US Army Letter Informing Zobel of Unfavorable Reconsideration, October 1947

The Zobel Guerrilla Unit was a guerrilla organization that supposedly operated from the western Batangas town of Calatagan. It was supposedly commanded by one Guerrilla Lt. Colonel Jacobo Zobel. The reader is advised that this unit failed to obtain official recognition from the United States Army and that many of its claimed achievements as well as manpower were found to have had overlaps with Emilio Macabuag’s Unit, another guerrilla organization that operated in and out of Calatagan. In this document¹, one Thomas J. Brown of the Adjutant General’s Office of the Philippines-Ryukyus Command informed Zobel of the US Army’s unfavorable decision on the guerrilla unit’s reconsideration.

HEADQUARTERS
PHILIPPINES-RYUKYUS COMMAND
OFFICE OF THE COMMANDING GENERAL

GSCPU 091 PI / 2206

APO 707 23 OCT 1947

Lt Col Jacobo Zobel
Room 309, Ayala Building
Manila, Philippines

Dear Colonel Zobel:

The Commanding General has directed that you be informed that the Zobel’s Guerrilla Unit, purporting to be a guerrilla organization under your control, previously not favorably considered for recognition, has not been reconsidered at your request.

A thorough review of the supporting papers of this organization, together with a careful analysis of all other available information of the activities of your unit from its inception, scrutinized in relation to the overall resistance movement, has again failed to reveal sufficient material to satisfy the requirements for recognition of your unit as an element of the Philippine Army in the service of the Armed Forces of the United States. There Zobel’s Guerrilla Unit is, therefore, not favorably reconsidered for modification of the original decision of non-recognition.

This letter constitutes the final determination of an action upon the claim for recognition of the Zobel’s Guerrilla Unit.

Sincerely,

THOMAS J. BROWN
CWO, USA
ASST ADJ GEN

Lt Col Wallace M. Hanes:

1. The Zobel’s Guerrilla Unit, consisting of 565 men, has not been favorably reconsidered for recognition. No members have been previously recognized.

2. This unit does not fulfill the requirements of the five (5) basic points for recognition. See attached report.

3. No individual claimants, in either a casualty or non-casualty status, should be favorably considered.

4. This report constitutes the final action by this headquarters on the request for recognition of the Zobel’s Guerrilla Unit.

[Sgd.] 1^st Lt Marion C. Allbright

Concur: Capt S C Buchanan, Chief, Reconsideration Sec

Concur: Maj R V Sloan, Chief, Individual Branch

Concur: Capt E R Curtis, Chief, Unit Branch

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Notes and references:

¹ “Zobel’s Guerrilla Unit,” File No. 137, online at the United States National Archives.

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