Manuscript Background
A group of young Filipino guerrillas. Young men like these helped save hundreds, perhaps thousands, of American lives.
Outside of historians, history buffs, and the veterans who fought there, few know that the Philippine Islands were an integral part of WWII. Home to a large U.S. military base – Clark Field – the Philippines were attacked by the Japanese shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941. Following are a few facts about what followed:
In May, 1941, military families were evacuated, leaving behind officers, soldiers, and nurses.
Shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, the Philippines were also bombed. Combined, these two Japanese targets resulted in the destruction of nearly all of the U.S. naval and air fleet.
By Christmas, 1941, the Americans in the Philippines had retreated to the Bataan Peninsula.
On April 9, 1942, the surviving Americans – starving and ill from a host of tropical diseases – surrendered to the Japanese. To this day, that surrender constitutes the largest American surrender in history, with over 6500 soldiers taken prisoner.
A young Filipino guerrilla fighter, one of the many “Silent Soldiers” who fought bravely in the Philippines.
A well-organized underground resistance by Filipino men, women, and children began even before the Japanese occupied their island nation. Many, including men and women, became guerrilla fighters. Many died. They remained operational until the Japanese surrender in 1945.
Because of this effective resistance, only 12 of the 48 Philippine provinces were still under Japanese control at the time of their surrender.
Among the many activities undertaken by the resistance was a sophisticated smuggling network. This network included children who worked as “runners.” They took extreme risks to get food, clothing, and medical supplies to the sick and starving Allied POWs who were dying at alarming rates in Japanese prisons.