There are six segments of this series. I invite you to watch and think of those times and of those people who are depicted in this documentary. I am honored to watch and pay tribute to these brave men and women who lived through this time in our nations history.

I invite you to comment on this article and series of videos. I also invite you to suggest other topics of interest for future coverage.

One of Six

Two of Six

Three of Six

Four of Six

Five of Six

Six of Six

May these heroes be blessed.

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Here is a series of scenes from our beautiful country from long ago. This is the first time we are imbedding video and would be interested in hearing from our readers about the video, the subject, and if you would like us to use more video in our publication.

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(Editor’s note: The Sixth Dr. Jose P. Rizal Awards for Excellence awarding ceremony will be held at 7 p.m., June 14, at the Kaisa-Angelo King Heritage Center on Anda and Cabildo streets, Intramuros, Manila.)

By Go Bon Juan

Believe it or not, one jin (equivalent to 0.5 kilo) of tobacco once cost as much as one horse in China. That was during the late Ming dynasty or more than 300 years ago in the 17th century.

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The Manila Times Internet Edition

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(Editor’s note: The Sixth Dr. Jose P. Rizal Awards for Excellence awarding ceremony will be held on June 14, 2008, 7 p.m., at the Kaisa-Angelo King Heritage Center on Anda and Cabildo streets, Intramuros, Manila.)

By Go Bon Juan

I’ve always wondered why the local Chinese media call “Batangas” Ba-tang-an. The Chinese translate names of places by choosing Chinese characters that sound like the local name. So if the local name has two syllables, two Chinese characters are used.

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The Manila Times Internet Edition

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Early Colonization

A general overview of the early colonization of the Philippines.

History is determined by fate. A self evident fact. Why places and people become what they are is generally influenced by the nation which was dominant at the time.
The Romans in their day influenced Europe, Egypt, Mediterranean and North Africa.
Great Britain influenced one third of the Globe at the height of her power.
Well, in the sixteenth century there was another major player, and for good or ill, right down to the name, the destiny of the Philippines was to be sealed by the Spanish.

Magellan

History and the fickle hand of fate……….

The Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan, under service to Spain, landed on Homonhon Island, Eastern Samar on March 16th, 1521.

Magellan (pictured) was killed the following month on April 27th by Lapu Lapu chief of Mactan – an Island off the east coast of Cebu, in the central archipelago. The Battle of Mactan as it was later to be known, is commemorated as the first Philippines conflict to repel alien invaders, and Lapu Lapu lauded as the first Filipino to fight and win over foreign imperialist forces.

He is commemorated with a statue in Mactan, and Lapu-Lapu City is named in his honour.

Of course, it’s worth noting that at that time Lapu Lapu was not a Filipino because the Islands had not been named as such then. A technicality perhaps, but decidedly in his favor was that he was a local chieftain who was not going to kowtow to Spanish superior forces as had his neighboring tribal leaders with such surprising submission.

The first king of Spain

Magellan claimed his new found land for Charles I (often referred to as Carlos V), who only five years earlier had become sovereign of a unified Spain. His only surviving son, born in 1527, succeeded him as Philip II in 1556 to rule over an ever expanding empire.
It is often a misconception that Magellan named the Islands the Philippines. It was not until 22 years later, in 1543 that Ruy López de Villalobos led an expedition to the islands and gave the name Las Islas Felipinas – after the aforementioned Philip, who then was still only the heir apparent – to the islands that Magellan had first laid claim, Samar and Leyte. The name would eventually be given to the entire archipelago… but not just yet.

More About Magellan

When Magellan arrived at Homonhon in that year of 1521 he had been on his voyage for almost one and a half years. He had already lost two of the five ships which first set out, as well as one third of his crew. Obviously being welcomed so well by the Rajah Kolambu of Limasawa, a local chieftain would have come as utmost relief.

Kolambu in turn introduced him to Rajah Humabon of Cebu, who – impressed with Magellan’s armoury and ships – happily converted to Christianity.

Humabon later managed to convince Magellan to embark on a mission to kill his rival Lapu Lapu of Mactan.

Magellan Ends His Life In Cebu

In what appears to have been a reckless ill thought endeavor, it led to his death. Perhaps Magellan’s drive to convert the indigenous tribes to the Catholic faith, had impaired his judgement.

Whatever conversation took place between Humabon and himself through his translator Enrique of Malacca, we shall never know, but perhaps some misunderstanding took place.

Its also possible that Magellan was so deluded that God was on his side, he believed himself invincible. (The image shows the site of Magellan’s death).

Consider the facts: he did not take his most experienced soldiers with him, and he failed to reconnoiter Mactan’s coastline. Consequently he was unable to land his cannon, and marched knee deep through the water with forty of his men, to be overpowered by 1500 natives (or so the story goes – the numbers were possibly slightly exaggerated).
And the rest, as they say…is history!

And on that subject, the tale was finally conveyed to the Spanish king by the captain of the sole surviving ship able to limp home, and in so doing manage to complete Magellan’s circumnavigation.

So began (albeit not overnight) the Spanish conquest and colonization of the Philippines.

Legazpi

This is not a history of Magellan or his circumnavigation. What happened to the remaining ships, and the one which finally made it home – the Victoria, already have their place in history.

This history of the Philippines is concerned only that her captain Juan Sebastian Elcano (pictured) was able to relate the tale when he finally returned to Spain in September 1522. (Perhaps this is how the inflated number of Magellan’s opposing forces on Mactan occurred – after all, it’s always best to be defeated by overwhelming odds!).

There was to be no great substantial account of the voyage for a further three years.

It was not to be three years when the Philippines continued in isolation, nor three years of relative piece before the storm – there was to be a handful of small forays to the islands prior to the Villalobos expedition, but it was to be Villalobos who really started the ball rolling, although not very far. And yet, it was to be another 22 years after him, before Philip finally took a much more serious interest in finally securing the islands named in his honor! 

It was February 13, 1565 when López de Legazpi and his troops landed on the shores of Cebu and established the first Spanish settlement. It was a Friday!

The First Governor And The First Capital

Miguel López de Legazpi was born in 1502. He was 19 years old when Magellan first landed in the Philippines.

In early 1564 Philip II ordered an expedition to follow the Magellan and Villalobos ventures, and Legazpi, who at the time was the governor of Mexico City, was commissioned to undertake the task by the viceroy of Mexico, Luis de Velasco.

In November of the same year Legazpi set sail with five ships and 500 soldiers. He was then 62 years old. He arrived in the Philippines on February 13th 1565.

The next 6 years would be a period of establishing small settlements, negotiations and skirmishes with local chieftains, attempts at introducing the Catholic faith, and welcoming reinforcements from Spain and Mexico of additional troops and laborers.

Slowly but surely, bit by bit, over this period, the Spanish planted their roots.

It was June 24th 1571 when Legazpi established Manila as the capital of Spain’s new colony. Astounded by the size and excellence of this natural harbor – he built the walled city known as Intramuros.

With the help of Augustinian and Franciscan friars he became the first Spanish governor of the Philippines and worked to convert the indigenous population to the Catholic religion. He died of heart failure a year later in 1572. He was 70 years old.

The Philippines, after considerable conflict, finally managed to declare independence on June 12th 1898. Spain had ruled them for 327 years – but what a story to tell in the meantime…..!

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In 1274, Khublai Khan, grandson of the great Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan, having conquered most of China, decided to attack Japan and expand the Mongol Empire beyond the shores of China.  The invading armada consisted of 900 ships and 23,000 troops.  But bad weather stopped the Mongols and the invasion was aborted.  In 1281 the Mongols tried again, this time with an armada of 4,000 ships.  However, a strong hurricane wiped out the invading Mongols.  The Japanese believed that it was a divine wind — kamikaze — that saved Japan from the Mongol invasion.

Had the Mongols succeeded in colonizing Japan, they probably would have continued their aggressive advance southward to Southeast Asia; thus, expanding their empire from Syria and Eastern Europe all the way to Southeast Asia including the Philippine archipelago.
Khublai Khan died in 1294 and his dream of expansion died with him.

It is interesting to note that our ancestors known as Malayo-Polynesians — a sub-family of the Austronesians — migrated from south China 5,000 years ago by way of Taiwan.  Today, the Malayo-Polynesians who set foot on the shores of northern Luzon, have populated a vast area of the world that covers a distance of 11,000 miles from Madagascar to Hawaii, almost half the circumference of the world.

The earliest known arrival of other cultures was in the 9th century when Muslim traders from Malacca, Borneo, Sumatra and the Middle East started coming to Sulu and Mindanao.  However, there were accounts that traders from the Mediterranean may have traveled to southern Philippines as early as 600 BC.  Southern Philippines close proximity to the routes of the Spice Trade — which goes back to the time of King Solomon — gives credence to this account.

During the 11th century, Chinese traders started coming to the Philippine archipelago.  They traded mostly in Luzon; however, they went as far as Butuan and Sulu.  In 1405, Emperor Yung Lo of the Ming Dynasty in China claimed the island of Luzon — the Chinese called it Lusong and placed it under his empire.  The biggest settlement of Chinese was in Lingayen — derived from the Chinese word “Li-King-Tung” meaning CÅ“to look backward and forward which is now the capital of Pangasinan. Lingayen also became the seat of the Chinese colonial government in Luzon.  When Yung Lo died in 1424, the Chinese colonial government was dissolved.  However, the Chinese settlers, known as Sangleys in Lingayen remained and prospered.  Most of them hispanized their names during the Spanish era.

Ninety seven years after Emperor Yung Lo died, in 1521, Ferdinand Magellan discovered the Philippines and claimed it for the Spanish Crown.  He named it Islas de San Lazaro.  Another discovery made in 1521 was Mexico.  Hernan Cortez conquered the Aztec empire and wasted no time colonizing it.  The colony was named Nueva Espana (New Spain).  Thousands of Spaniards were encouraged to settle in Mexico with promises of land and wealth.

In 1542 the Spanish explorer Ruy Lopez de Villalobos led an expedition to the Philippine archipelago and named it Las Islas Filipinas after Philip II, the future king of Spain.  However, Villalobos wasn’t too enthused in colonizing the far-flung archipelago. He did not stay too long and left.

In 1565, Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, a Spanish-born Mexican functionary, led an expedition to Filipinas with the intent of colonizing it.  At first, he established his capital in Cebu.  In 1569, using Cebu natives — called Pintados for the tattoos on their bodies — Legazpi ordered one of his lieutenants, Martin de Goiti, to attack Maynilad in Luzon, a thriving settlement frequented by Chinese and Arab traders.  Goiti pretended to have come in peace and the native chief, Rajah Soliman, gave him and his men a sumptuous feast. During the feast, Goiti and Rajah Soliman entered into a blood compact. The following day, Goiti attacked and captured the settlement.   In 1571, Legazpi arrived “triumphantly” in Manila.

Thus, the Spanish colonization of the Philippines started.  For 250 years — from 1565 to 1815 — Filipinas was ruled by the Viceroy of Nueva Espana nder the authority of the Spanish Crown.

The 250 years under direct Mexican administration had created a strong cultural link between the two colonies of Spain.  The Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade thrived.  It was the only trade route linking the Philippines and the other colonies of Spain.  Each year, two galleons crossed the vast Pacific Ocean from Manila to Acapulco.  It took one year for each galleon to complete a round trip.

When war broke out between Spain and the British Empire in 1762, Britain attacked the Spanish forces in the Philippines.  Spain surrendered the Philippines and Britain immediately established a military government in Manila.  However, the British presence in the Philippines only lasted until 1763 when the Treaty of Paris ended the war.  Britain gave the Philippines back to Spain.  It’s interesting to note that when the British withdrew, many of the Sepoys — mercenaries from India — mutinied and refused to leave.  Many of the them took Filipina brides and settled in what is now Cainta, Rizal.

In 1815, during the Mexican Revolution, Spain took direct control of the Philippines and it also ended the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade.  The period under direct Spanish rule was also the turbulent years in the Philippines.  Revolutionary ideas began to flourish among a new class of Filipinos — the ilustrados — which eventually ignited the Revolution of 1896.

The American presence started in 1898 when Spain ceded the Philippines to the United States for $20 million.  Thus began the Americanization of the Philippines, a period of time that ended when the Philippine gained its independence in 1946.

For the last two millenia, the 5,000-year-old Malayo-Polynesian culture of the Philippines has been enriched with the introduction of Asian, Arabic, Middle Eastern, Indian, European, Mexican, and American cultures.  Strategically located at the crossroads of southeast Asia, the Philippines has become a melting pot of the world’s cultures.

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MINDANAO

PHILIPPINE ISLANDS

After uneventful days at sea we came ashore, 22 April 1945, at Parang and from there to Cotabato. The Army 24th Division, just ahead of us, went east to Davao, while the 31st Division went up the central part of Mindanao. This was more like normal warfare as we had a road, the Sayre Highway, which was already there. In the other areas we were in the only roads we had were the ones our troops built. Of course, it was quite different from normal warfare in many other ways. This so-called highway was only a dirt road to begin with and after a couple of days of our vehicle traffic, it was almost nothing. With rain it was an almost impassable quagmire, then in a day or two such heavy dust that it choked up air cleaners on our trucks thereby knocking them out until the air cleaner was serviced. I remember one section of the road that was so bad our Army Engineers built something that I would describe as a bridge, except that it was flat on the ground. It was made of wood and served its purpose as it got our trucks pass this area.

The Sayre Highway became so bad in one stretch of the road that we could not get trucks through. Our Engineers built a wooden “bridge” flat on the ground so that we could get through this section of the road, in other words a bridge over nothing. this is a picture of that bridge.

With the retreating Japs blowing up about 75 bridges, it made our advancing troops face many problems while crossing streams and ravines. Getting trucks through with supplies was extremely difficult. At points we moved jeeps as well as supplies across these places on cables rigged for such purposes. At other times the “Biscuit Bombers” were used. In spite of all these difficulties and a determined enemy, the 31st Division went up the Sayre Highway, with the 124th leading the advance all the way to Malaybalay. Fierce combat was experienced in numerous points along this route, often without Artillery support. What with a terrible road and all those blown up bridges, it’s no wonder the Artillery couldn’t keep up with the advancing foot soldiers.

The most severe loss of American lives in such a short period of time for our Regiment came at a place along the highway, which later became known as “Colgan Woods”. On the first day of this encounter, which began on 6 May 1945, our Regimental Chaplain, Father Thomas A. Colgan, was killed while rendering last rites to one of our soldiers. In his honor this area of Mindanao will be remembered always by the men of the 124th as “Colgan Woods.” The Japs were effectively dug in and determined to halt our advance at this point. Being well prepared for combat and with such a strong position they were able to inflict heavy losses upon our attacking troops. Our Foot Soldiers attacked these positions time and again, sustaining heavy casualties but to no avail. It would be days before the sorely missed Artillery could get up in order to lend their support. In the meantime, Marine Dive Bombers were called in and made raids for a few days but were not effective against these strong enemy positions. Our Artillery finally arrived and began shelling and in just a few hours on 12 May 1945, our troops were able to move through this area. The remaining Japs had retreated from this heavy Artillery barrage. These few days at “Colgan Woods” was a great loss to the 124th as 69 were killed and 177 wounded.

That’s Father Colgan on the right, our Regimental Chaplain who hails from Chicago. The area in Mindanao known to us as “Colgan’s woods” was named in his honor as he was killed there on the first day of an encounter which lasted about 6 or 7 days and cost us 69 Killed and about 180 wounded. With him is Bill Fitzpatrick one of my Service Company buddies who hails from Long Island,N.Y.

After the battle at “Colgan Woods” I passed by there several times with truck convoys but never had the opportunity to stop and look at the integrated defenses the Japs had constructed there. What I’ve read about and learned from others clearly indicates that the enemy considered this a crucial point along the Sayre Highway to defend. They had prepared these positions well in advance with the intention of wreaking severe damage to any American Troops coming up this road. Thus, they were well prepared when our 124th Infantry foot soldiers arrived. Their pillboxes were connected with tunnels, some of which ran under tree roots. The positions were well covered and camouflaged rendering them most difficult to recognize. Troops could pass nearby and not even be aware of these fortifications. Considering these well built defenses it’s no wonder that it took the Artillery to drive them out.

It was extremely difficult to operate truck convoys over the Sayre Highway, with treacherous hair-pin turns up and around mountains, through jungle, heavy quagmires and blown up bridges but some way the job was accomplished. This road, even after being made passable, could deteriorate in a matter of hours. I recall once taking a convoy back for supplies in about 4 hours and it required 2 days to get back up to the advancing troops. Needless to say that, with this terrible road, jungle, mountains, blown up bridges and being on constant alert for Jap snipers or an ambush, it was often a perilous journey.

In New Guinea & Morotai the only roads we had were the ones our troops built. Everything was near and there wasn’t very many miles of roads. In Mindanao there was a road, the Sayre Highway (so-called). It was just a dirt road and with rain and our vehicle traffic it was soon torn up. This picture shows a hair pin turn and there were many of these through the mountains on this road. With being beware of snipers, an ambush, land mines and rain slick muddy roads it was a dangerous situation.

Land mines were something we had to be aware of but I don’t recall them being a problem for us, at least in my operations. I did see one area marked off as mined. The Japs had a mine that we referred to as a “Yardstick Mine” and we were warned to be on the alert for them lying in the road. From the description given us I figured it would look like a stick out there in the road. I never saw one and as far as I know neither did any of the other men in our transportation section.

Our advance continued and on 23 May 1945 we met up with another Army Regiment that had pushed down from the north coast. The entire Sayre Highway was now in American hands but you can be sure that there are straggling Jap troops in the jungle just off the road. A couple of days earlier another Regiment, the 155th Infantry also of the 31st Division, had relieved the 124th from the lead position. Now for the first time since being in combat, we had friendly troops between us and the enemy. But wait, it’s not time to relax. Remember the Japs that had retreated from “Colgan Woods,” well they were wandering around back there somewhere and it was a sizable force. So in spite of having friendly troops between us and the enemy our 2nd Battalion was attacked early that morning by that group which was run out of “Colgan Woods.” This was a bitter fight, for a few hours that resulted in the destruction of the Jap force. My memory is that 73 Japs were killed that morning and we lost 2 Americans,

The beaten Japanese forces fled back into the remote mountain sections and now it’s mopping up time. Mopping up means you hope you see him before he sees you. Large patrols went back into the mountains seeking out pockets of enemy soldiers and destroying them. Fighting continued until the Japanese surrender.

Moving after the retreating Japs along the Sayre Highway. Note the foot soldiers with their rifles walking along the roadside. Don’t know what that vehicle was doing there but he will have a most difficult time on this road.

Our thoughts now turned to the invasion of Japan. I learned much later that the 31st Division was slated to go in north of Tokyo with the 8th Army as we invaded Japan. I suppose the 124th would have been ordered to lead the way as we had in our other campaigns. My personal thoughts were on the “point system” which had been devised to give those of us who had been in service for a long time the chance to go home. My points were borderline but I was gaining points right along so my hope was that I would not have to be in on the invasion of Japan.

As the Japanese government surrendered and MacArthur accepted it in Tokyo Bay, the 31st Division Commanding General accepted from the Japanese General surrender of all troops on Mindanao. The word went out by various means to the Japanese soldiers in the remote sections of the mountains that the war was over. Through experience we had learned to be very cautious and leery of this enemy; therefore caution was taken to be sure that there were no surprises. The first large group was ordered to come down from the mountains and stack their arms in a designated area on the other side of a river. I was there on our side of the river with a truck convoy to take them to a compound. I noticed that we had plenty of American troops there on our side of the river – just in case. Our Army Engineers hooked up a barge on some cables stretched across the river. By tilting the barge sideways the river current would force the barge back and to across the river. This means was used to bring the Japanese soldiers across to our side. The operation went along without any hitches and they loaded on our trucks where we took them to a compound. There they awaited transportation back to Japan.

After the Jap General surrendered then came the task of convincing the enemy soldiers scattered in the remote mountains to come in. This was accomplished by the high ranking Jap officers and dropping leaflets in the remote mountains. American and Filipino soldiers were stationed at every bridge and Japs could surrender there. We could not abandon our learned distrust of this enemy so quickly. In line with this the first large group to surrender were ordered to come down from the mountains and stack their arms on the side of a river. Our Engineers ferried them across to our side of the river. The barge had been rigged with cables stretching across the river and when tilted one way the current would push the barge across, tilted the other way the current pushed it back across. This photo is a part of this first large group.

During the next couple of months for us, it was just wait for a ship to come to the Philippines to take us home. Finally on 27 November 1945 an Army troopship, the USS General Aultman, came to take us to San Francisco. Then on to Camp Stoneman, California, where we boarded trains taking us our separate ways. Mine was back to Camp Blanding, Florida where I began this part of my life. Then on 27 December 1945, after 4 years 10 months and 1 day, I received an honorable discharge and my military service was finished.

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Now that the war is over we can witness a peaceful scene again, such as these Carabaos pulling the carts along the road.

A military cemetery – We (124^th Infantry Regiment) were in combat in New Guinea, Morotai and Mindanao and I’m not sure where this cemetery is located. The picture was given to me and I don’t recall by whom. I do know that it saddens me when I think of all the good guys who lost their lives and they are some of the real heroes. I’m not a hero but I am a survivor, having survived “The Great Depression” of the thirties and 4 years 10 months and one day in an Infantry Regiment during WW II. We all owe a deep debt of gratitude to those who didn’t make it back home.

Present day photograph taken along Sayre Highway some where between Malaybalay City and Valencia (The people in the photograph are drying corn).

After the war I returned to my job with a farm equipment dealer in western Palm Beach County Florida around southern Lake Okeechobee. I was married in 1947 and had two children. After retirement I moved to Melrose in north Florida and live only about 20 miles from the main gate at Camp Blanding. Today this is a National Gua rd Training Center. There is also a great Museum and Memorial Park which is open to the public. This photo of me (Paul Tillery) and my grandson (Warren Tillery age 6-1/2 then) was made in 1994 as we were standing by the memorial to my Division . The 31^st Infantry “Dixie” Division. I am 81 years old, in excellent health, take no medication on a regular basis and rarely at any time.

****

We at the Manila Journal would like to thank Paul Tillery for his photos and his commentary about his service in the Philippines during the Second World War.

I and the staff of the Manila Journal wish to thank him and his comrades for their service to both the Philippines and the United States and to acknowledge the sacrifices of those comrades living and dead.

Delbert

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Malaybalay City During World War II

After the surrender came the task of getting the Japanese soldiers to come down from the mountains. This was accomplished by their officers communicating with them and by leaflets being dropped from the air. The first large group (you may be able to see some of them on the other side of the river) was ordered to come to this pictured river and stack their arms.

This is a part of this group after they had been ferried across the river. I was there with a convoy of trucks to move them. Thus I was able to photograph this historic event.(Town of Valencia with Musuan Peak across the river)

This photo is of more of this group of Japanese soldiers.

In this photo the Japanese soldiers are lining up in preparation of loading on our trucks.

The Japanese soldiers are loading on our trucks for a ride to a compound, where they will await transportation back to Japan. While there our American guards are not for the purpose of keeping them from escaping but rather to protect them from the Filipino people.

After trucking the Japanese soldiers to a compound, my trucks next hauled food to them. In this photo they are shown unloading one of the trucks.

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Surrender

Malaybalay City During World War II

September 8,1945

Atomic bombs have been dropped on Japan and MacArthur accepts the surrender in Tokyo bay. Here on Mindanao the 31^st Division Commanding General accepts the surrender of the Japanese troops. The next few photos, which were given to me are the official account of that event. One of our small planes brought Japanese Lt.General Gyosaku Morozumi (pictured here) in for these proceedings.

A long walk for General Morozumi of the Japanese 35^th Army as he is escorted through American and Filipino troops on the way for the official surrender.

Here Japanese General Morozumi signs the surrender document in front of the 31^st Infantry “Dixie” Division Commander General Joseph C. Hutchinson.

With his signature General Joseph C. Hutchinson, commander of the 31^st Infantry “Dixie” Division accepts the surrender.

This is a photo of the actual surrender document.

This is a copy of the surrender document, typed for clarity.

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