US Army Investigative Report on the Vulcan Infantry Regiment
[TRANSCRIPTION]
REPORT ON “VULCAN REGIMENT”
Notes and references:
1 “Vulcan Infantry Regiment,” File No. 213-12, online at the United States National Archives.
The Vulcan Infantry Regiment was purportedly a guerrilla organization under the command of one Major Amando D. Ylagan and was supposed to have operated in the Taal-Lemery area. Many of the alleged documented activities of this unit overlapped with those claimed by other guerrilla outfits operating in the said area. In this page is a transcriptions1 of the United States Army investigative report on the Vulcan Infantry Regiment prepared by Major Vincent K. Coates and 1st Lt. George E. Kemper.
[p. 1]
30 January 1947
1. Major Vincent K. Coates and 1st Lt. George E. Kemper proceeded to Lemery, Batangas on 21 January 1947 to investigate the Vulcan Regiment.
2. ALLEGED HISTORY: (See attached unit file)
3. FINDINGS:
a. The following persons were interviewed and their statements are reflected in the findings:
Major Gregorio Buño - Exec. Off. Vulcan Regt., Exec. Off. Canluran Regiment
Capt Marcelino D. de la Rosa - S-1 Vulcan Regt. later CO Canluran Combat Bn.
Lt Valentino Mayuga - Co. CO. Canluran Combat Bn
Perpetuo Vanturanza - Company Officer Vulcan Regt.
Capt Juanito Ferrer - CO ROTC-Hunters, C.P. in Subic, Taal
Capt Raphael Sagala - Exec. Off. ROTC-Hunters, C.P. in Cipit, Taal
Capt Dominador R. Encarnado - CO 6th Inf Regt. McKinley Brigade FAIT
Lazaro Malabanan - Exec. Off. Gagalac Unit
Eleuterio Adevoso - Over-all Commander, ROTC - H
Luis Licopa - CO Licopa Unit
Capt Marcelino D. de la Rosa - S-1 Vulcan Regt. later CO Canluran Combat Bn.
Lt Valentino Mayuga - Co. CO. Canluran Combat Bn
Perpetuo Vanturanza - Company Officer Vulcan Regt.
Capt Juanito Ferrer - CO ROTC-Hunters, C.P. in Subic, Taal
Capt Raphael Sagala - Exec. Off. ROTC-Hunters, C.P. in Cipit, Taal
Capt Dominador R. Encarnado - CO 6th Inf Regt. McKinley Brigade FAIT
Lazaro Malabanan - Exec. Off. Gagalac Unit
Eleuterio Adevoso - Over-all Commander, ROTC - H
Luis Licopa - CO Licopa Unit
b. No record of service was submitted by this unit nor was evidence of such a record presented to the investigating team. This organization, under the command of Major Amando D. Ylagan, was in no sense a well organized guerrilla unit. Contacts made with citizens in the Taal-Lemery area and members of recognized guerrilla units of the same locality reveal that except for a few meetings of the Staff Officers and a few scattered intelligence reports turned in to the ROTC, Hunters C. P., the Vulcan Unit had no activities.
c. The unit was not maintained satisfactorily in the field in opposition to the enemy, because the Licopa and Gagalac Units, recognized guerrilla organizations, dominated the Taal-Lemery-San Luis area which was claimed to have been protected by the three battalions of the Vulcan Regiment. Neither Colonel Gagalac nor Colonel Licopa were aware of any activities of the Vulcan Regiment.
d. A definite organization was not maintained by this unt, because after the idea to form the Vulcan Regiment was conceived by the original twenty men on 15 February 1943, they returned home to their families and pursued normal civilian activities. They began quietly to recruit members
[p. 2]
on rosters but there was no guerrilla activity until the leaders were contacted on 28 December 1944 by Mr. Eduardo Alabastro and taken in the Blue Eagle Command as part of the Canluran Regiment, Malakas Division.
e. There was no adequate control by the commander because the unit had no activities and did not exist except on paper until it was made a part of the Canluran Regiment.
f. The unit did not show continuity of activity and organization, because the commanding officer, as well as his subordinates, cannot offer any supporting evidence to verify the achievements claimed. The few activities claimed by the unit, such as helping American officers from Mindoro to sound the beaches at Lemery, aiding an American pilot to reach Mindoro and conducting some American officers safely through Lemery to the beach were actually performed by other units in this area.
g. It is the opinion of the investigating team that the Vulcan Regiment was merely a social club and was completely passive as a guerrilla organization, except for a few scattered intelligence reports. The submitted roster shows about 139 men present at the first meeting in November 1942 whereas a group of 15 ex-USAFFE officers headed by Major Amando D. Ylagan were all that were in attendance. This fact was brought out in conversations with some of the regimental officers.
h. The roster of the Vulcan Unit indicates that fifteen organizers plus 124 men were inducted at the November 1942 meeting and the remainder of this unit was inducted on the date of 15 February 1943. Actually, at this latter formation, the only members present were the original fifteen ex-USAFFE officers plus about five new members who were civilian volunteers. The submitted history entitled “Brief History of the Organization of the Canluran Infantry Regiment” is not supported by any evidence of activities until 28 December 1944 when the so-called Vulcan Regiment was absorbed by the Blue Eagle Command.
i. About 156 men on the Vulcan Regiment roster have been recognized by Headquarters Sixth Army as members of the Canluran Combat Battalion. Also, about 513 on the same roster were recognized by the Commanding General AFWESPAC as being in the Canluran Regiment or the Blue Eagle Brigade. Investigation revealed that the remainder of the unit was not engaged in sufficient [“sufficient” handwritten insert to the paragraph] guerrilla activities.
j. No useful purpose will be accomplished by further investigation of this unit as all worthy members have been recognized on rosters of other guerrilla organizations.
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4. POLITICAL ASPECTS: This unit does not appear to have any political affiliations or aspirations.
5. RECOMMENDATIONS: It is recommended that the Vulcan Regiment be not favorably considered for recognition.
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[Sgd.] George E. Kemper 1st Lt. CAC |
[Sgd.] VINCENT K. COATES Major FA |
Notes and references:
1 “Vulcan Infantry Regiment,” File No. 213-12, online at the United States National Archives.