Dec. 8, 1941
At 6:05 Major Speth phoned me that Pearl Harbor had been bombed. Turned the radio on and at 6:15 the news was confirmed. Called Capt.
At 6:05 Major Speth phoned me that Pearl Harbor had been bombed. Turned the radio on and at 6:15 the news was confirmed. Called Capt.
Major Allen repaired damaged to post utilities. Lt Bach injured the day before so I put Capt Starnes in charge of cleaning up Mess. Called
Japs internees moved into Mess. Allen cleaning up utilities. Lt. Worthington, Balatoc, offered to build dug out for radio. Put Fellows in charge. It functioned
Fellows phoned Suyoc and Lepanto go help Distr. Engrs. demolish roads north of Baguio per USAFFE instructions. He has been very level headed. Moved the
Mr. Hazlewood, Balatoc Mine, started real work on dug out tunnel. Also on road demolition near Murphy’s position on Naguilian rd. Calvert and I targeted
First sleep for five nights. Feel a wreck and mighty dopy feel better now. Can think.
Seven planes came overhead but dropped no bombs. Inspected Murphy’s position again. Well located.
Nothing much doing. A lot of radios. Civilian Engrs. doing a lot of damage up north.
Visited outpost. All well. Had expected only 45 Jap internees. Have over three hundred. Hiyakawa, Yammamoto and Nagatomi in charge. Good men.
Japs reported at many places along west coast. Placed all of Co A on Naguilian rd. and part of Co B on Kennon rd.
Jp reported moving south from Vigan. Major Moses and Noble have bus at Bacnotan to meet them.
Things not going well near Bacnotan. Troops reported surrounded by Japs and reinforcements reported coming up Kennon rd. to move down Naguilian.
86 Japs transports visible in Lingayen Gulf. Took USAFFE orders down to Naguilian to Col Bonnett to have him withdraw all troops to join USAFFE.
Upon return to camp at 7:00 AM learned that Maj Fellows had heard that parachute troops had landed at Trinidad. He ordered the post evacuated
Received word from USAFFE to “Save your command. Take to Mt. Trails” ordered Col Bonnett to take all PA troops with him to Bobok by
At seven oclock Lt Gasperini and I started for the top of the Mt. The worst hiking I have ever done. Several times I was
The 43rd Inf began to come in during the day, completely tired out. It was night before they all got in. We slept in a
Mr. Jorgensen put us on the trail but gave us the wrong one. He sent us to Dyaca inward of Kyappa instead of toward Kyappa
Slept at Dyaka mine. The other Americans had gone on ahead the preceding day. Leaving Dyaka we went up hill on a easy ten percent
Capt. Praeger said his men were too tired to take the hard trail so let him follow Bonnet’s route to Aritao. We continued on toward
Left early for Imugan. The first four hours were very hard. Then it got easier. Arrived at Imugan about three. Found a note from Major
Turned east for Carranglan, hoping to be able to move around the Japs flank and join the USAFFE. Learned that four Jap tanks were at
Had the hardest decision in my life to make, –whether to keep on trying to get around the outer edge of the Jap swinging door
Left Bambang by truck, Sgt. Bowen driving. His foot was too bad for him yo go to Imugan with us so he went with Praeger.
Moved on to Ibalao gate 33 km away. Here the men were fed by detachment from the Kianga Constabulary.
Arrived at Kiangan after two hours hike. Moved into the PC bks. Lt. Estrella, PC, ad Capt. Glitter made arrangements for messing and quartering together.
Made arrangement to attach our men to PC patrols to reconnoiter the mountain areas.
Col. Green, PC, arrived and ordered us to keep going, he did not care where. Said he had never been sworn into Federal service and