Today, we can all learn from the not-so-silent minority of demonstrators of Manila and Makati: If you want to support a cause, show up! Or show your quiet advocacy: support the body count.
What we need today are quiet, true heroes where they are, upright citizens at work, at play, at home. They lead civilian lives and are upright if not outstanding citizens themselves, wherever they are, and they are willing to serve their country when the need arises. They are the army of citizens who believe in duty well-performed, honor untarnished, country above self. If you knew that, you’re a Vanguard; if you’re not, you have the heart of one. (If you have forgotten that, you’re an old Vanguard, Sir.)
For March 8, 2008, we UPLB Vanguards need you to show up for the screening of a historical documentary film, History Channel’s Rescue At Dawn: The Los Baños Raid. If you can’t show up, we need your quiet advocacy for our projects, such as a scholarship trust fund and improving the information & communication facilities of the UPLB DMST.
Rescue At Dawn is the story of the most successful rescue of prisoners of war (POWs) in history, and it happened right on the campus of the University of the Philippines Los Baños, in and around Baker Hall. Next time you visit UP Los Baños, where you can see Baker Hall in its old splendor, remember that you are walking on heroic grounds, where 2147 POWs were rescued 1n 1945, on February 23, without any single POW casualty. It was a 3-pronged maneuver: air, land and sea simultaneously. The rescue was led on the ground by Filipino guerrillas, on the air and water (Laguna Lake) by American troops. Colin Powell, US Joint Chiefs of Staff Commander, and later Secretary of State, said of the Los Baños rescue: ‘I doubt that any airborne and guerrilla unit in the world will ever be able to rival the Los Baños raid. It is a textbook operation for all ages and all armies.’ In other words, the best rescue of all time.
The showing will be at the NCAS Auditorium, UP Los Baños campus. Vanguard, go for it!
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Did you know that the 2,146 Allied POWs rescued at the campus of UP Los Baños (which was then only growing up as the UP College of Agriculture) on 23 February 1945 had been imprisoned there for 3 years?
According to Col Frank B Quesada (Retired), Associate PMA 44, former Senate Committee Secretary, Veterans and Military Pension, members of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) as members of the Hunters ROTC Guerrillas, ‘participated as the lead ground assault force’ in the liberation of the POWs in UP Los Baños (newsflash.org).
The daring rescue was actually a joint Filipino-American force, including the US 11th Airborne Division, Marking’s Fil-American Troops, Anderson’s USAFFE Bonn Military Area Unit, President Quezon’s Own Guerrillas, Fil-Chinese 48th Squadron, including the Hukbalahap.
According to the same source:
This liberation operation was described by military experts as one of the almost perfect assault-rescue ever attempted during wartime (in world War II) in the Philippines. It has become a model in the War College and Staff Schools.
All POWs on campus were rescued without any casualty. What is not so well known is that at the time of the rescue, Los Baños was 10-12 miles behind enemy lines, and the rescuers did not believe they would get everyone out there alive. ‘They told us later that they expected to get about a third of us out, maybe two-thirds,’ not all, said John MacDonald of Missoula (missoulian.com). Oh yes, there were priests and nuns among the POWs. Now then, let me just say that this was a case where all prayers were answered.
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ROTC Advance Course Class 1958
Photo shows UP Vanguards all, with UPLB Class 58 seated, after a meeting last week (taken by Frank Hilario). They discussed what the Jubilarians would be doing in the coming UP centennial celebrations. (And yes, anyone can identify all the faces in the photo?)
For communication purposes, from Frank Eala, as of 2007 December 5, here is a list of the members of UPLB Vanguards Class 58 with home addresses as well as cell phone(s), email addresses, landline(s) as available. Kindly send us any addition or correction c/o frank_eala@yahoo.com
(1) Juanito P Abilay, 220 Wiley Cr, Turlock, California 95382, 906-535-7888, jpa@charter.net, 1-209-667-0694
(2) Romeo E Alcantara, Urayong, Bausing, La Union, 921-755-2515, 072-705-6265
(3) Alfredo P Belarmino, Pareja Apts, Pareja Subdivision, Butuan City
(4) Francisco B Bron, MH del Pilar Street, Tabaco City, Albay, 915-219-4554, 052-257-7147
(5) Juan B Burbano, Banaoang, Santa, Ilocos Sur
(6) Francisco C Eala, 120 Perea St, Legaspi Village, Makati City, 917-529-4705, frank_eala@yahoo.com, 815-1189, 817-3954
(7) Alfredo A Eclipse, PO Box 1178, Fremont, California 94538, USA, feclipse8@yahoo.com, 1-510-226-7456
(8) Augusto D Gonzales Jr, No 6 Escarlada St Banlat, Tandang Sora, QC, 927-226-8231, 983-5819
(9) Remo V Hinlo, CLM & Adelfa Sts Capitolville, Bacolod City, 917-300-2329, 02-895-9029 Makati, 034-435-0493
(10) Jeremias V Holanday, 7173 Dexter Rd, Downers Grove, Ill 60516, scvh@chilitech.com
(11) Ernesto C Lucas, 91-513 Koihala Place, Ewa Beach, Ha 96706, elucas@hpu.edu, 1-808-685-6311
(12) Godofredo C Manipud, 33 EP Nava St, Tapuac District, Dagupan City, (075)-515-6960, (075)-523-4249R
(13) Erlando G Mendoza, Mountain Side Inn, Magsaysay Ave, Baguio, 442-6384
(14) Ernesto B Niguidula, Antel Platinum Towers, 154 Valero St, Salcedo Village, 927-704-6463, 889-9744
(15) Wenceslao O Nocon Jr, Care Andrew O Nocon, 921-536-4253, wnocon2002@yahoo.com, (049)545-0474
(16) Santiago R Obien, Bureau Agricultural Research (BAR), DA Compound, Visayas Ave, 917-326-3002, 918-945-7546, sobien@bar.gov.ph, 939-3839, 928-8505
(17) Geminiano M Oñate, 312 Pagaspas, Tanauan, Batangas, 918-507-2278
(18) Julian C Sison, 1503 Eisenhower Drive, Santa Clara, California, USA 95054, julian1503@comcast.net, 1-408-844-0290
(19) Benito S Vasquez, Somewhere in New York City
(20) Virgilio L Abenes, In Heaven
(21) Renato J Kalaw, In Heaven
(22) Dionisio O Liwag, In Heaven
(23) Eleuterio R Trinchera, In Heaven
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Right now, Class 58 is pursuing a fund-raising project for assistance in the rehabilitation of the UPLB DMST headquarters.
For the purpose, Class 58, represented by the officers led by Frank Eala, Class President, are accepting donations. Also, Class 58 is preparing a book on Class 58 to include a brief history of UPLB Vanguards, a list of Corp Commanders, reminiscences of class members about the class and their professors, achievements or accomplishments, brief write-ups of families of Class 58 and such. To help raise funds, the book will accept advertisements. If plans do not miscarry, the actual work on the book begins February 1 this year.
For a sample entry the book, the brief history of UP Vanguards will include the fact that it was established on March 17, 1922 with 3 objectives: (1) to develop patriotic, physically sound, upright and disciplined citizens, (2) to create a Corp of Trained Officers for the Reserve Force, and (3) to take the lead in fostering the University Spirit.
Those 3 objectives have withstood the test of time; they are as relevant today as they were in 1922. (More on book next time.)
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Did you know that the most successful prison rescue operation of all history happened at the campus of UP Los Baños in the early morning hours of 1945 February 23? Army Chief of Staff Colin Powell said of it: ‘I doubt that any airborne unit in the world will be able to rival the Los Baños prison raid. It is the textbook airborne operation for all ages and all armies’ (Robert Wheeler, Los Baños internee, blackfive.net).
Class 58 has a copy of the DVD documentary of that historical event, entitled Rescue At Dawn: the Los Baños Raid produced by The History Channel (history.com). In a meeting at Los Baños early January this year, the officers of Class 58 watched the historic video at the historic Los Baños Station of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), the use of the conference room, LCD projector and IBM laptop courtesy of the PhilRice station.
After watching the video, I’d like to correct the General a bit by saying that it was really a combined air, land and water rescue of 2,146 Allied civilian and military internees imprisoned by the Japanese Imperial Army within the UPLB campus. (More on this in succeeding posts.)
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