The twilight riders : the last charge of the 26th Cavalry

Also by Peter E Stevens THE VOYAGE OF THE CATALPA:

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PERILOUS JOURNEY

AND SIX IRISH REBELS' ESCAPE TO FREEDOM

THE ROGUE'S MARCH: JOHN RILEY AND THE ST. PATRICK'S BATTALION,

18 46-4 8 HIDDEN HISTORY OF THE BOSTON IRISH: LITTLE-KNOWN STORIES FROM IRELAND'S "NEXT PARISH OVER"

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The Last Charge of the 26th Cavalry

Peter F. Stevens

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LYONS PRESS Guilford, Connecticut An imprint of Globe Pequot Press

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Copyright © 2011 by Peter F. Stevens ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed to Globe Pequot Press, Attn: Rights and Permissions Department, PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437.

Lyons Press is an imprint of Globe Pequot Press.

Text design: Elizabeth Kingsbury Layout: Melissa Evarts Project editor: Ellen Urban Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

ISBN 978-0-7627-6485-3 Printed in the United States of America 1098765432 1

CONTENTS A Visionfrom Another Century, ix

Prologue

Part I The End of a Very Glaxnorous Thne, 1 Chapter 1

Like a Ton if Bricks, 2

Chapter 2

Your Ass Belongs to the Japanese, 11

Chapter 3

Saddle Up!, 33

Chapter 4

The Bloody Road to Damortis, 42

Part II A True Cavalry Action-Fit to Make a Man's Heart Sing, 57 Chapter 5

To Be Held at All Costs, 58

Chapter 6

This Is VVhat We Were Trained For, 68

Chapter 7

As Though They Were Silhouette Targets on the Rifle Range, 73

Chapter 8

At A1!JI Time from Then On, 89

Chapter 9

There Still Seemed to Be a Chance, 93

Part III Wind Up Our Little Ball of String, 107 Chapter 10

Take Out Those Damn Tanks!, 108

Chapter 11

Here Was a True Cavalry Action, 117

Chapter 12

You Know What to Do, 127

Part IV Riding into the Twilight, 139 Chapter 13

A Helluva Christmas, 140

Chapter 14

A Beautiful Exhibition, 155

Chapter 15

It Would Have to Do, 165

Chapter 16

Like the End if the World, 173

Chapter 17

We Will Stand Now and Take 'Em On, 182

Chapter 18

I Began to Think That He Was Protecting Me, 192

Chapter 19

The Final Charge, 204

Chapter 20

The Qy,artermaster Has Corifiscated Them, 221

Epilogue

Bataan and Beyond, 228

26th Cavalry Regiment Roster, 235 Acknowledgments, 248 Sources, 250 Endnotes, 262 Index, 281 About the Author, 290

VI

Contents

FIDDLER'S GREEN' - Traditional Song qf the Us. Cavalry

Halfway down the trail to Hell, In a shady meadow green Are the Souls of all dead troopers camped, Near a good old-time canteen.

And this eternal resting place Is known as Fiddler's Green.

Marching past, straight through to Hell The Infantry are seen.

Accompanied by the Engineers, . Artillery and Marines, For none but the shades of Cavalrymen Dismount at Fiddler's Green.

Though some go curving down the trail To seek a warmer scene.

No trooper ever gets to Hell Ere he's emptied his canteen.

And so rides back to drink again With friends at Fiddler's Green.

And so when man and horse go down Beneath a saber keen, Or in a roaring charge of fierce melee You stop a bullet clean, And the hostiles come to get your scalp, Just empty your canteen, And put your pistol to your head And go to Fiddler's Green .

• The origin and the author of "Fiddler's Green" are unknown. It is believed to have originated in the early 1800s and was sung by the soldiers of the 6th and 7th U.S. Cavalry Regiments. The song's first known appearance in published form was in a 1923 issue of Cavalry Journal.

Captain John Wheeler leads Troop E, 26th Cavalry, on mounted patrol in Luwn, 1941. U.S. National Archives, U.S. Army Collection

PROLOGUE

A Vision from Another Century A number of years ago, I was asked by VFW Magazine to write an article about the 26th Cavalry Regiment and the unit's magnificent performance against the Japanese Army during the Fall of the Philippines in 1941-42. I was surprised to learn that outside of the 26th's surviving veterans and their families in the United States and the Philippines, the regiment's saga had never received its full due-especially given the fact that the 26th was the last American-led cavalry unit to wage a campaign on horseback.

A measure of well-deserved attention came in 1990 with the publication of Edwin Price Ramsey's stirring memoir, Lieutenant Ramsey's war, which chronicled Ramsey's exploits, emotions, heroism, and loss of friends, as well as his beloved horse, Bryn Awryn, in combat as a young officer in the 26th. He led the final mounted charge in the annals of American warfare.

As Ramsey writes, though, he was posted far from the heaviest combat the 26th faced in the first month of the battle for the Philippines. The bulk of his book describes his experiences as a guerrilla leader after the surrender of MacArthur's army.

So, too, did Major Arthur K. Whitehead's later memoir, Odyssey of a Philippine Scout, recount in thrilling fashion his experiences as a young lieutenant in mounted combat in the 26th, until he was trapped behind enemy lines and separated from the regiment during the 26th's final actions on

ix

horseback. Much of Whitehead's book describes the harrowing months he endured after eluding capture with a band of other American and Filipino cavalrymen and soldiers cut off from their units, and his daring and literally death-defying escape from the occupied Philippines to Australia.

I have endeavored in the following pages to present the full drama and scope of the 26th's heroic but doomed mounted campaign against the seasoned troops, planes, and tanks of the Japanese Army, from the first few hours after the invaders poured from their landing craft onto the shores of Luzon Island in late December 1941, to the final desperate months in Bataan and on "The Rock," the Corregidor fortress. Every step of the way, the scours bought time for MacArthur's army to fight back. It is not hyperbolic to contend that without the 26th's delaying actions on Luzon-a textbook and innovative campaign studied in modern war colleges-MacArthur might never have had the time to escape the Philippines, as ordered to do so

by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in March 1942. The cavalrymen of the 26th fought the last full-fledged "horseback campaign" in history, paying a terrible toll but exacting an even higher one upon the Japanese Army. The regiment's story reveals not only the valor of the horsemen, their horses, and the 26th's motorized squadron, bur also the way in which the unit's American and Filipino troopers forged ties that transcended race and were forever cemented in blood, suffering, and pride.

In researching the story of the 26th U.S. Cavalry, I drew upon records at numerous repositories and archives in the United States and the Philippines.

Letters, journals, military correspondence, reports, and communiques, as well as many other records, were provided by the U.S. Army Military History Institute, the United States Military Academy (USMA) Library at West Point, the Philippine Scours Heritage Society, the United States Cavalry Association, and many other sources. I have interviewed American and Filipino veterans of the 26th in depth. What quickly became evident from these cavalrymen was that historian Stephen Ambrose's famed phrase "Band of Brothers" truly applies to the manner in which the Americans and Filipinos rode, fought, and bled together in the desperate struggle to stem the Imperial Japanese Army.

Key to the research and writing of The Twilight Riders was a wide array of unpublished letters, papers, journals, diaries, and documents. The General

x

Prologue

Clinton A. Pierce Papers, which include the commander of the 26th's personal letters and official correspondence (orders, dispatches, maps), provided a treasure trove of information. Similarly, so did the diary of Major Harry J. Fleeger, 26th Cavalry; the articles written by Colonel William E. Chandler; and the records of the 26th, housed at the U.S. Army Military History Institute, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, and the U.S. Cavalry Association, U.S. Cavalry Memorial Research Library, Fort Riley, Kansas.

Along with the papers and other materials detailing the experiences of the 26th's American officers, Filipino enlisted man Felipe Fernandez especially provided something that I felt was lacking in most accounts of the 26th: the recollections and impressions of Filipino cavalrymen led by American officers. Felipe provided an illuminating, detailed, and moving on-the-ground view of what it was to be a Filipino rider in the 26th.

The officers and troopers alike found themselves enmeshed in an ordeal not even the most combat-hardened veteran could have foreseen. Japan's stunning attacks on Pearl Harbor unmasked America's ill-preparedness for war, and the scenario grew even darker as the talons of the Japanese war machine grasped at another plump target-the Philippines. On the eve of the Japanese invasion of Luzon, Douglas MacArthur's combined AmericanFilipino defense forces were in no condition for the imminent onslaught of an experienced enemy.

In stark contrast to Japanese general Masaharu Homma's veteran nucleus, MacArthur's divisions lacked training and equipment, but one of his units was well prepared for combat. The 26th Cavalry (Philippine Scouts) was one of the best-drilled regiments in the entire U.S. Army and was commanded by a man seemingly born to lead thundering columns of cavalry into battle. With his dapper mustache, rugged features, and bulldog physique, Colonel Clinton A. Pierce was his generation's embodiment of such legendary cavalrymen as "Light-Horse" Harry Lee, Phil Sheridan, Jeb Stuart, and George A. Custer.

The savage battles between Pierce's riders and the Imperial Japanese Army marked the end of an institution whose roots stretched back to the Revolutionary War. From December 22, 1941, to Christmas Day, the 26th fought five major battles against overwhelming odds and allowed General Jonathan Wainwright's overmatched divisions to fall back in a staged

Prologue

Xl

withdrawal that depended at every juncture on the 26th's ferocious delaying actions against Japanese tanks and infantry. The cavalrymen did grow discouraged that the army was giving ground, for their mission was to allow the rest of the force to fall back across the Culo River and into Bataan.

There, MacArthur's army would make its heroic stand.

Finally, near dawn on January 6, 1942, the 21st Philippine Division crossed the river. Behind them lurched the North Luzon Force rear guard.

The last Americans and Filipinos to stagger into Bataan included the blearyeyed riders and near-emaciated horses of the 26th Cavalry, crossing the last bridge into Bataan minutes before the span was blown. The 26th's sacrifice played a pivotal role in saving their comrades from annihilation.

Relics of bygone days, hopelessly overmatched against mechanized forces, the dauntless riders of the 26th Cavalry nevertheless wrote a stirring conclusion to the glorious chronicles of the mounted warriors who had charged with resolute courage onto the battlefields of the Revolution, the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, the Civil War, the Indian Wars, and the Spanish-American War. General Jonathan Wainwright's official report of the Philippines Campaign provided the ultimate epitaph for the gallant men of the 26th: "This devoted little band of horsemen had maintained the best traditions of the American Cavalry ..."

Although the 26th fought heroically from the Japanese amphibious landings in December 1941 to the fall of Bataan in April 1942, I have chosen to end the book, with the exception of the epilogue, on January 22, 1942-the gut-wrenching day when the battered 26th was ordered to turn over their surviving horses to the quartermaster to be slaughtered as food for MacArthur's starving troops. The memory of that grim day still haunts Ed Ramsey and Felipe Fernandez, who loved and trusted their mounts, Bryn Awryn and Mike, with a mixed tenderness and ferocity steeled in seven weeks of horror and hardship, a bond far transcending mere rider and horse.

In focusing on the 26th's actions from the Luzon beachheads to Bataan, I have felt it best to leave the story ofTroop C-Ied by Major Ralph Praeger, and fighting in a different corner of Luzon than the rest of the regiment-in the hands of historian Bernard Norling. He writes in The Intrepid Guerrillas

xu

Prologue

ofNorth Luzon of the guerrilla campaign that by September 1943 left only one survivor, Captain Thomas S. Jones, of the ill-fated but valiant cavalry troop.

The 26th did indeed buy time for MacArthur's men to fight the proverbial "another day." The unit, however, paid for every inch of plain, shore, and jungle with their blood. On December 21, 1941, the 26th boasted two squadrons of three troops each, the regimental rolls numbering 784 enlisted men (nearly all Filipinos) and 54 officers (Americans); the men's length of service averaged thirteen years. By the morning of}anuary 16, 1942, more than a quarter of the 26th Cavalry's officers and men had been killed or seriously wounded. Many others sagged in their saddles, wounded but still able and eager to fight. More than half of the unit's horses had been killed.

On January 16,1942, Ed Ramsey led a "hell-bent-for-Ieather" mounted assault on startled Japanese troops advancing on the village of Luzon. The riders' shouts and the pounding hooves of the horses sounded the last charge of the 26th Cavalry, the last cavalry charge in American history.

The men and horses of the 26th rode and fought as hard as they could for as long as they could. One cannot come away from their story without some measure of admiration for and awe of them-heroes all, and the last of their kind.

Prologue

XlII

~NDE~

Abe, Koichi, 183 Abucay, 203 Agloloma Bay, horses' last ride to, 224, 225-27 Agno River, 103, 119, 124-25, 144-45, 147, 149, 150-52 Agoo beach, 59-60, 73 Aguinaldo, Emilio, 17 Allen, Paul, 71 Amigable, Leon, 53, 78, 79, 167 Apangat River, 82, 84 Aparri,48 Asingan, 124 Bagac,206,210,213-14,219,225 Baguio City, 86-87, 89, 90, 162-64 Baker, Joe, 150 Bamban, 49, 50-51 Barker, Joseph, Jr., 176, 198, 201, 202, 204-5,225 Bataan civilian exodus from, 174 defense of (see Battle of Bataan) MacArthur visit to, 208 retreat to, 191-99 (see also WPO-3) supply shortages, 132-35, 190,210 Bataan Death March, 232, 233 Batan Island, 25, 33 Battle of Bataan defense strategies, 197, 207-8, 212-13 horse slaughter, 224-27, 228 last days and surrender, 228-31 Morong defense and final charge, 213-20 songs about, 208 Bauang Beach, 58 Besson, Robert, 159

bicycle-scout units, Japanese, 90, 91, 100,108-9,193 Bilcera, Juan, 222-23 Binalonan, Battle of, 103-5, 108-14, 118-26 Blanning, James c., 51-52, 206 Bongabong, 160, 161 Bonnett, Donald Van N., 58, 61-62, 86-87,89,91,105 Bowers, Russell M., 29, 90-91, 96, 99, 104,108-9,122,226 Bren Guns, 176-77, 178, 189, 192, 195 Brereton, Lewis H., 21, 40-41, 47 bridges, 82, 84, 90-91, 143, 145, 161,196 Brougher, William, 55,131,159-60, 177,189 Bryn Awryn (Ramsey's horse), 169, 178-79,187,200,211,214,220, 223,225 Buboltz, Walter J., 205-6 Bued River, 89-93, 96 Bulawan, Justiniano, 110-11 Cabanatuan, 161-62, 170 Cabanatuan POW Camp, 231 Cagayan Valley, 48 Calugas, Jose, 203 camps internment, 183-85, 188,231 prisoner of war, 231, 232 Capinpin, Mateo, 131, 187, 189, 195 Carmen, 149, 158, 159 Carroll, Hubert "Tex," 88,173-74 Carusso, Robert, 77,176-77,178 Cavite naval base, 47 Centivo, Sergeant, 192-93

281

Chamberlain, Stephen, 123 Chandler, William E. combat movements as staff officer, 37,38,49,50,51,54,63,65, 69-72,75,80,81,84,85-86,89, 90,96-97,99,102,109,110, 112, 114, 119-20, 120, 121, 122, 123, 125, 126-27, 143, 149, 150, 155,156,158,169,171,172, 175,177,191,196,197,198, 201,204,205,206,220,225, 265,268 death and burial, 232 horses' last ride, 227 injuries, 231 on language issues, 31 Philippine Scouts, descriptions of, 67 on Pierce, 26-27 as prisoner of war, 231-32 26th Cavalry, description of, 234 Christmas, 129-32, 135-37, 140-54 Churchill, Winston, 140 Clark Field, 3, 39, 40, 41, 43, 44, 45 Collier, James V, 47 colonialism, 16 Corregidor Island, 7, 188,229,230-31 Cramer, Leland W, 34,43, 113, 123, 142-43, 150 Crow Flight (Whitehead's horse), 28, 80,226 Cruz, Jeremiah de la, 98-99 Culis, 197,203 Culo River, 190, 194-97 Cummings, William M., 204 Cunningham, Robert, 171, 205 Damortis, 59, 62-64, 66-72, 75 Dampe, 189, 191 Diablo (Parazo's horse), 28, 226 Don Esteban (steamer), 136-37 Dooley, Tom, 87-88, 118, 120, 125-26, 135, 136, 143, 192-93 Drake, Charles c., 133-34, 190

282

Index

88th Field Artillery (PS), 203 81st Infantry Division (PA), 22 86th Field Artillery (PS), 22 Eisenhower, Dwight D., 186 11 th Infantry Division (PA), 55, 58, 72,75,126,131,143,159-60,174, 177-78,182,183,187,188,189, 190,191,194,195 embargoes, 9 Emilia (Fernandez's fiancee), 35-36, 51,233 euthanasia of horses, 46, 64-65, 68, 168,198,199-200,217 Evans, Fred, 123 Fernandez, Felipe on American and Filipino combat relationships, 130-31 Amigable and, 53, 167 background and enlistment, 17-20 on Bren Guns, 178 Christmas day predictions, 140 combat movements with Troop E, 50-51,52-54,55,60-61,62-63, 68-69,77-79,99,104,110-12, 114, 115, 116, 122-23, 124, 130, 142, 144-45, 146, 147, 153, 165, 200,203,211,220,230 fiancee of, 35-36, 51 233 field promotions, 112 Filipino noncom enlistment, 176 horse of (see Mike) on impending war with Japan, 11 injuries, Ill, 167-68 on killing Japanese soldiers, 115 Pearl Harbor attack and invasion, 35-37,39-40 on Pierce, 189 reunions, 234 surrender refusal and guerilla warfare, 233 wounded/dead soldiers, 195

"Fiddler's Green" (song), vii 51st Infantry Division (PA), 22 Figuericion, Dan, 234 Filipino-American War, 17 Filipino locals, 16 First Philippine Division - I Corps, 198, 202,206 First Philippine Division - II Corps, 198,209 1st Battalion (PA), 131 1st Regular Division (PA), 206, 207,213 1st Squadron (26th Cavalry), 65, 66, 70,71,121-22,151 Fitch, Alva B., 51 flag burning, 184,231 Flahaven, Elise, 184 Fleeger, Harry J., 59, 60, 204-5 food supplies American/Filipino rations, 54, 55, 61,99,190,201,205-6,207, 209,210 at Bataan, 8, 132-35, 190 for horses, 202, 204, 224 horses as food, 224 Japanese rations, 183 Formosa, 6 Fort Stotsenburg, 3, 36-37, 39, 43, 45-46,50-51 45th Infantry Division (PS), 22 41st Infantry Division (PA), 22 Fowler, Halstead c., 74, 98, 101, 102, 160,161-62,211 Fowler, John, 31 Gagua,l72 George, John A., 59, 60, 63, 66, 90,91 Gerona,52 Gochenour, William, 168, 177, 178 Gonzaga, 47, 48 Graban, Benjamin, 19-20 Graves, Steve, 169

Gray, George, 184 Grunert, George, 9, 207 Guagua, 187 Harbor Defenses Force, 22 Hardwick, Cliff, 200, 220-23 Hart, Thomas c., 47 Hewlett, Virginia, 184 Homma, Masaharu background,23-24 Bataan invasion strategies, 209-10 as Japanese commander, 3 at Lingayen Gulf, 70, 74 Manila invasion, 166, 180-81 Philippines invasion, 23-24, 47, 58, 167 regiment reassignments, 185-86 timetable problems, 170-71, 185 victory requirements, 188 war criminal trial and execution, 233 Horan, John P., 86-87, 89 horses adages about, 191 battle behavior, 144, 150, 156,226 difficult terrain and horsemanship, 201 euthanasia during combat, 46, 64-65, 68,168,198,199-200,217 field care, 53, 54, 55, 191,204, 210-11 last ride, 224, 225-26 Morong snare and rescue, 219-22 protection of, 44, 119 slaughtered for food, 224, 228 training and care, 27-30, 79 troop distinctions and color of, 29 trooper relationships with, 28-30 Hoten POW Camp, 231, 232 Ilocanos, 17 Imai, Hifumi, 74

Index 283

Imperial Army Qapan) bicycle-scout units, 90, 91, 99, 108-9, 193 Christmas Day invasions, 166 combat conditions, 183 commanders oÂŁ 3, 23-24 8th Light Bombardment Regiment, 158 5th Japanese Air Corps, 166 1st Formosa, 74, 86, 143, 144, 158,159,183 48th Division, 132, 180, 183, 185, 186 48th Mountain Artillery, 74 48th Reconnaissance Regiment, 74, 102,155,158 47th Infantry Division, 73, 85, 86, 101, 183 4th Tank Regiment, 158 at Lamon Bay, 140 Philippines invasion, 3, 23, 33---41, 44,50,54,58-59,63-72 regiment reassignments, 185-86 2nd Formosa, 143, 144, 158 7th Tank Regiment, 180 16th Light Bombardment Regiment, 101, 158 16th Reconnaissance Regiment, 183 65th Brigade, 185,209 Tanaka Detachment, 46, 48, 58 tank units, 78-80, 108-11, 115-16,118,120,144, 147---48 target strategies, 6-7, 24 10th Independent Regiment, 10 1 20th Infantry Division, 183 "Incomplete Epitaph" (poem), 154 internment, 183-85, 188,231 Irwin, Pete, 117 Japan, 7, 9,170-71,185. (See also Imperial Army) Johnson, Harold K., 135

284

Index

Jones, Albert M., 133 Jones, Paul M., 38 Katanan, 170 Kennon Road Bridge, 96-98 Ketchum, Hubert, 66, 70, 71, 121-22, 124 Kitamura, Kuro, 145 Lamon Bay, 140 language issues, 8, 31 Layac Bridge, 198-97 Lee, Henry, 141 Leisenring, William P., 167-68 Limahong, 17 Lingayen Gulf, 58-59, 70, 74 Luzon, 6,7,25,33,46---47 MacArthur, Douglas Agno River report, 153-54 Australian command, 230 background, 8 Bataan, defense of, 207-8, 210 Bataan visit, 208 as commander of U.S. Army Forces, Far East, 9, 21-22 at Corregidor, 190 Corregidor evacuation and self-pfaise, 229-30 Eisenhower message to, 186 in history, 233 Manila evacuation, 136-37 Manila invasion, 179 as military consultant, 8-9 Pearl Harbor attack, 2, 33, 41 reinforcements report, 95-96 Stimson telegram, 186 troop sentiments toward, 207-8 Wainwright at Binalonan, 103 war declaration and Japanese invasion, 41, 47---48 WPO-310gistical challenges, 133-34 Magbanua, Selvino, 79

Maher, William P., 157, 166, 172, 173,206 Manila Christmas in, 140-41 civilian internment, 183-85, 188,231 evacuation of, 136-37 invasion preparations, 179-80 Japanese invasion, 165-66, 180-81 memorials, 231, 234 New Year's Eve in, 177 open-city declaration, 164 Mark, Henry D., 109, 125 Marshall, George C, 9, 95 Mauban, 207 memorials, 231, 234 Mexican border patrol, 26 Mexico (town), 171-73, 174-75 Mickelson, Clay, 82, 84, 199-200 Mike (Fernandez's horse) combat behavior and survival, 79, 114,122-23,144,156,200 description and training, 29-30 difficult terrain and training, 201 field care, 142, 178, 199,211 Japanese invasion, 36-37, 40 last ride and fate, 225-28 reunion memorial, 234 Moore, George E, 22 Morioka, Susumu, 182-83 Morong Battle of Bataan at, 203, 204-5, 206, 211,213-20 horse rescue at, 220-23 Morron, Louis, 8 mottos, 4 Mount Natib, 212 Munoz, 165, 168

Naga (flagship), 47-48 nationalism, 16 Negritos, 45 Nelson, Frank, 118, 119-20, 125, 135, 172

New Year's Eve, 177 Nichols Field, 3,17,37,40 91st Combat Team (PS), 99, 102, 104 91st Infantry Division (PS), 72, 104, 129-30, 141, 152-53, 156 92nd Combat Team (PS), 149, 151, 152, 153, 159 Obata, Hideyoshi, 24 O'Day, Ray M., 131, 196 Olongapo, 207 Olson, John, 5 101st Infantry Division (PA), 22 194th Tank Battalion (U.S.), 131, 158-59 192nd Tank Battalion, Company C (U.S.), 75, 131, 142, 153, 159 OryokuMaru (ship), 231, 232 Parazo, Menandro B., 20-21, 28, 226,233 Parker, George M., Jr., 22, 133, 197,209 Pearl Harbor attack, 2, 33, 40 Philippine Army (PA). (See also specific regiments and divisions) creation of, 8-9 equipment, 21 reserve divisions, 21-22 troop statistics, 21 Philippine Insurrection, 4 Philippines defense strategies, 6, 7-8 Japan invasion plan, 23, 24-25 political status, 7 as primary Japanese target, 6 war of independence, 4 Philippine Scours (PS). (See also specific regiments and divisions) commander of (see Wainwright, Jonathan M.) during Filipino-American War, 17 history, 4-5

Index

285

organization, 9 reunions, 234 troop descriptions, 13-14 Philippine Scouts Heritage Society, 234 Philippines National Defense Act, 8 Pierce, Clinton A. background,25-26 combat movements as cavalry commander, 42, 4H5, 50, 52, 54,55,59-60,61,62,63,65-66, 66,70,71-73,94,99-100,100, 101, 102, 104-5, 109-10, 11315,116,118-19,120,122,124, 125,130,141-42,149,150,153, 154,155,156,157,158,160, 165,169,172,175,176,182, 186,187,188,189,190,191, 192,194,197,198,199,206, 211,213-14,219-20,224 field promotion, 224 honors, 231 Morong horse rescue, 221 motorcycles, 49 as prisoner of war, 231 Selleck abandonment, 130, 135-36 trooper competence and training by, 189-99 as 26th Cavalry commander, 25, 26-27 war declaration and Japanese invasion, 2-3, 34, 37 Pierce, Margaret "Peg" death and memorial, 231 flag burning, 184, 231 internment, 183-85, 188,231 invasion preparation, 164, 165-66, 175, 179, 181, 183-84 Manila evacuation, 136-37, 140-41 Pearl Harbor and Japanese invasion, 2 Pierce, Shirley Joan, 2, 231

286

Index

poems, 154 Porac, 172, 173, 176, 177, 178, 183, 188 Pozorrubio, 55, 58, 94, 98-99, 100,102-4 Praeger, Ralph, 90, 171-72 prisoners American,83,144,231-32 Filipino, 83, 231 German, 45 Japanese, 45, 218-19 Pugh, Johnny, 87-88 Quartermaster Corps, 224, 227 Quezon, Manuel, 136 railroad, 134-35 Ramsey, Edwin P. arrival in Philippines, 14-15 background, 12-13 Blanning bar fight, 51 cavalry training, 30-31 combat movements with Troop G, 35, 160, 161-62, 168, 169-70, 178-79,183,187,200,201-2, 204,211-12,213-19 Hardwick's death and horse rescue, 223 honors, 228 horse of, 169, 178-79, 187,200, 211,214,220,223,225 horses' conditions, 210-11 injury and hospitalization, 223, 228 rations, 207 reunion, 234 surrender refusal and guerilla warfare, 233 Reed, Emil P., 168 Rodman, John H., 159 Romulo, Carlos, 141 Roosevelt, Franklin D., 8, 9, 140, 186, 207,229,233 Rosales, 50, 52-54, 159

Rosario, 54, 59-61, 62-65, 74, 75-76, 77-84,84-86 Salcedo, Juan de, 17 San Fernando, 173-74 San Isidro, 166, 169 San Jose, 177, 178 Santo Tomas, 53 Santo Tomas University, 185, 188 Sayre, Francis B., 136 2nd Squadron (26th Cavalry), 48-49, 73, 127, 142, 152-53, 155 Segundo, Fidel, 207, 213 Selleck, Clyde A., 61, 74, 75, 91, 93, 98,99, 101, 102, 104-5, 114, 130, 135-36 71st Engineers (PA), 98 7lst Field Artillery (PA), 74, 98,102 7lst Infantry Division (PA), 58-59, 72, 74,75,87,91-92,93,94,96,98, 101, 109, 114, 118, 129, 149 Seymour, Clinton, 124, 142 Sharp, William E, 22 Silen, Bert, 141 Sison, 93-94, 98-100, 101-3 Skerry, Harry, 126, 190, 194-95, 196 smoking prohibitions, 44 soda bottle bombs, 110, 120, 121, 192 songs, vii, 208 Soria, Juan, III Spanish-American War, 4, 17 Spies, George]., 143, 145, 152, 153 Stevens, Luther, 129-30, 141, 149, 156 Stimson, Henry L., 186 Sunga, Lorenzo L., 29 Supnet, Federico c., III Sutherland, Richard K., 2, 33, 40-41 Tagalog, 8, 31 Takahaski, lbo, 24 Taos, 16 Tarlac, 160

Tayug, 124-27, 129-32, 141-42, 145, 149, 155-56 Tesalla, Ernesto, 176 13th Infantry Regiment (PA), 143, 144 31st Infantry Division (U.S.), 197-99 Thorp, Claude A., 16,221-22 Tojo, Hideki, 6, 23, 24, 185-86 Trapnell, Thomas J. H. combat movements as squadron commander, 48-49, 66, 77, 8182,84, 118, 121, 127, 146-48, 151,152,175,176,183,189, 192-94,196,197-98,230 death,232 honors, 232 as prisoner of war, 231, 232 treaties, 7 trenches, 44, 45 Truman, Harry 5., 233 Tsuchibashi, Yuichi, 132, 144, 158, 180-81 Tsukarahara, Nishizo, 24 12th Infantry Division (PA), 58 21 st Field Artillery (PA) , 131 21st Infantry Division (PA), 131, 143, 158,174,177,182,183-84,18687,190,191,192,194,195,196 22nd Infantry Division (PA), 131 26th Cavalry (PS), overview. (See also related topics) American officers and Filipino Scouts combat relationships, 130-31 Chandler's description of, 234 chief role of, 27 code names, 126 commander of (see Pierce, Clinton A.) deactivation and disbandment, 233 discipline, 67, 74 dress requirements, 15-16 horse care and training, 27-30 horse color and troop distinctions, 29

Index 287

language issues, 31 living arrangements, 15 local population perception of, 16 mottos, 4 origins, 4 recruitment and demographics, 31-32 reputation, 13 traditional songs of, vii training, 15,27-28,30-31 26th Cavalry (PS), troop movements Troop A, 37, 38, 42, 43, 44, 66, 68,69,71,73,76,80,109, 113,123,142-43,150-51, 155,156,159,182 Troop B, 37, 66, 68, 69, 71, 109, 110, Ill, 113, 123-24, 142, 150, 151,155,156,159,176 Troop C, 62,65, 171-72 Troop E, 50-51, 62, 66, 68, 69, 73, 77-80,97,98,104,109,110-13, 116, 121, 122, 142, 144-48, 153,156,159,167,176,182, 188,189,192,193,196,211-12, 213-20,226 Troop F, 37, 62, 63-64, 85-86, 109,114-15,118,121,124, 182,188,189,193,196, 211-12,213-20,226 TroopG,62,65, 160-62, 169, 176, 182,188,189,192,197,206, 210,211,213 23rd Field Artillery (PS), 65, 199, 200 Umingan, 156 Urdaneta, 140, 143 U.S. Air Force, Far East, 21 U.S. Army Forces, Far East (USAFFE), 9. (See also specific regiments) U.S. Army Regulars, 9 U.S. Asiatic Fleet, 47 Valenton, Santiago, 99

288

Index

Vance, Jack, 137 Vance, Lee c., 38, 76-77, 81, 89,124, 197-98 Vanderlester, Lieutenant, 121-22, 125 Vanture, George, 129 Vigan, 50, 54 Visayan-Mindanao Force, 22 Wainwright, Jonathan M. death,233 defense strategies as commander, 22, 35,37-38,41,42,48,49,50,51, 54,58-59,61,65-66,72,87-89, 94-95,97,102-3,103-4,105, 117-18,118-19,120,121,12526,132-34,140,143,149,157, 164,165,173-74,177,183,186, 189, 190, 192-93, 194, 196, 197, 207,212-13,213,219,224 headquarters, 53 honors, 232 Japanese invasion, 3 Japanese surrender witness, 232 MacArthur command from Australia, 229-30 MacArthur on Bataan defense, 210 MacArthur tour of Bataan with, 208 memoirs, 232 Pierce on -Selleck abandonment, 135-36 Pierce's success, 189-90 as prisoner of war, 231, 232 retirement, 233 War Plan Orange-3. See WPO-3 Washington Naval Treaty, 7 Weaver, James, 75, 77 Wheeler, John Z. combat movements as Troop E commander, 51, 69, 77-78, 81-82,84, 104, 109, 112, 116, 123, 142, 144-47, 152, 183,188,192,193-94,212, 213-19,230

on mount patrol, xiii Ramsey and horse slaughter, 228 Whitehead, Arthur K. arrival in Philippines, 13-14, 15 background, 11-12 Battle of Bataan, 232 combat movements with Troop A, 34-35,38,39,66,71,74,76 Corregidor Island description, 7 horse injuries and euthanasia, 46 horse of, 28, 80, 226 Japanese invasion, 3-4 on Pierce's training style, 27 separation from unit, 80, 83-85, 87, 92, 100-101, 127-29, 149-50, 162-64,168,171,175-76,226 soldier deaths, 46 surrender, 232

trapped horse incident, 64-65 troop movements, 43 warnings about locals, 16 Wickford, Theodore, 159 WPO-3 (War Plan Orange-3) logistical challenges, 132-35 MacArthur and, 9 overview, 7-8 strategies and implementation, 94, 96,119-20,124,182 Wainwright preparation, 132 Wrinkle, Paul H., 85-86 Yamashita, Tomoyuki, 166 Yanagi, Isamu, 73, 85, 86 Zambales Mountains, 182, 188, 189

Index

289

,ABOUT THE AUTHOR The news and features editor of the Boston Irish Reporter, Peter F. Stevens is the award-winning author of The Voyage of the Catalpa: A Perilous Journey and Six Irish Rebels' Escape to Freedom. A veteran journalist, freelance writer, and historian, Stevens is a frequent contributor to a wide array of magazines specializing in overlooked history. A shoft sampling comprises such publications as American Heritage, American History, Early American Life, Yankee, America's Civil \.%r, Military History, British Heritage, The World of

Hibernia, Irish America, True west, Honolulu, Texas Highways, The Iowan, Pittsburgh, Hudson Valley, Maryland, Down East, Vermont Life, Virginia Cavalcade, Charleston, Jacksonville, and Golf.

Additionally, the New York Times has syndicated Stevens's articles to newspapers nationwide, and he has contributed to dozens of major newspapers, both national and international. He is a two-time winner of the International Regional Magazine Association's Gold Medal for Feature Writing.

He lives in Boston, Massachusetts.

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The twilight riders : the last charge of the 26th Cavalry I - - - - - Peter F. Stevens.

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