History and Activities of the 6th Infantry Regiment, McKinley Division, FAIT
[TRANSCRIPTION]
HISTORY AND ACTIVITIES OF THE 6TH INFANTRY
FIL-AMERICAN IRREGULAR TROOPS UNDER COL. STRAUGHN
0-2515 U.S.A., MCKINLEY DIVISION
1942
1943
1944
1945
S A B O T A G E (Throughout the Occupation)
ESPIONAGE AND INTELLIGENCE WORK (Throughout the Occupation)
C A S U A L T I E S
C A S U A L T I E S
Notes and references:
1 “6th Infantry Regt, McKinley Division, FAIT,” File No. 275-13, online at the United States National Archives.
The Fil-American Irregular Troops or FAIT was a large guerrilla organization founded by the retired United States Army Colonel Hugh Straughn and had many affiliate units in Southern Luzon, including Batangas. The 6th Infantry Regiment, McKinley Division, which operated in the town of Lemery, was one of these. In this page is a transcription1 of the purported history and activities of the 6th Regiment, McKinley Division, as submitted to the Guerrilla Affairs Division of the US Army Western Pacific as part of the latter’s application for official recognition.
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FIL-AMERICAN IRREGULAR TROOPS UNDER COL. STRAUGHN
0-2515 U.S.A., MCKINLEY DIVISION
July 30, 1942 - First formal meeting of Perpetuo L. Venturanza and Dominador Encarnado to organize a guerrilla unit in Lemery. Others present were Catalino Cabral, Honrado Encarnacion, Marcelino Paala and Epifaño Mendoza. Later in the evening, Venturanza and Encarnado contacted Dr. Ignacio Ylagan, Marcelino Encarnado and Roman Ilustre for their moral and financial support.
A I M S - To engage in sabotage, espionage and guerrilla warfare in order to pave the way for the coming of the American forces and fight with them in the liberation of the Philippines from the Japanese.
UNIT HQS. - Lemery, Taal, San Luis, Calapan, Puerto Galera, Abra de Ilog, Baco, Silonay, and Barrios Salong, Butong, Balete, Ligpo, Anilao, Dagatan, Sulo, Bagalangit and Locloc.
SEPTEMBER 20 - D. V. Bacquilar, alias Flores, and F. Vargas arrived from Laguna bearing instructions from Col. Hugh Straughn to organize units of Fil-American Irregular Troops, McKinley Brigade, in southern Batangas.
OCTOBER 1, 1942 - Formal organization and affiliation of the 6th Infantry Fil-American Irregular Troops in Lemery into [the] McKinley Brigade.
OCTOBER 10, 1942 - Captain (Col) Wm L. Osborne arrived from Bataan as an escapee, after the fall of Bataan. Taken care of by the 6th Infantry FAIT for four months, under the personal care of Primitivo Caper and Fontanilla. He was furnished a sailboat that took him to Lubang, Mindoro, where he made his escape via submarine to Australia and thence to [the] States. (See letter of Col. Osborne acknowledging his lifetime gratitude for the help and protection given him by the men of the 6th Infantry, FAIT.)
STRENGTH IN 1942 - The 6th Infantry FAIT by the end of 1942 had a strength of 500 men.
A R M S - By the end of 1942, there were
26 shotguns
30 22-caliber rifles
50 blowguns
25 arrows
24 homemade guns (paltik)
the rest were armed with Batangas knives, bolos and spears
30 22-caliber rifles
50 blowguns
25 arrows
24 homemade guns (paltik)
the rest were armed with Batangas knives, bolos and spears
FEB. 10, 1943 - Dominador Encarnado went to Panay (Iloilo) on a sailboat to contact 2nd Lt. Jose Blanco and 2nd Lt. Arturo Encarnado, both Signal Corps officers under Peralta, for arms and ammunition, supplies, etc.
JUNE 5, 1943 - Two Japs were killed by bayonet thrusts by Cpl. Demetrio Villanueva at the approach of the Taal-Lemery Bridge. Villanueva surrendered to the Japs in Barrio Boboy, San Luis, the next day to save the town of Lemery from being razed to the ground and the civilians to massacre.
APRIL 10, 1943 - S. S. Legaspi was sabotaged by Capt. E. Mendoza in Puerto Galera, upon order of Dominador Encarnado who received instructions from Division Commander, J. Howard. The machine and generator were taken from the S. S. Legaspi and brought over to Lemery for future disposal.
AUGUST 10, 1943 - Sixteen (16) Japs under the command of Capt. Kabayashi were abandoned in the jungles of Mt. Baco by FAIT Mangyan guides, as per instructions given them by Lt. Macalalad. The Japs died of starvation, exposure and cold and their rifles, pistols, canteen cups, shoes, ammunition
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were taken by FAIT for their use.
SEPT. 10, 1943 - Six (6) Japs were killed when encountered by FAIT near Silonay Bridge. Rifles and ammunition were taken by the FAIT for their use.
OCT. 10, 1943 - Peralta and Lt. Willien Hernandez crossed over from Mindoro bringing arms and ammunition. Furnished sleeping quarters by Ulpiano del Mundo, FAIT officer in Taal. The two officers were helped by the 6th Inf. men in the unloading of arms and ammunition. They had a narrow escape from the Japs, but for the help and protection given them by the 6th Inf. FAIT, they would have been captured.
NOV. 6, 1943 - Two (2) Japs were ambushed near Tubigan River by FAIT in Calapan under the command of Lt. Macalalad. Rifles and ammunition were confiscated and used by the FAIT.
DEC. 10, 1943 - Jap overseer of Jap castor oil seed plantation was shot dead by FAIT at Km 2, Calapan.
TOTAL STRENGTH - By the end of 1943, the strength of the 6th Infantry FAIT had reached 2,500 men.
A R M S - By the end of 1943, the number of arms in [the] possession of the 6th Infantry FAIT had reached 300. This was due to [the] confiscation of Jap rifles from dead Japs, purchase from gun manufacturers in Cavite and Batangas, and some brought over from Panay and Mindoro.
JANUARY, 1944 - Captain Vicente Salazar, alias G. Mendoza, FAIT officer stationed in Abra de Ilog, wrote the 6th Inf. FAIT headquarters that he had received Capt. George, Lt. Bob and Gunner Pat, who arrived on sailboat Florido from Balayan.
JANUARY, 1944 - Numeriano Almanzor, FAIT pilot who ran the sailboats coming from Mindoro bringing palay for the consumption of the 6th Inf. FAIT in Batangas, was apprehended by the Japs in Calapan as [a] guerrilla suspect. He was incarcerated for 7 months. His wife and infant son joined him in the Jap garrison, but nothing definite was ever found or learned from him anent his guerrilla activities, because of the discipline instilled in him by his superior officers in the guerrilla organization. “NEVER SQUEAL ON YOUR COMRADES!” WAS A STANDING ORDER OF THE 6TH INF. FAIT.
FEBRUARY, 1944 - Dr. Ignacio Ylagan, FAIT Finance Officer, was apprehended in Taal because of his guerrilla activities. He was tortured in [the] Nasugbu garrison for three weeks. Finally released for lack of sufficient evidence against him.
MARCH 12, 1944 - Ten (10) Japs were annihilated in front of [the] barrio school on the morning of March 12, 1944 on Km 35 Naujan by a mixed band of guerrillas under Veloncio and FAIT under Macalalad. Jap rifles and ammunition were confiscated for use of [the] guerrillas.
AUGUST 20, 1944 - Captain Vicente Salazar was notified by C. O. Dominador Encarnado to contact special party SWPA at Matabang, Camp Nimitz, Abra de Ilog, Mindoro to offer his services and to secure arms and ammunition, drugs and supplies for the 6th Inf. FAIT in Batangas.
AUGUST 31, 1944 - CAPTAIN Vicente Salazar reported that he had contacted Lt. Commander Rowe, alias Commander Nicholson, SWPA.
SEPTEMBER 10, 1944 - Captain Vicente Salazar arrived in Balete, Batangas bringing instructions and morale boosters, such as hand grenades, carbines, modern pistols, cigarettes, medicines, field rations and candies. These morale boosters really boosted the morale of the men of the 6th Infantry FAIT throughout [the] Batangas sector.
OCTOBER 15, 1944 - Arturo Encarnado, Signal Corps officer now stationed in Balete, Batangas working for guerrilla units in Batangas, sent a radio flash that the American Liberating Forces had landed in Leyte.
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NOVEMBER 15, 1944 - Perpetuo Venturanza was apprehended by [the] Japs in Manila as a guerrilla suspect. Tortured and starved in order to extract information from him re his guerrilla activities in Batangas. He was released Dec. 24, 1944 after a futile effort to get him to talk. He immediately returned to join his comrades in Batangas.
NOVEMBER 17, 1944 - Lt. Dominador Baldoza was apprehended by [the] Jap Military Police in Manila because of his guerrilla intelligence work. He was bringing a message for transmittal to Brigade Headquarters somewhere in Pasig when he was caught. He swallowed the message while he was taken to [the] Far Eastern University building Jap prison cell. Released December 24, 1944 for lack of sufficient evidence against him. Rejoined his unit in Lemery, Batangas.
NOVEMBER 20, 1944 - 6th Inf. FAIT Headquarters in Lemery received a printed communique from the headquarters of General MacArthur announcing the reestablishment of the government of the Commonwealth of the Philippines in Leyte, with President Sergio Osmeña as head of the Commonwealth Government.
NOVEMBER 30, 1944 - Received a radio message from 2nd Lt. Arturo Encarnado and Captain Honrado Encarnacion from Cutad, Looc, Nasugbu, Batangas, regarding the possible landing of the American Liberating Forces in the vicinity of Nasugbu.
(Those two Signal officers were sent to barrio Cutad by C. O. Dominador Encarnado on October 20, 1944 to contact Maj. Vanderpool who was rumored to be in that vicinity.)
DECEMBER 10, 1944 - A Jap bomber was shot down in a dogfight with two U.S. fighter planes over Baco, Mindoro. Jap aviator and gunners were still alive when the Jap bomber crashed, but FAIT under Sgt. Hernandez finished them off. Pistols, machine guns, ammunition were taken for the use of the guerrillas.
DECEMBER 13, 1944 - [A] Jap posse of 12 men sent to search for the fallen Jap bomber was ambushed by mixed guerrillas of FAIT and Veloncio, and their arms and ammunition, sabers and canteen cups were taken for use of [the] guerrillas.
DECEMBER 15, 1944 - Heard a radio flash that the American Liberating Forces landed in San Jose, Mindoro. One oil tanker was bombed by Jap planes and set ablaze. Six Jap planes were shot down by anti-aircraft guns.
DECEMBER 17, 1944 - Dominador Encarnado, with 37 men, went to San Jose to offer services to [the] American Liberating Forces. Arrived foot-sore and weary after a 13-day hike thru jungles and croc-infested rivers. All were too sick with malaria to be of use to the U.S. Army. The party left after a 30-day rest for Batangas to join the liberation fight in Batangas province.
DECEMBER 10, 1944 - Sent a radio code report to U.S. bomber planes coursing thru northern Mindoro coasts and southern Batangas coasts that five Jap ships loaded with arms and ammunition were anchored at Calapan, camouflaged with green branches and leaves of plants and trees. These five Jap ships were subsequently machine-gunned and bombed by a U.S. Navy bomber. The Jap ships were set ablaze and two were sunk in the shallow waters around Calapan wharf.
JANUARY 12, 1945 - Two Jap guards were killed in Nazaretto shipyard by FAIT under Lt. Delfin Arellano. FAIT suffered casualties in the Silonay roundup and massacre as a consequence of the shooting of the two Jap guards. Jap rifles and ammunition were taken from the two dead Japs.
JANUARY 30, 1945 - Received a radio message from 2nd Lt. Arturo Encarnado and Capt. Honrado Encarnacion, stationed at Cutad under Major Asban, that
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American ships at Nasugbu needed men for the unloading of ships’ cargoes consisting of arms, ammunition and supplies. Sent a message to Capt. Efepaño Mendoza and Lt. Sancho Bello to supply the necessary men.
JANUARY 31, 1945 - FAIT helped in the mopping up operations in Wawa, Nasugbu.
FEBRUARY 3, 1945 - Tagaytay operations of the 8th Army of the 11th Airborne under Col. Gildebrand and Lt. Col. Pearson. FAIT, in collaboration with other guerrilla units, helped the 8th Army and 187th Infantry in the operations in Tagaytay.
FEBRUARY 10, 1945 - Two Japs crossed over from Maricaban Island to Bagalangit in a small native boat. Were killed by FAIT in Bagalangit and the bodies were weighted with stones and thrown into the sea.
FEBRUARY 16, 1945 - Hilario Laro, 6th Inf. FAIT sergeant, was wounded by shrapnel of a hand grenade thrown by a Jap who was putting the torches to the houses in barrio Mahabang Lodlod. The Jap was killed. Laro was wounded on the back of his left shoulder and was treated by Dr. Jose Encarnado, 6th Inf. medical officer.
MARCH 6, 1945 - The 158th Division R.C.T. arrived in Lemery. Japs were already in the hills where the guerrillas had followed them.
The Japs in the mountains of Durungao and Makulot shelled Lemery and set the town ablaze.
Lt. Sharkey put a radio telephone atop the Taal church with FAIT officers Carlos Arboleda and Encarnacion helping him. Lt. Sharkey directed the counter-artillery fire from the Taal church tower. Men of the 6th Inf. FAIT put out fires in Lemery set by incendiary bullets of the Japs.
MARCH 7, 1945 - The 158th Division R.C.T. went to Mabini, Batangas for the liberation of that sector. The 6th Inf. FAIT joined with the 158th Div. R.C.T. to Mabini in barges. Other men of the 6th Inf. FAIT in the neighboring barrios of Anilao, Dagatan, Sulo, Bagalangit and Sta. Monica under Captain Marcelino Paala and Lt. Alipio Abarentos joined the 158th Div. in the fighting at Mt. Mailayin and Mt. Calamias. The operations in these sectors were under Major Travers and Captain Blackie and later Captain Greene. The 158th R.C.T. left Mabini after an 8-day operation, and proceeded to Legaspi, Albay. The 6th Inf. FAIT and the Blue Eagle in Mabini were left to mop up the remaining Japs. The mopping up lasted for two months. Total Jap casualties amounted to more than 2,000 dead. Others were able to escape to Mt. Makulot. The guerrillas suffered one casualty - one Lorenzo Abarentos.
MARCH 10, 1945 - Mopping up operations in Mt. Durungao. The 158th R.C.T. that was left when the bulk left for Legaspi was helped by the 6th Inf. FAIT and another guerrilla unit in Durungao. Most of the Japs escaped to Mt. Makulot. The FAIT suffered five casualties here. FAIT were under the command of Captain Moresca and Lt. Abarentos.
MARCH 11, 1945 - Some of the men of the 6th Inf. FAIT proceeded to the town of Batangas to liberate that town. The Fil-Americans in Batangas also helped the 158th R.C.T. and 11th Airborne there, under the command of Major Boise J. Day.
MARCH 15, 1945 - Three (3) Jap stragglers from Anilao were killed in Sulo by FAIT under Lt. Alipio Abarentos. These Japs were left by their comrades who escaped to Mt. Makulot.
MARCH 16, 1945 - The 11thth Inf. FAIT fought side by side with the 158th Division, R.C.T., 187th Paraglider Infantry, the PQOG unit, Folsom Fil-Americans under Lt. Col. Pasia in the liberation of the towns of Cuenca and Alitagtag and around the vicinity of Mt. Makulot where the bulk of the Japs retreated for a final showdown. The 6th Inf. FAIT under Lt. Col. Dominador Encarnado and Folsom Fil-Americans under Lt. Col. Pedro Pasia and the PQOG were left to mop up the remaining Japs on Mt. Makulot. The mopping up lasted until August 1945. 363 Japs surrendered to the guerrillas.
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Other men of the 6th Inf. FAIT were busy putting out fires in the barrios of Taal, namely Munlawin, Buli, Mahabang Lodlod, Cultihan, Maabod, where the retreating Japs set the houses on fire.
1. Cotton plantations in Batangas Towns.
2. Destroyed bridges, namely Silonay, Balisong Bridge, Km. 12 Naujan road.
3. Lipa Airfield (stole plane parts, tools, etc.)
4. Nazaretto shipyard (stole machine parts, bolts, nuts, nails, etc.) Location of this Jap shipyard was radioed to U.S. bomber that set it ablaze on December 11, 1944. Three civies were wounded by bursting shrapnel.
5. Telephone wires strung between the towns of Taal and Lemery, San Luis, and between Abra de Ilog and Puerto Galera to Baco.
6. Jap trucks: one was sent down when the Silonay Bridge was sabotaged, for several posts were sawed to a point where the weight of a passing truck would send it crashing below the river. Three Japs were killed while trying to swim to the banks.
7. S.S. Legaspi anchored at Sabang, Puerto Galera, was stripped of its 74 horse-power generator, its machine and screws, which were taken to barrio Matingain, Lemery by Capt. E. Mendoza of the 6th Inf. FAIT.
8. Castor oil seed plantation at Km 2 Calapan, where the plants were stolen and uprooted from time to time, climaxed by the shooting down of its overseer.
9. Alcohol and motor oil were stolen by FAIT from time to time, and those left were mixed with saltwater, resulting in Jap trucks being stalled on the highways.
1. Kept continuous contact with other guerrilla units, namely PQOG in Cuenca and Alitagtag, Folsom Fil-Americans under Col. Pedro Pasia, Veloncio Unit in Mindoro, Rufe’s Guerrilla Unit in southern Mindoro, Hunters-ROTC, Peralta’s Panay Guerrillas thru Lt. Jose Blanco and Lt. Arturo Encarnado, Nasugbu Fil-Americans and the 9th Inf. Fil-Americans in Calaca, the Vulcan Regiment, the nucleus of the Kanluran Unit.
2. Sent intelligence reports to Pasig from time to time.
3. Sent propaganda couriers to Manila to gather morale-boosters.
4. Sent guards along beaches to spy on the movements of Jap ships and possible contacts with U.S. submarines.
5. Sent men to Lipa Airfield as workers in order to ascertain the constructions, number of planes and Jap soldiers stationed at said airfield.
6. Sent men to work at Nazaretto shipyard in order to ascertain the number of Japs stationed there, to find out the number of boats being built, and to map out the general location of the place for transmittal to U.S. planes at the right time.
1. Villanueva, Demetrio - He killed two Jap guards at the approach of the Taal-Lemery Bridge on the night of 5 June 1943. He surrendered to the Japs to save the town from being burned and the people massacred. He was executed by the Japs on the 7th of June 1943.
2. Goco, Hugo - Shot and wounded by the Japs, who wanted him to row a native boat which the Japs intended to ride on Balayan Bay. He was able to swim safely away, after being wounded on the left arm.
3. Davalos, Candido - Captured in Silonay, after shooting two Jap guards in [the] Nazaretto shipyard on 12 January 1945. He was killed by the Japs on 13 January 1945.
4. Arellano, Severo - Also captured in Silonay. He was machine-gunned while trying to escape the Jap posse which captured him. He died 13 January 1945.
5. Davalos, Fabian - Captured and killed by the Japs in the Silonay roundup on January 13, 1945.
6. Raymundo Tenedora - Captured by the Japs in his home while on a visit to get salt. Bayoneted to death on 22 January 1945 in [a] Jap garrison, which was set ablaze by the Japs.
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7. Davalos, Aquilino - Killed on January 13, 1945 while trying to escape Jap captors.
8. Arellano, Delfin - Shot two Jap guards in Nazaretto shipyard. Was captured by the Japs the next day while taking a bath in Silonay River. He was killed on the 13th of January 1945.
9. Burog, Miguel - Was with the the party who shot the Jap guards in Nazaretto. He, too, paid with his life for his deed. Killed 13 Jan, 1945.
10. Calaluan, Pedro - Captured in the Silonay roundup of suspects. Burned alive on the 13th of January 1945.
11. Lualhati, Jose - Shot by Japs while trying to escape the Jap posse in barrio Maabod. He was on his way to warn his comrades of approaching Jap soldiers.
12. Araro, Vicente - Killed by the Japs for being a guerrilla supply officer. He supplied most of the palay coming from Silonay, Mindoro, for consumption of the men of the 6th Inf. FAIT in Batangas.
13. Arevalo, Jose - Captured by the Japs while sabotaging the bridge in Balisong. Killed in June 1945 in Cuenca, after he was made to dig his own grave. Body was recovered by his wife later.
14. Hilario Laro - Was wounded on the back of left shoulder while trying to stop a Jap soldier from burning his home in barrio Mahabang Lodlod. He killed the Jap, alright, but he had a gaping wound. He was treated by Dr. Jose Encarnado, medical officer of the 6th Inf. FAIT in Lemery.
15. Abarentos, Lorenzo - His head was blown off while he was trying to peer thru a tunnel built by the Japs in Mt. Mainalin, during the mopping up operation in Mabini. The Japs inside the tunnel were all killed by flames from a flame thrower.
16. Armadilla, Severino - Killed in the liberation of Mt. Durungao.
17. Armadilla, Simplicio - Killed by the Japs in the liberation fight in Mt. Durungao.
18. Cortez, Aquilino - Also killed by the Japs in Mt. Durungao.
19. Narvaez, Ismael - Also killed by the Japs in Mt. Durungao.
20. Artillaga, Alfredo - Killed in the liberation fight in Mt. Durungao.
[Sgd.] DOMINADOR ENCARNADO
6th Inf. FAIT Cmdr.
6th Inf. FAIT Cmdr.
Notes and references:
1 “6th Infantry Regt, McKinley Division, FAIT,” File No. 275-13, online at the United States National Archives.