Entered Leyte Gulf at midnight. Reached our anchorage at 7 a.m. The battleships, cruisers, and destroyers opened fire on the beaches and finished the work begun two days before ‘A Day’ by other U.S Navy units. The boys in my ship where ready at 9:45 a.m. At 10 a.m. sharp they went down the rope on the side of the ship. Their objective was Palo. At 1 p.m. General MacArthur and members of his staff, President Osmeña, myself, General Romulo, and Captain Madrigal left the ship and proceeded on an L.C.M for Red beach. The beach was not good, the landing craft could not make the dry beach and we had to wade through the water beyond our knees. We inspected the area, and at two instances shots were fired by Japanese snipers. General MacArthur and President Osmeña spoke in a broadcast to the U.S. We returned to the ship at 6 p.m. under a torrential rain. We transferred to the Auxiliary cruiser Blue Ridge flagship of Admiral Barbey, as the SS John Land was leaving for Hollandia.
Basilio J. Valdes
Basilio J. Valdes, M.D. (July 10, 1892 –January 26, 1970), soldier, doctor, cabinet member, businessman. Chief of Staff, Philippine Army, 1939-1945; Secretary of National Defense in the Quezon and Osmeña War Cabinets, 1941-45. Professor of Surgery at the University of Santo Tomas (UST), Medical Director of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, 1948-1970.
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