Periodic Letterheads of the Hunters/ROTC Guerrillas, Dated April 1948 - Batangas History, Culture and Folklore Periodic Letterheads of the Hunters/ROTC Guerrillas, Dated April 1948 - Batangas History, Culture and Folklore

Periodic Letterheads of the Hunters/ROTC Guerrillas, Dated April 1948

The Hunters/ROTC were a guerrilla group formed in 1942. Initially operating in Rizal Province, the group would also have a sizable presence in Batangas and would be instrumental in providing intelligence to the United States forces leading to the assault landing at Nasugbu on 31 January 1945. More information about the group is available in this article → “Operations of the Hunters/ROTC Guerillas in Batangas Prior to the 1945 Nasugbu Landing in WWII.”

In the document1 below, Hunters/ROTC Commander Terry Adevoso provides the PHILRYCOM2 information on the letterheads erstwhile used by his group in communications. The document is corrected here and there for grammar for the readers’ benefit.

Guerrilla Files

[Cover letter.]

HUNTERS VETERANS LEGION
904 Taft Avenue, Manila

8 April 1948

The Commanding General
PHILRYCOM
APO 707

Att: The Chief of Claims Service

Sir:

In accordance with the verbal agreement with the undersigned, we are herewith submitting the periodic letterheads of the Hunters ROTC Guerrillas from the beginning of the organization on 15 February 1942 to 19 July 1945. With these documents in your position we trust that it will help that office in expediting the voluminous claims of supporters of the Hunters ROTC, which are in the process of investigation.
[Sgd.] TERRY “MAGTANGGOL” ADEVOSO
Overall Commander
Hunters ROTC Guerrillas

[p. 1]

PERIODIC LETTERHEADS OF THE HUNTERS ROTC GUERRILLAS

15 Jan 42 – 20 Apr 42

ROTC SECRET SOCIETY

This letterhead was adopted by the Hunters ROTC Guerrillas in the early stage of the Organization on 16 January 1942. Our main base of operations was limited only to the vicinities of San Juan del Monte, Rizal, the vicinities and Manila, led by the following ranking officers, namely, 1st Lt. Miguel Ver (CO), Lt. Terry Adevoso (Ex-O), Ernesto Tupaz, Vicente Noveles, Vicente (Mohadan) Estacio, Tereso D. Pia and many others. It was then a society secretly organized by us to suppress the enemy. We adopted the above letterhead.

21 Apr 42 – 27 Nov 42

HEADQUARTERS: THE HUNGERS
In the field

We moved to Antipolo and Teresa Hills, Rizal to begin effective resistance against the enemy. Upon suggestion of Major Ernesto Parpan (alias Parpie) we named our organization “THE HUNTERS,” which was sanctioned by ranking officers of the Hunters ROTC Guerrillas, at Malabanca, Antipolo, Rizal. Thru the able leadership and tact shouldered by the ranking officers of the Hunters ROTC Guerrillas, and with the speedy recruitment of new members, we organized intelligence, combat, supply units to launch a more disastrous campaign against the Japanese Imperial Forces. We were then operating in the field, so we adopted the above letterhead.

28 Nov 42 – 2 March 43

UNITED STATES FORCES IN THE FAR EAST
43rd (THE HUNTERS) Division
In the field

Major Policarpio of the 6th MD and representative of General Peralta from Panay, contacted ranking officers of the Hunters ROTC Guerrillas, bringing with him communications from General Peralta with the intentions of organizing guerrilla forces in Luzon. All the papers brought by him carry the above type of letterhead. We adopted the same upon his suggestion and was sanctioned by ranking officers of the Hunters ROTC

3 Mar 42 – 19 July 43

HEADQUARTERS: THE HUNTERS
In the field

Major Policarpio became corrupt and committed many abuses. He even communicated [with] General Peralta that the arms that we used that time were purchased with the money he brought from Panay.

[p. 2]

Enraged at these actions, we withdrew all our men under his command, and again operated independently. We again adopted the above type of letterhead.

20 Jul 43 – 1 Sept 43

THE HUNTERS – FAIT
In the field

Contact with Col HUGH STRAUGHN, then CO of the Fil-American Irregular Troops, was made by Lt Col Frisco P. San Juan, Majors Leonardo Aquino and Raymundo Gozon (deceased). The Hunters and the Fil-American were then operating jointly at that time, but with the understanding that the Home Guard Units shall consist of FAIT men and the combat troops shall consist of Hunters ROTC men. Col Hugh Straughn at Lt Col Wills, Signal Corps, US Army whom we rescued from the Japanese Prison Camp in Ft William McKinley as honorary advisers. Everything was running smoothly until the Japanese Army launched a disastrous guerrilla campaign. To go in with the operations, we sent GHQ representatives to Batanes, Zambales, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Nueva Vizcaya, Tarlac, La Union, Batangas etc. We then adopted the Free Area system of Organization. We adopted the above type of letterhead.

2 Sept 43 – 4 Dec 43

ARMY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
C. P. : THE HUNTERS GUERRILLAS
4th Military District

Col Hugh Straughn and Lt Col Mills were captured by the Japanese as a result of the zonification. We considered ourselves a part of the US Army, so we adopted the above letterhead. Our operational area at that time covered entirely the 4th MD.

THE HUNTERS or ROTC GUERRILLAS
General Headquarters
South Central Luzon

The organization of the Hunters ROTC Guerrillas expanded to such an extent to embrace South Central Luzon. More men came in and rallied to the common cause. To make the organization more intact, and for purposes of coordinating guerrilla activities, we designated of what was known as the G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, etc. We adopted the above type of letterhead.

6 Jan 44 – 28 Apr 44

THE HUNTERS FIL-AMERICAN GUERRILLAS
Field Headquarters
Southern Luzon

[p. 3]

The death of Col Hugh Straughn brought about drastic changes in the Organization. At this time, Col Justiniano Estrella (alias Alfredo David) of the Fil-American guerrillas contacted ranking officers of the Hunters for purposes of coordination on activities against the Japanese forces. The Hunters and the Fil-American guerrillas then operated jointly, with Colonel Terry (undersigned) as the overall Commander of the two (2) units, with an advisory staff of high ranking of the Hunters and the FAIT for purposes of coordination, cooperation and collaboration. We adopted the above type of letterhead.

29 Apr 44 – 14 May 44

THE HUNTERS or ROTC GUERRILLAS
General Headquarters
Luzon

Col Justiniano Estrella was forced to join the Marking’s Guerrillas at this time, and so we had to operate independently. We already had units actively operating in the Northern and Southern Luzon provinces. We adopted the above type of letterhead.

15 May 44 – 5 Jun 44

UNITED STATES FORCES IN THE PHILIPPINES
THE HUNTERS or ROTC GUERRILLAS
General Headquarters

Contacts with the 6th MD was made officially thru Major Jurado, but contacts with the 7th MD was unofficial because we only made contacts with their operatives. All communications from the 6th and 7th MD carried the above type of letterhead. We lost contact with Major Jurado of the 6th MD. We then sent emissaries to the Visayas and Negros, with Lt Cols FRISCO P. SAN JUAN and VICENTE (MOHADAN) ESTACIO as emissaries. This time, the contact with the 7th MD was officially made. On their arrival, all letters and memorandums addressed to members of the Hunters ROTC Guerrillas carried the above type of letterhead. We also adopted the same.

6 June 44 – 10 Feb 45

UNITED STATES PHILIPPINE ISLANDS FORCES
THE HUNTERS or ROTC GUERRILLAS
General Headquarters

The above type of letterhead was adopted on the suggestion of Lt Col Bernard Anderson when he showed me the Philippine Intelligence Guide. I proposed the above letterhead to my ranking officers as to the usage of the same, and they sanctioned it. We adopted the above.

11 Feb 45 – 19 July 45

THE HUNTERS or ROTC GUERRILLAS
Attached to Sixth Army

[p. 4]

The liberation campaign in 1945 brought about drastic changes in the Organization of the Hunters ROTC Guerrillas. All the former Division, Regimental, Battalions, companies and units of the Hunters ROTC Guerrillas operated with the US Sixth Army Divisions in Luzon. We adopted the above type of letterhead.

It will be noted that in these periodic letterheads adopted by the Hunters ROTC Guerrillas from 15 January 1942 to 19 July 1945 are different, which varied accordingly as changes were made on account of fusion with other guerrilla bands, the zonification campaigns launched by the enemy forces, and rapids expansion of the Organization accounted for such changes. These facts may not be accurate due to loss of records, but after a careful study of the history and evolution of the Hunters and subsequent conferences with ranking officers of the Organization, the above stated periodical letterheads are submitted as additional basis of records of this Organization.

[Sgd.] TERRY “MAGTANGGOL” ADEVOSO
Overall Commander
Hunters ROTC Guerrillas
Notes and references:
1 Box 246, Entry 1087, Philippine Archive Collection, Record Group 407, (US) National Archives. Online at the Philippine Veterans Association Office.
2 PHILRYCOM means Philippines-Ryukyus Command. Allacronyms.com.
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