On this morning I had been on active duty with the military one year to the day, This was the morning of the surrender of Corregidor although I did not know this yet. That morning I did not expect to see home and loved ones again. I was alone on the parapet of Ramsey making my own peace with myself and my maker and saying goodbye to loved ones at home. Later that day I did not believe there would be time for this reflection.

Immediately below, scattered through the low brush, lay the AA guns with crews sleeping on the gun platforms, fully clothed, blankets wrapped loosely around them to keep out the tropical dampness of night. At each position a soldier kept lonely watch. At the Battery Commander's station the Lieutenant was on duty, as were two men at the controls of the M-4 Director.

The still tropical morning was broken by intermittent bursts of light cannon from the Bataan shoreline. Occasional flares of light silhouetted the towering rubber trees overhead. At the extremity of Monkey Point, sporadic rattling of machine gun and rifle fire brought back grim reality that the Japanese were on Corregidor, coming in droves from hundreds of small landing barges echeloned back into dark Manila Bay. They had built up their landing force at Cabe Cabe (Cabcaben), 5 miles away in Bataan.

It had been five months of siege on the "Rock." Bataan had fallen a month ago. Food supplies were short and ammunition low. At 4000 yards point blank range on the Bataan shoreline, Japanese had located hundreds of field cannon. Corregidor for days had been subjected to withering artillery barrage and heavy bombing. Now, there was little doubt that the enemy had sufficient men and equipment to overwhelm the smaller, underfed, worn out defenders.

I was thinking of home, seven thousand miles away. Of a wife, of a son or daughter who was probably two months old now, of a red haired girl of six and a blond son of seven. A cablegram five months before was the last communication, when Manila fell. It was goodbye to family, friends and to the wonderful life and associations in the United States. It was goodbye to what we were out here defending. There was no thought of surrender. Indications were that Corregidor would be a second Alamo. The relief so long awaited was not possible. Yet every day the "Rock" was held meant diversion of enemy effort away from the drive against Australia. It was imperative that Allied forces beat the Japanese to the Indies and Australia.

The enemy were now on Corregidor. Tomorrow would probably see them advance up toward Malinta Hill, Bottomside, and finally upward to Topside and complete domination of the stronghold. This AA battery was to function combating aircraft so long as possible. The barricades around the gunpits had been removed to allow firing at landing barges, should that be possible. In case of complete destruction of AA equipment, the battery would go down to the beaches in support of the Marines. The island might go down, but victory would not come cheaply. They would gain the "Rock" after annihilation of all Americans on it.

It had been a test of endurance of fighting troops, on limited rations, on 24 hour alert, and with no maneuverability to lessen the strain. Each position had been maintained in place since the start.

We had been bombed constantly and shelled by artillery for a month since Bataan fell. The last four days they had fired approximately 127,000 rounds of artillery ammunition at Corregidor. Corregidor is three and one half square miles-in area. There were between 8,000 and 10,000 bombs and 300,000 rounds of artillery shells fired on it by the Japanese during the six months siege. There were 15,000 people on the "Rock." There is not now a building or tree left standing intact. Every one was in a tunnel except the AA artillery and the Marines on beach defense. It had been a horrible hell. Our gun position had been bombed, dive bombed and shelled for days. Our kitchen was completely destroyed and our food stores destroyed by artillery fire. We had no protection except foxholes in the ground and our chance at dodging flying objects. We were eating mule meat, carabao, and red Saigon rice in small quantities. There were seven bomb craters within our battery position, All camouflage were removed. Artillery barrage from Bataan had laid the position bare of any protective cover. I had lost three men killed in action - one of them we amputated both legs in a gunpit, while the enemy was shelling the position. He died from shock and loss of blood in the hospital. A shell burst and shrapnel shattered both legs. The same shell amputated four toes from another man. A second man was killed when a 500 pound chunk of concrete flying downhill from the explosion of Battery Geary lit on top of him. A third man was in a machine gun pit firing at a dive bomber, when the dive bomber put his bomb right in the pit with the machine gunner and blew him to eternity. Our battery has been out of action on and off for days from shells destroying communication and power transmission lines. The battery was out of action three times during the morning due to cable destruction by artillery shells. Because of this and the high altitude of the planes, about 25 rounds of ammunition was all that were fired the last day by Battery Hartford. I had issued one day's issue of "C" rations and planned to use these until other arrangements for a field kitchen were made.

Our orders at present were to go down fighting. We would fire at planes as long as possible, then fire at landing barges. If we were out of action as artillery, we would go down to the beach defense as infantrymen, reporting to the Major of the U.S. Marine Corps. Plans for our participation in the beach defense of the south shore line, Ramsey Ravine and Governor's Ravine areas had been discussed beforehand with the Marine Corps.

I had inquired of the 1st Sergeant: "Sergeant, how do you think the men will conduct themselves as infantrymen..if we go to the beach defense with the Marines?" His answer was immediate,"Captain these men will follow you any where, anytime." Well this could have been both a compliment and a directive as to where my place should be, or either of them. Knowing the Sergeant, I beleive that it was a compliment, but I was always conscious of the fact that I must be the leader. I expected at this time to die for my country on Corregidor. It had truly been a hell there. Five months of fighting and no chance to rest, relax or go anywhere. Rations had been reduced, we had been on two meals a day for months. Rice formed a greater part of our diet. A Lieutenant was wounded the night before and was in the hospital.

"Faye, here is a time when a man realizes his poor power and looks to his God. I have prayed before for the men in my battery. They are all young kids - two of them lied about their age to get into the army. They were brave fighting men. They would do anything for me. I have always treated them fair, and all alike, and during the long days of the war have been like a brother to some and a father to others, depending upon their age and temperament. We generally had a meeting of anyone interested every evening, if things were quiet, where we talked of most anything -home, occupations, friends or religion. There were two Mormon boys from Utah in my battery. I ate the same food the men did, when I could have had better. I never shirked my duty, in fact spent more time on duty than any man in the battery. I was always at my post to command and direct whatever arose. The men, every one had a regard and respect for me that only a few officers are privileged to enjoy.

We were bombed and shelled all day yesterday. The Japanese made a landing last night at Monkey Point. 4,000 of them were killed in the landing, but, Faye there were so many and we so few and we are so tired, hungry and miserable and worn out that the landing could not be stopped. More landings are imminent.

It is wonderful to have folks at home to remember, to love, and to have faith in. This helped keep up a man's fighting spirit and the determination to go on at all costs".

At 11:20 AM orders were received from Battalion Headquarters to destroy all equipment, that the fortified islands were being surrendered at 12 o'clock noon and to wait further instructions at the battery position. All speed was made to attempt to destroy everything possible. The M-4 Director and guns were destroyed with dynamite. The Height Finder was destroyed with axes, along with the small arms and small arms ammunition. Battery records, property and fund books were destroyed. The three inch AA high explosive ammunition was not destroyed as there was no time to do it with axes, and we had about 1000 rounds on hand and it could not be blown without also blowing the magazines of Battery Ramsey. To explode Battery Ramsey would have created an explosion too great and of too much danger to personnel in the vicinity to be feasible. The enemy continued to shell and bomb Corregidor beyond the surrender time. One seaplane constantly dive bombed our position. There was not sufficient protection against such action for the unarmed men of the battery. We had received no orders since the Battalion Switchboard quit operation.

We were out of action. We were being shelled and dive bombed. Bombers came and some of us went into the Quartermaster tunnel for a few minutes. A bomb landed within 15 feet of the tunnel mouth. I thought that we were buried forever. When I finally did get out my Garrand Rifle, leaning against the tunnel mouth was inoperative, having a small bomb fragment penetrating the gas chamber. I was mightily glad to see daylight again and to have no one hurt.

We waited and received no further orders. Our battery position was completely destroyed, the kitchen blown to pieces, shacks and tents all destroyed. The men had been sleeping for days on the ground on and around their foxholes. Our chow at last was largely rice and salmon gravy, and morning cooked cereal without cream or sugar. Sometimes mush from bran and shorts hijacked from the mules at the stables, was cooked. Now finally, we had no chow at all, except for the "C" rations. My bunk was destroyed three times during the war, and at last I was sleeping on a bale of straw, hijacked from the mule corral. The Japanese kept bombing our position and we had no protection or arms to fight with.

About 3 PM I ordered small groups of the men to seek cover in the nearby surrounding small tunnels that offered any protection. A runner was sent to Middleside Engineers Tunnel to find if room remained for battery personnel there. The runner came back and stated that there was no room available. At 5 PM I ordered the battery to go to Middleside tunnel for protection. After all of the men had left, the 1st Sergeant and the two Lieutenants and I started for Middleside tunnel. We had to run for it. Three flights of heavy bombers came over and unloaded their bombs. One line of bombs trailed us and went on up over the ridge in which the Middleside Tunnel was built. We finally got inside the tunnel.

 

THE SURRENDER

 

This was the first real relaxation and rest that I had had since the war began. This was an unusual experience. We knew the Japanese would eventually be up to take us prisoners. We had been without sleep for three nights. We knew bombs would not bother us in the tunnel. We ate a can of "C" rations, found a free, dry spot and went to sleep. I had been on active duty one year to the day and was now to become a prisoner of the Japanese. But, it was wonderful to know that we were safe from the bombs and could lie down and sleep. They told us that we would be picked up by the Japanese in the morning. I did not know what was ahead as prisoners of war, but knew that we were still living and that was very gratifying to me.

The boys went from the tunnel back to the battery last night during shell fire and bombing and picked up our canned "C" rations and my field bag and brought them to the tunnel. We now had some chow and a few clothes to take with us, if the Japanese would let us keep them.

At 5:30 next morning, we had a breakfast of our own of cereal, fruit and coffee. We saw our first Japanese when they came at 6:30 that morning. We marched out of the tunnel entrance into the hands of the Japanese. Five months of war and I was now seeing my first Japanese. The ones we had been fighting had been 3 to 5 miles in the air. When we got to the tunnel mouth, there were two machine guns trained down the entrance to the tunnel. We were taken outside the Middleside Tunnel, columned, counted, re-columned, recounted endlessly. One of their favorite tricks was to inquire for the time, and if a captive showed a watch, they appropriated it. It appeared that the Japanese were unprepared to accept captives of war and it took some time to get any kind of organization. We ate what canned rations we had, and which we could hide from the Japanese. Around noon they took us up to the old Middleside Barracks. In late afternoon we were taken down in droves to the old seaplane hangar at the location of the 92 CA.

The Philippine Army troops were given space along the shoreline of the bay. The Americans were given space away from the bay shore. We had been driven like cattle, and along the road down past Middleside to Bottomside, across Malinta Hill and on to Monkey Point. We saw the many American and Philippine dead from resistance to the land invasion. The land was bare and bodies were lying in the open sun. There had been no permission or opportunity yet for burial details. Many of the bodies were bloated to the extent that one could not see the chin strap of the helmet, buried in the flesh of the cheeks and neck. On the beach area we were compressed like sardines, some 8,000 to 10,000 captives in the seaplane Hangar apron and in the adjacent open area. This area was about 3 to 4 acres. Each 100 men had an area roughly 25 by 40 feet in which to live, eat,cook and sleep, each group with an officer honcho. Rations were issued canned and dry, but most rations were what the men had hijacked on the trip down the "Rock", on work details or which they had brought with them in their packs. I remember one of the items that I latched on to on the march down the "Rock" was a five gallon tin of black tea. This later became very useful to all of us.

Malinta and Queens Tunnels

Inland on the bay, and adjacent to Bottomside was Malinta Hill. Inside the hill, two massive tunnel systems had been made years ago for protection from the air and bombardment from the sea. The hill was defiladed from the sea front by the main mass of Corregidor. Malinta tunnel was for the Army. It was large, with several side laterals. It extended clear through the hill, and was built for ammunition storage and supplies and hospital. Queens tunnel was similar, but smaller than Malinta, built for the Navy. It housed supplies at this time principally for the submarine fleet. During the war on Corregidor, administration of the Army, President Quezon of the Philippine Commonwealth , his family and staff, and a hospital occupied Malinta tunnel.

I remember having, to go down there on battery clerical work. (Our Regimental Command was in there). There was about a 2 inch thick carpet of cigarette butts in front of the tunnel mouth (there was no smoking in the tunnel). The people would come to the mouth of the tunnel to smoke a cigarette, hear a rattle in the brush, fling away the cigarette and dive for the tunnel mouth. Tunnel folks got quite jittery during the bombing and shelling. I was told of a "brush bedroom" on top of the hill where officers and nurses had clandestine meetings. It reminded me of the old story about the old salty peacetime Cavalry officer who was said to have been decorated for bravery in action. He had one horse and two nurses shot out from under him during a war.

Dry rice was issued and cooking was done on tiny fires built within the living area of each 100 men. Scrap wood had to be scavenged locally. There were no proper cooking utensils or eating dishes and lack of fuel caused improper cooking and sterilization of eating utensils. Much canned goods was eaten from the can. Consequently diarrhea, ptomaine poisoning and dysentery broke out. A cramped place in one part of the area became a sick bay where no real medical treatment was possible, but bandages and disinfectants could be applied. After some time acute cases were allowed to be taken up to the Malinta tunnel Hospital, which was still operating under Japanese control. We never could keep up with the sanitation in that place. We could get no information on where we would be taken from here or how long we would have to live under such present conditions.

At the time of this captivity, I had 230 pesos on me which the Japanese never found. I kept my watch, by hanging it on my dog tag chain around my neck. Any cause whatsoever occasioned blows with fist or club, and kicking with the feet by these captors. All day Japanese fighter planes flew low overhead, watching for any sign of resistance, to give them reason to strafe or bomb. They seemed just like vultures.

While in this concentration camp on Corregidor, I was in charge of a detail of 50 men. We were salvaging materials for the Japanese. I had to go back to my own battery position and remove our gunnery equipment for shipment to Japan. The Japanese were loading all ready mobile equipment on boats for Japan. It was a tremendous job getting those mobile three inch AA guns back in traveling positions, after the job of demolition that we did on them at the surrender. The outriggers were buried under earthen walls, the guns had been dynamited on the trunions and nothing fit to place them back on the traveling bogies. We finally got them fit sufficient to move to the dock area, minus some outriggers and with some gun muzzles pointing any angle but forward, with the direction of movement.

During this detail I had opportunity to search for personal belongings left at Battery Ramsey at the surrender. Two foot lockers and a steamer trunk full of Chinese silks and linens, some Philippine piña cloth, personal clothes were all destroyed and wasted by the marauding Japanese. I found a picture of my family and the combined church books of my faith. These and the clothes on my back were the salvage I made at the surrender of Corregidor. During the work detail additional clothing, a few canned goods, blankets, a shelter half, and shoes were found and saved against^'the day when we would be moved out to we knew not where. It was in this camp that we first began to live simply, if at all. Lack of laundry facilities required wearing as brief clothing as possible. When it rained, we got wet and dried out the next day. When it rained it was welcome for a clean water shower, and a swabbing down of the living area. On one of the work details, a Lieutenant got severely beaten by the guards for making a fire at noon for warming some coffee for lunch.