Today in Philippine History (Philatelic Edition):
FEBRUARY 23, 1945
The Los Baños Raid was carried out by the United States 167 Amphibian Tank Battallion, the 187 Airborne Regiment, the 11th Airborne Division, and Filipino guerrilla units.
Lt. Col. Gustavo Ingles of the Hunters ROTC Guerrillas was the coordinator of the different guerrilla units involved in the operation.
These were the Hunters ROTC Guerrillas, Hukbalahap Guerrillas, Markings Guerrillas, Fil-Am Guerrillas, President Quezon’s Own Guerrillas, Chinese 48 Squadron, and non-regular troops.
Members of Company B jumped into Los Baños while the elite U.S. Recon Platoon, with Lt. Col. Honorio Guerrero, led the ground assault together with the Hunters.
2,147 foreign civilian internees at the camp were liberated and 250 Japanese troops were killed.
The internees were maltreated by the Japanese warrant officer Sadaaki Konishi and were ready to be massacred by the Japanese Imperial Army.
The Philippine Guerrilla Units were organized by appointed commanders and were tasked to carry on the resistance movement against the Japanese, and paved the way for the return of the allied forces.
These guerrilla organizations were recognized by the United States armed forces and played a major part in the liberation of the the Philippines from 1944 to 1945.
The Hunters ROTC Guerrillas was organized in January 1942 by Philippine Military Academy cadets.
Col. Miguel “Mike” Z. Ver was one of the founders and the first commander of the guerrilla unit.
After being killed in action, Col. Eleuterio “Terry” Adevoso succeeded him.
The Unit operated in Rizal, Cavite, Batangas, Tayabas, Pangasinan and Manila and was responsible for various sabotage, raids, and killings of Japanese troops.
The United States recognized the Hunters Rotc Guerrilla unit on May 7, 1942 with a strength of 100,000 regulars and 200,000 home guards.
(Design, concept, stamps and research: Richard Allan B. Uy) All rights reserved
Photo credit: Carl Mydans - LIFE Collections
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