position at H-hour. At the sight of the drop planes over Los Baños, the other three teams had to abandon stealth and rushed headlong for the camp. Nevertheless, the attack went off more or less as planned. By 0715, when Ringler had finished organizing his men and the first of the jump teams reached the camp perimeter, Los Baños was already under attack from three sides. A number of the guards, most of whom had turned out without weapons for morning calisthenics, were killed, while others fled for the hills.
By the time the amtracs arrived from the shores of Laguna de Bay, the gun battle was practically over. Guards of the overwhelmed Japanese garrison had either been killed, were hiding, or had fled. Among the latter was Warrant Officer Sadaaki Konishi, the tyrannical second-in-command at the camp. Largely because of Konishi's policy of withholding food, the paratroopers found a starving horde of internees, many of whom weighed barely 100 pounds.
The original evacuation plan had been for a task force made up of men from the 188th Glider Regiment under Colonel Robert Soule to fight their way down National Highway 1 to Los Baños, then evacuate the internees overland to Manila. The amtrac battalion was only to deliver the bulk of Major Burgess' paratrooper battalion, then return to Mamatid empty while the rescuers returned with the internees. After an hour at the camp, however, Burgess determined from the sound of firing that Soule's task force was still at least three hours away from Los Baños. At the same time, he was well aware that thousands of Japanese troops were within striking distance of his location.
At the last minute the plans were changed–Burgess decided not to wait for the task force. The internees were to be evacuated by amtrac, and the paratroopers would return to Manila with Soule's task force. Burgess directed the amtrac commander, Lt. Col. Joe Gibbs, to order his men to load their vehicles with internees, then evacuate them to Mamatid and shuttle back and forth until both the internees and members of the raiding party were all withdrawn to safety.
Organizing the liberated prisoners, most of whom were milling about the camp with little sense of order, was a problem; the internees were ecstatic about being rescued, but were hardly in a mood to fall into any kind of formation. Major Burgess observed that the internees seemed to be drifting in advance of fires that had been started in some of the barracks during the raid, so he ordered his men to set fire to the camp in such a manner that the fires would lead the internees in the direction of the main gate, where the amtracs were waiting.
By 0900, two hours after the commencement of the raid, some order had begun to appear among the internees. Those who could do so had begun the two-mile walk to the beach, while those who were unable to make the hike were loaded aboard amtracs for the journey. After the infirm were evacuated, several amtracs began to aid the walking by providing a lift to the beach.
As the internees moved out of the camp, Major Burgess and his troopers began a systematic search to ensure that all internees were accounted for and that none were still in the camp. The soldiers did as thorough a job as possible. Because many of the Filipino guerrillas disappeared into the jungle after the raid, many Americans liberated at Los Baños never knew to what extent the irregular troops had contributed to their release.
By mid-day, the Soule task force had advanced in the face of enemy resistance to a point just outside Los Baños. By then the evacuation by amtrac was proceeding quite well, as the officers of the task force could see from activities on the lake. Colonel Soule elected to halt his advance at the San Juan River and to maintain a bridgehead in the event the paratroopers had to withdraw by land as planned.
From Los Baños, the internees proceeded to the village of San Antonio, where the head of the marching column arrived at about 1000. From there, the amtracs, filled with evacuees, formed up into columns of three and slid into the waters of the lake for the two-hour journey to Mamatid. While on the lake, several of the amtracs came under fire from Japanese shore positions. Little damage was done, although one amtrac had to offload its cargo of evacuees and be towed to shore by another vessel.
By noon the remainder of the internees and the rear guard of the 1st Battalion had reached San Antonio. Burgess still had not made contact with Soule, nor was he in contact with the 11th Division headquarters. Essentially, he was on his own. Around that time General Swing flew over the beach in a light liaison aircraft. After Burgess advised the general by radio that the raid had been successful and that he planned to evacuate the remainder of the group and his own men with the amtracs that were on their way back to San Antonio, the young major was flabbergasted at his commander's reply: Could he perhaps liberate the entire town of Los Baños, then move west to link up with the 188th and keep possession of the territory they had gained?
Burgess was in the middle of contested territory with what, for all practical purposes, was a raiding party, and with strong enemy forces within easy striking distance. He did not answer the general's request, but after carefully considering his situation, he simply switched his radio off and did not acknowledge that he had received the message.
At around 1500 the last amtrac shoved off from San Antonio with the final load of internees and troops. At Mamatid the internees moved to the former New Bilibid prison, where they prepared for the journey to their homes in the United States and elsewhere.
While the liberation of the internees from Los Baños went off without a hitch, there is a dark epilogue to the story. After the 11th Airborne Division paratroopers left the area, the Japanese moved back in. Ironically, the first Americans to re-enter the vicinity of Los Baños were the same paratroopers who had liberated the camp only days before. What they found in the barrios surrounding the camp this time was both nauseating and pitiful. Whole families had been tied to the stilts supporting their houses, then the dwellings had been set ablaze, collapsing around their helpless former inhabitants. Burgess estimated that more than 1,500 Filipinos had been cruelly killed, evidently in retaliation for the rescue of the internees.
There is some question as to the identity of those who did the killing. The Japanese in the area were reinforced by pro-Japanese Filipino units commanded by Japanese officers and NCOs. Many of the villages in the region were pro-Japanese 'Makapili' as well–residents at odds with their countrymen who favored a return to American control.
One Japanese soldier later identified as having played a part in the reprisals in the area–including the murder of an American family that had lived near Los Baños and had not been interned–was Warrant Officer Sadaaki Konishi, the sadistic second-in-command of the camp at Los Baños. After the war, Konishi was implicated by certain Filipinos, tried for his crimes, and then executed as a war criminal.
This article was written by Sam McGowan and originally appeared in World War II magazine. For more great articles subscribe to World War II magazine today!
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My father T/th grade Fred J Pohl was in Co "A"
672nd AMTRAC Bn 37th Infantry Division Involved in the rescue of Internees at Los banos I always Remember the motto of my Fathers Bn "Ever Onward"
A friend of mine was an american POW in Los Baños, Philippines japanese camp, in World War II. His name was Dr. Robert T. Browne and I would like to get information about him, like a list of POWs there, and fotographies, if possible. He was one of the survivors of this camp, but he died in 1978.
I will appreciate your informations.
I don't know if you are aware that he became a spiritual teacher. He founded THE HERMETIC SOCIETY FOR WORLD SERVICE.
Ahother friend of mine was an american POW too in a Philippines japanese camp, in World War II. Her name was Miss Cecilia Michell and I would like to get information about her, but I don't know in which japanesse camp she was. She was one of the survivors of the camp in which she was a POW.
I will appreciate your informations.
My older brother Jack A, Colby was with the 11th and in the 511th and was involved in these operations. We found out he was okay by means of some of the internees when they got back to the states. Any more info asl me
RLC
My father, Michael Francis Concannon was one of the 11th airborne paratroopers from the infantry. The POWs – many innocent women, missionaries and children, were due to be executed at dawn. The soldiers had intelligence that the Japanese did their exercises at dawn with just loin cloths and not weapons. When the chutes opened, the troopers barely had time for them to open before hitting the ground and they were shooting in the air as they came down. They got all of the prisoners free but some of them were disoriented and didn't want to leave their belongings. The soldiers had to burn the huts to get the people to leave because they new they had the amphibious assault teams waiting in the lake to take POWs across the lake to safety. It was a huge undertaking and our men were loving and compassionate and helped the people without losing a single life of POW or our soldiers. The History channel did a documentary on it and before my father passed away he watched it and recognized some of his buddies on the film. He broke down in tears because the Japanese had sent children into battle and he had killed a 13 year old boy. He thought he was young and came back to see his id – he was crushed. He was also so upset because while they were in the jungles, both the Japanese and our soldiers were cut off from supplies for 10 days and were starving. One of his best friends went missing and they found him – with steaks cut out of his back – the enemy had eaten their best friend. Those kinds of things he kept to himself for 60 years and though he loved his country dearly, he never said anything bad about the Japanese or his fellow man. He had suffered the horrors or war but he didn't let it defeat him personally.
Karen, the things you have shared here are the same stories I've heard about my grandfather, John Paul Pickens, a paratrooper in the 11th Airborne and Los Banos rescue! He passed away just this April and I am researching everything I can get my hands on. He, too never spoke of his days as a soldier. In fact, a few years before his death he noticed a photograph on the cover of a book my grandmother, his wife was reading. He said, "Let me see that book." She handed it to him and he said, "I was there. I helped put those nurses in the back of that truck." The book was, We Band of Angels. Until that point, my grandmother had no idea he'd been involved. I am BEYOND proud of him and am dedicated to telling his story to all these sweet grandbabies he is responsible for. I cannot imagine what things they saw and endured. How precious it is to me to be his.
Julie,
My dad passed away in Nov. 2005 and was on the jump to rescue the internees at Los Banos. I called Col. Ringler when he died and he remembered my dad as a platoon Sgt with B Company 511 PIR.
The only reason B Co. was chosen to jump was they had just gotten12 more replacements than the other companies.
B Company is the only outfit during WWII that made 3 combat jumps.
They were; Tagytagy Ridge, Los Banos abd Appari, all in Luzon, RPI.
There are several more books available on the jump at Amazon.com
The jump on Los Banos is also studied at the Military War College.
Let me know if this helps.
Bill
My Dad was also in the 11th airborne and was one who helped. He didnt realy like talking about his time in ww2 but I do know He missed all those that did not come back. I thank God for the men and woman who served and are still serving in the U.S. military. God bless u all.
thank you for sharing. My Father Alberto(Al) Altobelli(Alty) was also part of the 11th Airborne. He never spoke of the horror's. Just now with documentaries we are seeing truth's. He passed in 1991 at 75 years old.
When I was 17 1/2 years old I was sent from Santo Tomas Internment Camp with 799 other civilian internees to establish the Los Banos camp on the grounds of the agricultural college of the University of The Philippines. We had to manual labor with picks, shovels and wheelbarrows to excavate and level the sloping hillside where the Japanese military expected the internees' barracks to be constructed. After some time we were relieved of this work by the Japanese command. I remained in that camp until liberated by the airborne outfit. I could elaborate in great detail on our life there, the conditions, etc. If you wish you can reach me at the e-mail address of "john.montesa@gmail.com"
Hi,
My father was a merchant marine during the war. My Dad's name was Willis L. Taylor. He was 31 when he was captured. Did you know my Dad? or know someone that might have known my Dad. My Dad didn't talk much about being at Los Banos. I would like to find out more and if there is anyone I can talk to that knew him, it would be great.
Thanks for any information you might have,
Georgina Taylor Muhareb
My father was WWII, retired AFP officer. I tried to get a copy of his military record which is now in the US Military archives. Though I am a Vietnam Vet. myself, I cannot get my father's military record because of their bull crap requirements that only the spouse, the eldest kin and the eldest grand kin can get this records. Unluckily I am just the third son. Any suggestion
My father, Alexander Christie, was interned at Los Ba?os. He was part of the "Vatican City" group. He was assigned a new job for the morning of Feb. 23, 1945. That was to guard the fire wood pile and thus he had a ring side seat for the liberation. He never talked of his ordeal while he was alive and it wasn't until his death in 1995 that we discovered he had kept a diary of this period. I am now in the process of trying to decipher his hand writing. Any surviving internees or liberators can contact me if they wish at abc1082@webtv.net or abchristie@juno.com
Thank you for the histories and the forum. I am an American now living just outside UPLB and have realized I am very near the site of the Los Banos camp. I would like to pay my respects properly, and would welcome contact from anyone who could confirm the exact location of the camp in reference to the current campus. I will be happy to lay a stone of remembrance for any who wish it. kcperow@gmail.com
My g-uncle, S. Davis Winship was rescued from Los Banos. I wonder if you have found information at the school. I wish I could find photos showing the internees after the rescue and then find him in a photo. Thanks for your consideration. David
Hi, David
S. Davis Winship was my uncle and his father S.Davis Winship Senior was interned. Let me know if you find out any roster listings, etc. I was in Farmington ca. 2001 researching family lines.Please email me.
Thanks.
Doug: Call me at 207-426-8957. David
Doug: Your e-mail doesn't show. I tried people search for you but don't know in which state you reside. I can't make my e-mail go through. I will describe it: my name, the space between david and record is underlined. @hotmail.com. I am your 2nd cousin and have much information about your grandfather. I hope you have much from your mom. David
My father was also at Los Banos. the following link tell his story.
http://www.geocities.com/ithascome/
Thank you.
My mother was one of the Navy Nurses held at Los Banos. It has been my great good fortune to meet a number of the veterans of the 11th Airborne Division and offer my personal thanks for the fact that I would not be alive had they not so flawlessly performed their rescue mission.
One of the veterans of the 11th told me that the rescue was the finest thing he had ever done in his life. I've often wondered how many children were born to the rescued POW's and what they've accomplished in the world.
It would be wonderful if we could find out and get that information to the veterans of the 11th, the Filipino guerilla veterans, their families and to the people of Los Banos to thank them for their sacrifice and give the legacy of their heroism to future generations.
If there is a link or a group already engaged in this effort, please let me know. If anyone wants to collaborate on such a project, count me in. I can be contacted by email at dandanner@hotmail.com
Warmest Regards and Gratitude…
Dan
My father, COL Joseph W Gibbs, was the Commanding Officer of the 672nd Amphibious Tractor Battalion. He was extremely proud of the unit which he commanded from its beginning at Fort Hood, Texas through its preparation for combat at Fort Ord, CA to the actual engagement in the Pacific campaigns. Without a doubt, the high point in the unit history was the rescue of the POW's at Los Banos. General Colin Powell has said that the rescue at Los Banos was a text book example of the correct way to conduct a rescue operation. General Douglas MacArthur was also very pleased with the success of the rescue.
I have a letter of contratulations to the 672nd Amphibian Tractor Batillion signed by Lt. Col. J. W. Gibbs. My father, Robert S. Breland was apparently a member of this group. I only recently found this letter in some of my father's effects that my mother had saved. He never spoke of the war to my mother only that he was a tank operator. He died in September 1952 at the VA Hospital in Biloxi, Mississippi.
My parents Oscar and Mildred (Millie) McCoy and my 3 day old sister Lois were rescued that day due to the brave men of our military and the support of the Filipino guerillas. My prayers and gratitude go out to you each year at this time of the anniversary of this incredlble rescue.
Both of my parents, Buck and Martha Waterstradt, were rescued that day.
I grew up hearing stories of their experiences in both Santo Tomas and Los Banos. Their rescue was an amazing feat – to be snatched 25 miles behind enemy lines on the day they were to be executed! My unending gratitude goes out to the brave military!
Dropping by to let you know that I had to move my Dad's site to a new location. This site is also about Los Bonos. The new link is http://ithascome.bravehost.com/index.html
THIS INFORMATIONN IS FOR JULIE MORALES:
I have many information about Drt. Robert T. Browne, surviver of the Japonese Camp.
He wrote some books of philosophy and created of Institution called "THE HERMETIC SOCIETY FOR WORLD SERVICE" in New York, USA. The actual International Head Quarter is in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in the Caribean Sea.
You may contact us whenever you or any want to.
atte.
Dr. Gilberto J. Fiallo Ch.
Find out more about Dr. Robert T. Browne in the book "Fighting for America, Black Soldiers, the Unsung Heroes of World War II, by Christopher Paul Moore. pp 43 and especially pp280-287, which is particularly about Los Banos and also has a photo of Dr. Browne.
My father Sam G Wilson, my Uncle William Wilson and my Grandmother Gertrude Helen Otto were in the camp 3 years.
My Granfather Captain Sam Joseph Wilson with General Mcarthur liberated the camp. My granfather had married Gertrude Helen Otte a German in the Philipines and he was instrmental because he knew the Philipines like the palm of his hand.
Sam J Wilson right hand of General Mcharthur liberated the camp.
My direct phone is 6192797956. If you wish to share some History call em please.
My Uncle who's name was Rolf Hinnen Hanson was a POW at Camp Banos, also. His wife, Donie, was place in Camp Santo Tomas.
He was a mining engineer/contractor in the Phillipines and his wife was a school teacher before they were captured.
I am wondering if anyone that was in Camp Banos remembers my Uncle? I am trying to find out the actual date that he was released from there. I would appreciate anything anyone can tell me.
Thank you so much.
Gail Lansing glansing4298@charter.net
There are just a few of us left who participated in the planning and execution of that "spectacular" rescue and liberation of the Allied Internmemt Camp in Los Banos, Laguna sometime in February 1945. And the irony of it all is that, a lot of us are not found in the "records of Missourri" as having served with the Armed Forces of the United States. Isn't that a shame? Anyway, personally, I,m glad to have done my "bit of the action." It,ll always be part of my memorable memories of the war. My outfit? The 45th Regt., Hunters ROTC Guerrillas.
My dad was with the 511 PIR B Company and made the jump on Los Banos. Of everything he had ever done in life, that was one thing he was most proud of. It was almost 45 years after the jump, he finally meet several people who were POWs of Los Banos. That was the icing on the cake.
My father, John Whitesides, was working at the Bank of Manilla before being sent to Santo Tomas. He was later moved to Los Banos where he was eventually liberated. I was wondering if anyone may have heard of him.
My uncle was a Jesuit Priest in training when he was interned at San Tomas Camp. I believe I spotted him in a photo of the liberation of the camp in the book "Victims of Circumstance". His name was Francis X CorbettI would love to get any information about him.He was my motivation to become a Marine Officer and serve in Viet Nam. Thomas J Corbett
My grandmother, Gladys Waterstradt, was interned at Santo Tomas and later transfered to Los Banos in Dec. 1943. She developed serious stomach problems that required surgery. Dr. Nance, the Los Banos doctor, performed the surgery. Unfortunately, infection set in and she was to weak to fight it due to malnutrition and died on March 9, 1944. She was the second person to die at Los Banos and the first female. My heart goes out for those that died at Los Banos and their families. To the survivors; you were rescued by a band of Angels and got to play out your lives.
[...] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn…l?hpid=topnews http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Buckles http://www.historynet.com/world-war-…nment-camp.htm The last US First World War veteran has died at the age of 110. Frank Woodruff Buckles was also [...]
April 27, 2011 6PM at the Philippine Consulate Ctr, 5th Ave in New York city there will be gathering of Los Banos rescued survivors and the 11th Airborne. Frank Forlini (11th Airborne) and Fr Ruane are among the scheduled speakers.
My grandfather, Gerald Aubry Martin of troup, texas, was a POW of a Philippine camp during WWII. He went to a better place in 1987. I would like to get some pictures of the camp and some information of what our men went through. According to the discharge papers he was lost at war for 446 days (1944 – 1946).
Does anyone know of a POW, by the name of Antonia (Toni) Hanson? She was my mother's piano teacher in Oakland/Berkeley, CA in the late 1940's? Thank you
I was a prisoner of war in San Tomas and Los Banos. I would like to hear from any one who know of my parents Rev. Herbert Clingen or Ruth Fraser Clingen all of us were prisoner at os Banos.
Thanks
Our uncle, John Noel Hill was a Merchant Marine and we have conflicting information on him. He is listed as: "Unknown ship, Unknown POW camp, outcome Unknown. We are quite sure this is him as it lists his home as Crosshaven, County Cork, Ireland which is accurate. Our family was told he was lost at sea in the Philippines. At some time later, they were notified that he had been found but then told it was not him. If anyone has information they can share, that would be awsome. He was born in 1915.
My Father Albert Alty was in the 11th airborne division and was part of this awesome rescue. An Italian man,born Alberto Altobelli Nov. 1st 1915.
I have a friend that goes to my church who was in the 11th Airborne. His name is John Martin. He is in his 80's by now. I have a lot of respect for him and all the troops in our military. I really want to know about what it was like for him, but I don't want to press him about his military service. If you would, pray with me about this. He is a very kind man and I don't want to invade his privacy or to hurt or offend him in any way. I personally have never had the privilege to serve our country. I very much regret that and if I could go back 35 yrs, I would do things differently. Still I love to pray for our military and their families, and try to send care packages to them. They are so appreciative. If you have the opportunity, write them a letter or send them some good tasting trail mix bars or some disposable razors. Anything they get helps them to feel more human and lets them know that we love and appreciate them. God bless.
To get the record straight, I was a just under eight years old and in Los Banos with my younger brother, Ronnie and our mother, Lucy Palmer (one of the few British there and originally on our way to Sydney Australia when we interned in Manila).
My mother was friends with the two Filipino office assistants who worked in the Commandant's. The evening before the rescue the two girls begged my mother not to go to roll call the next morning. They had overheard Konishi, the Japanese second-in-command organising the machine-gunning of the every civilian at 7 AM as soon as we were lined up. We were all just seven minutes from death.
Does anybody remember Lucy Palmer and her two boys?
Hi — My dad was interned with his whole family at Los Banos. His name was John M. Hill. He was 15 years old. His older brother, Jay and his younger brother, Sam, his father, Alva Jay (AJ), his mother Martha (a nurse and teacher), his sister Jo Crabbe, and brother-in-law Ken Crabbe. (To the other family searching for a John Hill, perhaps knowing of this John M. Hill, who is my dad, will help you identify yours, too.)
My father passed away in 1986. All the family are gone now. Sam passed away year before last.
My father worked as an agricultural economist, helping underdeveloped countries grow more food and become self-sufficient. He also spent time in Viet Nam in the last year of the war there, helping identify the location of American POWs so they could be freed. It distressed him that some were not and he told me that he knew there were POW's who never got out of Viet Nam. I believe some had been kept in underwater bunkers.
He never spoke or felt badly towards the Japanese. He told us the guards were just ordinary men doing their jobs. My mother said he told her he was sorry to see them killed, never to go home again. When he talked about the camp with us kids, he kept it light — how he and his brothers (the Hill boys) got to do garbage duty, and it was amazing what people would throw away even in prison camp. He also said how they would find maggots in the 'cereal' and they were great protein so they ate them, so we'd better eat our cereal all up. My dad's philosophy was that you remember the good things and forget the bad. He was a very innovative problem solver, which he attributed to being in camp.
My grandfather traded cigarettes from the Red Cross packet everyone got at the start of the internment for vitamins. My grandmother talked about how, in the women's camp, they formed a choir. The hymns the women sang together kept them going.
To John Palmer, I bet you knew my father John Hill and his two brothers. And I bet my grandmother Martha knew your mother, too.
God bless you all, especially the rescuers. You can bet my dad is there to greet them as they cross the rainbow to the other side.
John McLain Hill was my husband, and the father of Catherine H, above, as well as my two other daughters, Martha Hill Bledsoe and Lucinda McLain Fries.
My husband seldom talked of the prisoner of war experience – and then only with friends. Starvation was most difficult to overcome for the prisoners. Red Cross packages were not passed out, even though they were supposedly sent. The only food was a cauldron of rice cooked to a paste, once daily, which the starving internees were required to carry to the dispensing area. The internees bravely organized themselves to create help among themselves to lessen the torture from the guards which sometimes occurred otherwise. During our entire marriage, John always kept an abundance of food on hand in our home, due to memories of starving.
In every way, he lived his life as bravely as he had in the prisoner of war camp under t he Japanese. God bless the memory of his sweet heart.
Hello, especially to Catherine and Doris from John Palmer. It's good to read all these memories and accounts of the three-and-a-half years in Santa Tomas and Los Banos. A few of my memories: the rice mush that we were given was called loogow. To me me it was absolutely delicious. My mother used to save a little in a small bowl for later in the day. She hid the bowl way up high on a shelf. Once, when I was by myself, I was so hungry that I climbed on a chair, got down the bowl and ran my finger around the inside of the plate and licked the loogow off my finger. I thought I was so clever because no-one would discover my theft. I did not realise that the loogow level had gone down and I was caught out. My mother scolded me severely for eating the food that was for my younger brother and her as well. There are lots of other incidents like this. I persuaded my mother (since deceased) to write a diary about her experiences and it will be epublished this year by Really Blue Books, an epublisher in Melbourne, Australia.