"FATE OF THE CORREGIDOR FLAG"
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Charles R. Rambo 

FROM OUR  E-MAILS DEPT.

Subject: Fate of US flag raised on Corregidor

Hello!

Recently I have come into contact with a militaria dealer and collector who may have the flag (or one of the flags) that was flown from the flagpole during the ceremony when MacArthur returned in February 1945.

This flag was acquired sometime around 1987-88 to the following account: The collector visited a garage sale in the vicinity of El Cajon, CA and asked the older woman present if there were any military items.

The woman said she had a flag sent home by her late husband in 1945 accompanied by a letter stating that this was the flag flown during MacArthur's ceremony on Corregidor. She could no longer find the letter but gave the information that she could recall. The husbands name was 2nd Lt. Melville Croucher, 2nd Battalion 151st Infantry. The old lady was moving to Nevada and thus the garage sale. She gave the collector the phone number of her son in case more information was needed because her husband used to tell the son about his experiences. Subsequent attempts to contact the son resulted in the son expressing anger that the flag was sold by his mother and he refused to provide any further information. My own research indicates that the 2nd Bn. 151st was sent to relieve the 503 or the 34th Inf. on February 24th before the ceremony. The 2nd 151 subsequently garrisoned the Rock and assaulted Caballo island in march. Obviously the historical importance of this flag ( if it is the one) cannot be overstated! If anyone can remember what may have occurred to the flag that was raised on the day of the ceremony or indeed remembers the 151st. or a certain Lt. Melville Croucher, lease let all of us know so that we may be able to find out more evidence to determine if this may indeed be the flag. Please pass this on to other who may be able to shed some light on this!

Many Thanks,

Conrad Buehler

Conrad,

I was really shocked when I read your e-mail "Fate of Us Flag raised on Corregidor."

As the 503rd Regimental Headquarters Commandant and RCT Communications Officer reporting directly to Colonel Jones, I was appointed by him to be in charge of the Flag Raising. As such I gave the commands prior to General MacArthur's command to raise the flag. This flag was carried by T/5 Frank Guy Arrigo when he jumped in,  accompanied by Pfc Clyde I. Bates. The flag can be identified by the sniper fire the first day.

As the Color Guard and I were assembling, an Army Major approached me, handed me a flag and told that this was the flag that would be raised, not ours. I assured him that our flag and not his would be raised, he told me that his flag was to be presented to General MacArthur, and then we would take down his flag and we could raise ours. 

I protested to Col. Jones who didn't know anything about this but said if the flag was for General MacArthur I should raise it. We raised that flag and the ceremony was over and the troops dispersed.  Later I found out that it was not for the General but was the personal flag belonging to the Major. 

After we left Corregidor our own flag remained behind and that is the last we saw or heard anything about it. As far as any other flags (claiming to be the flag that was raised on Corregidor) I have no knowledge of this. I tried for many years to obtain information on the the whereabouts of our flag,  to no luck. Many years ago at one of our reunions I was told by one of our 503rd members that he had seen our original flag flying over the fireplace of one of the members of the original 503rd. I was unsuccessful in tracking that and have long since forgotten the name of the person who allegedly had it. The name Melvin Croucher does not ring a bell with me.

I am still angry about this.

Charles R. Rambo
Original member of the 503d

Paul,

I believe you were asking about the flag raised by Frank Arrigo and Clyde Bates about 1430 hours 16 February, 1945. This is the one I have some knowledge of.

The official raising was 2 March, and you know all about that one. Look in Templeman's "Return To Corregidor" at the picture of the jeep #1  where Gen. MacArthur sits in the right front seat, MG Marquat sits in the left back seat, and George Jones sits in the left back seat. To the right is a tall officer wearing a steel pot with the chin strap fastened. This is 1st Lt Charlie Horton.

I just got off the telephone with Bill MacDonald and renewed my memory of the events. Charlie Horton was exec. officer of  Battery C, 462nd PFA. He was given orders to take the take a detail and take down the 1st flag,  2 March.  He did, but was not told what to do with it. It evidently was forgotten, and Charlie still had the flag when he went home. Some years later he asked Jones about what he should do with it. Jones advised him to give it to the Infantry School Museum. He had taken the flag to chapter reunions, and everyone was familiar with it.

So Charlie presented the flag to the museum. It was rolled up and stuck in the corner of a display case. Several of our chapter members were disturbed by the lack of proper display and care. Redhorse Phillips was really upset, advising everyone to not give anything to the museum. The results was that the Pacific War Museum (Nimitz) got  some artifacts that otherwise would have gone somewhere else.

Bill Calhoun