Untold Story of an Ifugao WW II Veteran

BEHIND THE SCENES

Alfred P. Dizon

(This week’s piece is courtesy of Daniel Codamon, of Philippine Information Agency-Ifugao)

KIANGAN, Ifugao —As the country celebrated the 67th Victory Day anniversary here on Sept. 1 and 2 commemorating the defeat and eventual surrender of the Japanese Imperial Army General Tomoyuki Yamashita in this town on Sept. 2, 1945 ending World War II, a memoir and diary of an Ifugao veteran of this municipality who died on June 17,1992  at the age of 91,  was recently discovered in his old hidden chest that can bring us back to days  of the war.

This chronicle of the late Lt. Francisco Balanban Sr. contained in a moldy and yellowish typewritten paper vividly gives a glimpse of some significant events during World War II of which he participated in from 1941 until 1946 when his stint in the military ended.

Here is his story:

I was born in Bayninan, Kiangan, Ifugao; the date of my birth not exactly known since no registration of birth were made during that especially in the far-flung barrios. I am the fifth among eight children, 5 boys and 3 girls.

           

In the year 1908, when I was about six to seven years old, I was baptized at the Roman Catholic Church located in Kiangan. I started my schooling at the Kiangan Central School with a distance of 8 kilometers from my barrio. I have to start from school at  five  o’clock in the morning and be back at 6 O’clock in the evening not having eaten my lunch. I have to tighten my native G-string until I reach home in the evening to take my supper.

           

My parents were so poor that they can only afford to buy me two T-shirts for the whole school year. In 1923, Fr. Jerome Moerman, then Parish Priest of Kiangan called me as a convent boy where I served him as sacristan in his masses up to March 30, 1929 and when I finished grade 7, went to La Trinidad, Benguet where I enrolled at the Mountain Agricultural School but unfortunately I quit due to lack of financial means.

           

On Sept. 9, 1929, I went to Camp John Hay, Baguio City and enlisted in the U.S Army, Philippine Scout and on May 21, 1937, I got married to MatildePahigon and had two children.

           

On Dec. 8, 1941,  I was with Company B, 43rd Infantry, Philippine Scout at Camp John Hay, Baguio City when the Japanese Forces bombed the area. Ten Filipino soldiers and one American soldier died during the bombing.

           

On Dec. 24,1941 to January 2, 1942,  we were en route to Bataan but our way was cut off by the enemy and on Jan. 7, 1942 to Feb. 3, 1942,  we engaged in an encounter with the enemy at Ibulao, Kiangan, Ifugao of which all the Philippine Scout soldiers fought bravely killing 41 Japanese and only one wounded on our side. This encounter was under the command of Capt. Guiter as the Company Commander and Col. Horan, who was our Commanding Officer at Camp John Hay.

           

From May 1, 1942 to March 3 ,1943,  I stayed with my family at the evacuation place waiting for further orders from Col. Horan after the fall of Bataan on April 9, 1942 when on March 3, 1943, two American Officers and one Filipino enlisted man escaped from the “Death March” from Bataan to Capas, Tarlac then came to the Kiangan area. These officers are Col. R.W. Volck man and Capt. Donald Blackburn who were escorted by Sgt. Jose Maddul.

           

They called for me to help organize guerrilla activities leading to the successful organization of the 11th Infantry Regiment with headquarters located at C-2 Antipolo, Kiangan.

           

With the successful organization of the guerilla group, I was commissioned as 2nd Lt. by Col. Volckman and with two squads under my command we engaged in an encounter at Tinoc, Hungduan on August 13, 1944 killing 13 Japanese enemy soldiers with no casualty on our side.

           

On Sept. 16, 1944, the first battalion of the 11th Infantry was formed at Hapao, Banaue and I was promoted to 1st Lieutenant again by Col. Volckman and was assigned as the Company Commander of Company A, 1st Battalion, 11th Infantry, USAFIP, Northern Luzon with 196 officers and enlisted men under my command.

           

On December 4, 1944, I received a “Zero Hour” order from Regimental Commander Donald Balckburn to capture the Japanese garrison at the Ifugao area in Banaue by all means and our mission was successfully done killing 7 Japanese with no casualty on our side.

           

Then on Jan. 8, 1945, I received an order from our Regimental Commander to proceed with my company to Bontoc, Mt. Province and there we had an encounter with the enemy at Bauko, Bontoc killing 19 Japanese and no casualty on our side.

           

Again I was ordered to go to Cervantes, Ilocos Sur to be attached to the provisionary battalion of the 121st Infantry Regiment, USAFIP, NL.

           

Continuous fighting broke out day and night at Bessang Pass in Cervantes for almost four months from Feb. 24, 1945 to June 14, 1945. All Japanese forces were concentrated at Bessang Pass and what I did with my company was to reserve one platoon for every 24 hours while the other platoon were on the firing line. This is to maintain their morale and courage and to be always mentally and physically fit to endure the fight in the firing line.

           

When Bessang Pass was captured, Company A, 1st Battalion, 11th Infantry, USAFIP, NL which was under my command was the first to put up the American flag on a dry mother tree while the other high ranking officers look up to it. After the capture of Bessang Pass, the whole Provisionary Battalion was ordered to Cervantes for an inspection by our Regimental Commanders, Col. Balao and Col. Volckman.

           

During the inspection, our Regimental Commander asked me this question, “Why is it that you still have many men in your company? Maybe you had been retreating? But I firmly answered him, “No sir, we never retreated and our Battalion Commander, Capt. Elizaldo can bear witness.”

           

I said further, “You know Sir, my soldiers from Ifugao did no come here to be killed but came here to kill the enemy.” After I made this remark, our high ranking and inspecting officers laughed heartily and cheered us and at the same time gave applause to my company.

           

From June 16, 1945 to Sept. 14, 1945 while coming back from Bessang Pass, my company did mopping operations from Cervantes to Kayan killing 2 enemies after which we proceeded to Tadian,Bauko, Sagada, Bontoc Proper, all in Mt. Province then to Banaue, Ifugao. My company was ordered to proceed to Hapao, Banaue and there we engaged in a heavy fighting with the enemy until the surrender of General Tomoyuki Yamashita, Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese Imperial Army.

           

After the Japanese surrendered, I checked up with Sgt. Napadawan, one of my clerks on the number of casualties which my company suffered and he recorded 16 fatalities who were killed in action while 5 men died in the hospital due to sickness.

           

From September 14, 1945 to October 13, 1945, we were stationed at Ilagan, Isabela after which all Philippine Scout Officers including me were ordered to report to Alabang, Rizal Military Control Station then on December 1945, the 6th M.P. Battalion was formed of which I was am a member and assigned to Tacloban, Leyte to guard all depot in the area.

           

On June 30, 1946, I was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army in Manila and finally I came home to join my beloved family and had 8 children but sad to say, one died when I was in the firing line. THANK YOU AND FAREWELL TO ALL, Lt. Francisco BalanbanSr..