United States Army 34th Infantry Regiment 1940 – 1945 A journal account of the 34th Infantry Regiment With an emphasis on the 1st Battalion and ‘B’ Company Volume I
United States Army 34th Infantry Regiment 1940 – 1945 A journal account of the 34th Infantry Regiment With an emphasis on the 1st Battalion and ‘B’ Company Volume I Jonathan J. Ott Published by Regimental Journal Books Printed and distributed by IngramSpark 246 Heil Quaker Boulevard La Vergne, Tennessee, 37086 IngramSpark.com
Copyright © 2022 by Jonathan J. Ott Published by Regimental Journal Books Printed and distributed by IngramSpark 246 Heil Quaker Boulevard La Vergne, Tennessee, 37086 First Edition – December 2022 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. Inquiries should be directed to: [email protected]. The opinions expressed in Volumes I and II are those of the author, and do not reflect those of the War Department (pre-1948), Department of the Army (post-1947) or the Department of Defense (post-1948). The United States Army “official” history of World War II is contained in the United States Army in World War II Series (commonly referred to as the “Green Books”). The material for Volumes I and II is taken from official documents but should not be construed as an “official” history of the 34th Infantry Regiment. ISBN 979-8-9873626-0-0 (hardback) ISBN 979-8-9873626-1-7 (PDF ebook) Library of Congress Control Number: 2022922638 Printed in the United States of America
F R O N T C O V E R A R T Insignia of the United States Army Infantry Since 1924, the insignia of the United States Army Infantry are crossed 1795 Springfield muskets. The 1795 Springfield musket was the first official United States shoulder arm, made in a government arsenal, caliber .69, flint lock, smooth bore, muzzle loader. Since 1918, the Infantry’s motto is Follow Me. Coat of Arms of the 34th Infantry Regiment The 34th Infantry Regiment was originally organized in 1916 at El Paso, Texas, by transfer of personnel from the 7th, 20th, and 23rd Infantry Regiments. These units are symbolized in the canton in the upper left corner: the masoned wall is from the arms of the 7th Infantry Regiment and the white cross pattée is from the arms of the 20th and 23rd Infantry Regiments. The blue background with gold cross crosslets reflects World War I service. The 34th Infantry Regiment served in that part of the province of Lorraine which was anciently the Barony of Commercy. The arms of those Barons were blue, scattered with gold cross crosslets. The coat of arms was originally approved on June 20th, 1921. It was superseded on July 31st, 1922. The regiment’s motto is in French: Toujours en Avant, translated to English: Always Forward. Army training, staging, and operation geographic locations for the 34th Infantry Regiment South Carolina, United States – Training Oahu, Territory of Hawaii – Training and defense against a possible Japanese invasion force Queensland, Australia – Training Goodenough Island, Papua New Guinea – Staging area for the Reckless Operation Dutch New Guinea – Reckless Operation, then later defense and R&R, and staging for the Leyte Operation Biak Island, New Guinea – Biak Island Operation Leyte Island, Philippines – Leyte Island Operation, then later R&R Luzon Island, Philippines – Luzon Island Operation Corregidor Island, Philippines – Corregidor Island Operation Mindoro Island, Philippines – R&R and Calapan Operation Mindanao Island, Philippines – Mindanao Island Operation, then later R&R B A C K C O V E R A R T Coat of Arms of the 34th Infantry Regiment Larger version of the Coat of Arms on the front cover. 34 Dragon All units of an Army Division were given a call sign (code name). For units attached to a Division, their call sign would be a word that starts with the first letter of the call sign of the Division. The 24th Infantry Division’s call sign was Danger. Being organically attached to the 24th Infantry Division, the 34th Infantry Regiment’s call sign had to begin with a word that started with the letter ‘D’. The 34th Infantry Regiment’s call sign was Dragon. Because of the outstanding performance of 34th Infantry Regiment to liberate Leyte Island and in particular the Battle of Kilay Ridge, which the 1st Battalion received the Presidential Unit Citation for valor, the regiment became known as the Leyte Dragons. The book cover artwork and design by Jacqueline Ott. Jacqueline drew by hand the Coat of Arms with colored pencils on 9.25" by 10.5" Stonehenge paper. In addition, the Coat of Arms was also used as a gray scaled image within both volumes. The artwork of the 34 Dragon is from Army’s Operation Mike-VII Report.
D E D I C A T I O N For all those that served with the 34th Infantry Regiment. As of January 1st, 2022, the following twenty-nine men of the regiment were still living. Name Birth Unit Serial# Enlistment Date Residence State at Enlistment Residence Town and State as of January 1st, 2022 MacFarlane, Neil, Jr. 11/21/1924 1BN 37781435 12/12/1944 North Dakota Casselton, North Dakota Roozen, Anthony C. 10/09/1918 1BN 01298973 02/26/1942 Minnesota Bremerton, Washington Harden, Joseph F., Jr. 12/04/1925 A 39427274 11/09/1944 California Hilmar, California Mckenna, William J. 06/26/1925 A 39054058 07/xx/1944 California Albany, California Peck, Loren F. 06/25/1924 A 01327876 xx/xx/xxxx Indiana West Bend, Wisconsin Schlaupitz, Warner H. 04/08/1923 A 33438993 02/27/1943 Pennsylvania Dover, Delaware Williams, Walter C. 08/14/1926 A 35817991 09/22/1944 Kentucky Hobbs, New Mexico Woltman, Ward P. 04/14/1926 A 36844936 07/xx/1944 Wisconsin Juneau, Wisconsin Woody, Homer L. 05/05/1926 A 38635805 09/29/1944 Texas Mesquite, Texas Worthington, Alva W. 11/04/1922 A 44012644 09/21/1944 North Carolina Winterville, North Carolina Hamous, Clemon E. 07/10/1926 B 38526725 11/21/1944 Kansas Sterling, Kansas Roy, Lonnie J. 03/14/1926 B 38631168 07/10/1944 Texas Rowlett, Texas Tibbetts, Norris L., Jr. 08/12/1921 B/C 01327906 09/01/1942 New York Madison, Wisconsin Bayles, Donald M. 12/10/1923 C 32800229 02/10/1943 New York Southold, New York Carrell, Kenneth W. 02/07/1925 C/D 39932849 07/15/1944 Utah Saint George, Utah Ziegler, Robert G. 04/24/1924 C 39345356 07/15/1944 Oregon Hermitage, Tennessee Barbare, Homer E. 03/02/1926 F 34934647 09/21/1944 South Carolina Greer, South Carolina Castellani, Mario D. 07/23/1923 F 39563543 03/02/1943 California Glendale, California Santoscoy, Luis M. 04/12/1925 H 38442175 xx/xx/xxxx Texas Anaheim, California Santoscoy, Manuel L. 04/12/1925 H 38442183 xx/xx/xxxx Texas El Paso, Texas Farr, Richard L. 03/01/1924 3BN 39910830 03/03/1943 Utah Roy, Utah Caywood, J.W. 06/09/1924 I 38589726 09/11/1943 Oklahoma Tulsa, Oklahoma Nast, Philip H. 12/15/1923 I 01327870 05/25/1942 New York Duluth, Minnesota Shebuski, John S. 02/17/1923 L 36803267 xx/xx/xxxx Wisconsin Wausau, Wisconsin Joyner, Harry B. 06/28/1924 AT 38516316 xx/xx/xxxx Arkansas Springdale, Arkansas Kepley, Jack S. 02/15/1924 AT 34776323 06/08/1943 North Carolina Salisbury, North Carolina Fantauzzo, Charles G. 10/17/1924 CN 32938936 07/20/1943 New York Rochester, New York Henderson, Joe P. 04/09/1926 MED 39471103 09/18/1944 Washington Colfax, Washington Hesser, Leon F. 07/27/1925 MED 35842295 06/12/1944 Indiana Rochester, Michigan Note: In keeping with the emphasis on the 1st Battalion, an overall roster of personnel was generated for the entire battalion for the time period January 1st, 1944 through September 2nd, 1945 (total personnel: 1,860). Using that roster, each name was verified. Other units of the regiment were also verified, but not to the extent of the 1st Battalion. But in general, there may have been others that were missed from any units of the 34th Infantry Regiment. The date of January 1st, 2022 was chosen because the book was published in 2022. One of the above personnel passed away on December 27th, 2021, Philip H. Nast. Since this was just four days before January 1st, 2022, the author thought he should be included.
E P I G R A P H “The Fighting 34th” Oh, we’re the fighting 34th, And we want the world to know – The hard, smashing 34th, We’re the tops where’er we go. We’ll win wherever we are sent, On that you sure can bet – If there’s a better regiment, they haven’t made it yet. We don’t care where we may go, ‘Cause we’re sure we can’t be beat. The only thing that we don’t know Is the meaning of Defeat. We’ve got what it takes to win, That’s why it’s great to be The men who just won’t give in – We’re the 34th Infantry. Fight on, 34th, on land or on the sea! Fight on, 34th, right on to Victory! Fight! That’s right! and carry on with all your might! What if the foe gets tough, We will never give up ground. We like to play, and we play rough, Just you watch us mow’em down. We’re sure to win, ‘cause we are right, So push on to Victory! We can’t be beat in any fight, We’re the 34th Infantry. Taken from 24th Infantry Division Association “Taro Leaf” publication, Volume XX, Number 4, 1966 – 1967. The 34th Regimental song: words written by Captain Joseph C. Rosen of Medical Detachment and the music was written by Anthony Lofrano of ‘L’ Company.
F O R E W O R D Most of the Veteran’s I know are proud of their wartime service and are reticent about talking about it. As a retired Colonel of Infantry and former battalion commander of the 2nd Battalion (Mechanized) 34th Infantry (serving from August 1985 to August 1987), I was asked to provide a forward to this body of work that is truly a testament to this great unit and to the men who served under her flag. We may not want talk about experiences in war but the only way to capture our collective experiences is to write about them. Jonathan Ott wrote such a journal account of the 34th Infantry Regiment, with an emphasis on the 1st Battalion and ‘B’ Company. Jonathan often asked his dad about his wartime service but his dad would not talk about it. This journal was an endeavor by Jonathan to really understand what his father did during WWII but ended up as a thoughtful, accurate and exciting account of his father’s unit from organization to combat. The journal portrays the bonding that took place that motivated the soldiers of the 34th Infantry Regiment, the “Leyte Dragons”, to fight and win. To overcome extreme adversity because they didn’t want to let their buddies down, and they didn’t want to lose face in the eyes of their buddies. Such an occasion was the landing at Red Beach, Leyte Island, in the Philippines. Two Medals of Honor were conferred as a result of the beach landing and the Regimental Commander, Colonel Aubrey “Red” Newman, motivated the soldiers of his unit by example: by getting up, moving forward and yelling, “Get up, Get Moving, Get the hell off the beach-and “Follow me”! “Follow me” is the motto of the U.S. Army Infantry. It is the command that Infantry unit leader uses to advance the unit toward the objective. The words “Follow Me” when used in chaotic, challenging and dangerous situations, tells the unit that their leadership is in command and increases their confidence and spirit of victory. That is what happened on Leyte Beach! This journal features narratives, written by company clerks of the 34th Infantry Regiment and also personal memoir narratives of those that served with the 34th Infantry Regiment. It is a record of sacrifice and service. A day by day, minute by minute account of how and why men from the United States became soldiers and were then sent overseas to win a war with the Japanese. And once engaged with the enemy, questions like: “what did he do”, “what did he see”, and “what was it like”, could be answered. This journal represents the allegiance of soldiers to their units and comrades and is important to those who served as a record of their service and sacrifice. Donald R. Lightman Colonel, U.S. Army, Retired December 31st, 2022
Q U O T E Follow Me! Colonel Aubrey S. Newman 34th Infantry Regiment Commanding Officer October 20th, 1944, Red Beach, Leyte Island, Philippines Hearing this, it got his men up and moving off of the beach. Later, this quote became the motto of the U.S. Army Infantry.
C O N T E N T S Cover Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v Dedication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii Epigraph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix Forward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi Quote . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 How To Read This Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Prologue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 C HA P T E R ON E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Field training, Maneuvers, and Inactivation March 1st, 1940 through June 6th, 1940 34th Infantry Regiment moved to Fort Benning, Georgia, for field training April, 6th, 1940 . . . . 23 34th Infantry Regiment leaves Fort Benning, Georgia, to participate in the Louisiana Maneuvers at Camp Beauregard, Louisiana May 4th, 1940 . . . . . 23 34th Infantry Regiment inactivated June 6th, 1940 . . . . . 26 C HA P T E R TWO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Activation at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, Training of Soldiers and Units, Carolina Maneuvers June 18th, 1940 through November 27th, 1941 8th Division ordered to station at Camp Jackson, South Carolina June 18th, 1940 . . . . 27 Japan’s Minister for Foreign Affairs explained the imperial concept of “The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere” and “Asia for the Asians” June 29th, 1940 . . . . 27 34th Infantry Regiment re-activated and attached to the 8th Division July 1st, 1940 . . . . . 28 The first enlisted men were assigned and joined ‘B’ Company of the 34th Infantry Regiment July 20th, 1940 . . . . 28 Camp Jackson, South Carolina, became a permanent training center for the United States Army August 17th, 1940 . . . 29 President Roosevelt Signs the Burke-Wadsworth Conscription Bill September 16th, 1940 . . 30
xvi || 34th Infantry Regiment – Volume I Matthew J. Ott and all other men between the ages of 21 to 35 register for the military draft October 16th, 1940. . . 31 National lottery held to rank those who registered for the Selective Service October 29th, 1940. . . 33 34th Infantry Regiment moved camp to new 8th Division cantonment area on Tank Hill December 18th, 1940 . . 36 Matthew J. Ott inducted into the Army March 5th, 1941 . . . . 39 First selective service men arrived at Fort Jackson, South Carolina March 6th, 1941 . . . . 41 Fort Jackson, South Carolina, hosts Army Day April 6th, 1941 . . . . 44 34th Infantry Regiment traveled to Peyton Range in Leesburg, South Carolina, for rifle marksmanship practice May 25th, 1941 . . . . 45 Major General Douglas MacArthur was appointed Lieutenant General in the Army of the United States July 27th, 1941 . . . . 48 34th Regiment departed Fort Jackson, South Carolina for Winnsboro, South Carolina for the Carolina Maneuvers September 24th, 1941 . 50 34th Regiment relieved from assignment to the 8th Division, and assigned to the Philippine Department Mid-November 1941. . 53 34th Regiment returns to Fort Jackson, South Carolina from Winnsboro, South Carolina earlier than expected November 19th, 1941. . 53 Japanese task force of six aircraft carriers departed Hittokapu Bay on Kasatka Island in the Kurile Islands, enroute to a position northwest of the Territory of Hawaii November 25th, 1941. . 54 C HA P T E R T H R E E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Refitted for duty overseas, initially the Philippines but finally defense of Territory of Hawaii November 28th, 1941 through August 3rd, 1943 34th Regiment departed from Fort Jackson, South Carolina for San Francisco, California November 28th, 1941. . 57 34th Regiment arrives in San Francisco, California December 3rd, 1941 . . 58 Japan attacks Oahu, Territory of Hawaii December 7th, 1941 . . 59 34th Regiment relieved from assignment to the Philippine Department, and assigned to the Hawaiian Department December 9th, 1941 . . 60 34th Regiment departed from San Francisco, California for Honolulu, Oahu, Territory of Hawaii December 16th, 1941 . . 62 Lieutenant General Douglas MacArthur was promoted to General in the Army of the United States December 18th, 1941 . . 62 34th Regiment arrives at Honolulu, Oahu, Territory of Hawaii. December 21st, 1941 . . 62 The Japanese launched a major offensive against Luzon Island, Philippines December 22nd, 1941 . 62
Contents || xvii Japanese aircraft bombed the town of Darwin, Australia February 19th, 1942 . . 66 General Douglas MacArthur and members of his family are evacuated from Corregidor Island, Philippines March 11th, 1942 . . . 69 1st Battalion, 34th Regiment, departs for Waianae Military Reservation, Oahu, Territory of Hawaii, for beach landing training March 16th, 1942 . . . 69 Major General Edward P. King Jr. surrendered to the Japanese on Bataan, Luzon Island, Philippines April 9th, 1942 . . . . 73 Lieutenant General Jonathan M. Wainwright surrendered the Corregidor Island garrison May 6th, 1942 . . . . . 76 Japanese troops start the occupation of Leyte and Samar Islands May 21st, 1942 . . . . 79 All organized resistance against the Japanese invasion forces ceased in the Philippine Islands June 9th, 1942 . . . . . 83 34th Regiment participated in a Hawaiian Department Field Exercise in the City of Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii August 30th, 1942 . . . 93 34th Regiment designated for training of replacements at the Hawaiian Department Replacement Depot and Training Center, Oahu, Territory of Hawaii November 11th, 1942 . . 102 34th Regiment was relieved from duty with the Hawaiian Department Replacement Depot, Oahu, Territory of Hawaii January 26th, 1943 . . . 109 34th Regiment relieved from assignment to the Hawaiian Department Reserve and assigned to the 24th Infantry Division June 12th, 1943 . . . . 117 34th Regiment is preparing to move as part of the 24th Infantry Division July 31st, 1943 . . . . 120 C HA P T E R F OU R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Amphibious and jungle training in Australia August 4th, 1943 through February 9th, 1944 34th Regiment departs from Honolulu, Oahu, Territory of Hawaii for Australia August 5th, 1943 . . . . 123 34th Regiment arrives in Australia August 25th, 1943 . . . 125 34th Regiment’s 1st Battalion arrives at Camp Caves, Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia September 6th, 1943 . . 129 Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt addressed the members of the 24th Infantry Division September 10th, 1943 . . 129 Major General Irving, Commanding General of the 24th Division visits the 34th Infantry Regiment November 1st, 1943 . . 132 Advance detail of the 34th Regiment departs for Toorbul Point, Queensland, Australia, for participation in amphibious training November 12th, 1943 . . 132 34th Regiment arrives back at Camp Caves, Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia December 13th, 1943 . . 135
xviii || 34th Infantry Regiment – Volume I 34th Regiment receives tactical training and course in chemical warfare in Broadmount, Queensland January 8th, 1944 . . . 137 C HA P T E R F I V E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 Preparation and action against Japan as part of Operation Reckless in Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea February 10th, 1944 through June 15th, 1944 34th Regiment is preparing to move as part of the 24th Infantry Division February 10th, 1944 . . 141 34th Regiment’s 1st Battalion departed from Australia for Goodenough Island, Papua New Guinea February 19th, 1944 . . 142 34th Regiment’s 1st Battalion arrives at Goodenough Island, Papua New Guinea February 25th, 1944 . . 142 All units of the 34th Regiment are together on Goodenough Island March 14th, 1944 . . . 144 34th Regiment departed from Goodenough Island, Papua New Guinea for Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea April 17th, 1944 . . . . 147 Operation Reckless operational overview . . . . . . . . . . 148 34th Regiment arrives at Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea April 24th, 1944 . . . . 149 Technician 5th Grade William R. Verburg, Medical Detachment, was the first soldier of the 34th Regiment killed in action by a Japanese combatant April 28th, 1944 . . . . 154 34th Regiment Headquarters Company moved to Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea May 7th, 1944 . . . . 158 Colonel Jenna Commanding Officer of 34th Regiment decrees today a holiday May 14th, 1944 . . . . 160 General Irving, 24th Division Commander visit the 34th Regiment in Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea June 8th, 1944 . . . . 167 34th Regiment arrived at Pie Beach, Humbolt Bay, Dutch New Guinea for preparation of movement June 15th, 1944 . . . . 169 C HA P T E R S I X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171 Biak Island Operation June 16th, 1944 through July 14th, 1944 Biak Island operational overview . . . . . . . . . . 171 34th Regiment departed from Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea for Biak Island, Dutch New Guinea June 16th, 1944 . . . . 171 34th Regiment arrives at Biak Island, Dutch New Guinea June 18th, 1944 . . . . 172 1st Battalion, 34th Regiment captured Borokoe Drome June 20th, 1944 . . . . 174 First time a member of ‘B’ Company, 34th Regiment was killed in action June 24th, 1944 . . . . 178
Contents || xix 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 34th Regiment were given the task of clearing the cliff area north of Mokmer Airdrome June 27th, 1944 . . . . 182 ‘F’ Company was strongly attacked by Japanese on a ridge north of Borokoe Airdrome June 29th, 1944 . . . . 184 34th Regiment on “stand-by” for a new mission on Noemfoor Island July 2nd, 1944 . . . . . 191 C HA P T E R S E V E N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195 Back to Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea for defense, and rest and rehabilitation July 15th, 1944 through October 12th, 1944 34th Regiment departed Biak Island, Dutch New Guinea for Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea July 15th, 1944 . . . . 195 34th Regiment arrives at Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea July 17th, 1944 . . . . 195 Private First Class John M. Ross was presented with the Silver Star July 30th, 1944 . . . . 198 1st Battalion, 34th Infantry is sent out to locate a A-20 airplane that crashed and find out if the pilot is alive August 7th, 1944. . . . 199 24th Infantry Division is building a division rest camp at Tanahmerah Bay, Dutch New Guinea August 21st, 1944 . . . 202 34th Regiment was entertained by Bob Hope and Company August 22nd, 1944 . . . 202 C-47 airplane made a force landing in Tami River sector off the beach by Skojambe Village September 6th, 1944 . . 204 General Krueger, Commanding General, 6th Army, inspected the 34th Infantry Regiment September 18th, 1944 . . 206 34th Regiment moves from Koejaboe River, Dutch New Guinea to Pie Beach, Humboldt Bay for preparation of movement October 9th, 1944 . . . 207 C HA P T E R E I GH T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211 A-Day, Leyte Island Operation, taking back the Philippines has begun October 13th, 1944 through January 25th, 1945 Leyte Island operational overview . . . . . . . . . . 211 34th Regiment departed Humboldt Bay, Dutch New Guinea for Leyte Island, Philippines October 13th, 1944 . . . 213 34th Regiment arrives at Leyte Island (A-DAY) October 20th, 1944 . . . 215 For his act of valor on Red Beach, Leyte Island, Captain Francis B. Wai was awarded with the Medal of Honor October 20th, 1944 . . . 218 For his act of valor at Pawing, Leyte Island, Private Harold H. Moon, Jr. was awarded with the Medal of Honor October 21st, 1944 . . . 225
xx || 34th Infantry Regiment – Volume I Silver Star act by 2nd Lieutenant Clarence E. Weigel and Staff Sergeant Matthew J. Ott at Pawing, Leyte Island October 23rd, 1944. . . 244 ‘F’ Company led by commanding officer Captain Paul Austin, made a bayonet charge to clear out the bridge across the Mainit River October 28th, 1944. . . 261 34th Regiment’s commanding officer, Colonel Aubrey S. Newman was seriously wounded in action October 30th, 1944. . . 275 For his act of valor in Capoocan, Leyte Island, Sergeant Charles E. Mower was awarded with the Medal of Honor November 3rd, 1944 . . 301 ‘G’ Company and a section of machine guns of ‘H’ Company remained in Sinawayan to hold the ridge and trail November 9th, 1944 . . 308 1st Battalion, 34th Regiment seized Kilay Ridge, Leyte Island November 10th, 1944. . 309 Staff Sergeant Matthew J. Ott seriously wounded, now “off duty” in Kilay Ridge, Leyte Island November 19th, 1944. . 331 ‘B’ Company breaks up a trail block the Japanese have between the 1st Battalion and ‘C’ Company November 29th, 1944. . 360 Due to the heroic actions of the 1st Battalion, 34th Regiment on Kilay Ridge, Leyte Island, the unit was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation December 4th, 1944 . . 370 1st Battalion, 34th Regiment departed Consuegra, Leyte Island and moved to Calubian, Leyte Island December 7th, 1944 . . 372 ‘F’ Company was ordered to attack and seize a fortified and fiercely defended Japanese strong-point December 11th, 1944 . . 382 General Douglas MacArthur promoted to the newly created rank of “General of the Army” December 18th, 1944 . . 403 1st Battalion, 34th Regiment “cleaned up” the town of San Isidro, Leyte Island December 29th, 1944 . . 423 34th Regiment has been relieved by elements of the 77th Division and moved to Jaro, Leyte Island for rest and rehabilitation January 6th, 1945 . . . 436 1st Battalion Landing Team, 34th Infantry left Jaro, Leyte Island for White Beach for preparation of movement January 24th, 1945 . . . 439 C HA P T E R N I N E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441 Luzon Island and Corregidor Island Operations January 26th, 1945 through February 26th, 1945 Luzon Island operational overview . . . . . . . . . . 441 34th Regiment departed Tacloban, Leyte Island, Philippines for Zambales, Luzon Island, Philippines January 26th, 1945 . . . 441 34th Regiment arrives at Zambales, Luzon Island January 29th, 1945 . . . 442
Contents || xxi 34th Regiment’s objective was the naval base of Olongapo January 30th, 1945 . . . 445 ‘I’ Company encountered Japanese resistance near the Kalaklan River bridge January 30th, 1945 . . . 446 In Zig Zag Pass, 34th Regiment suffered its greatest number of casualties in one day during World War II February 4th, 1945 . . . 473 Commanding Officer 34th Regiment personally delivered message to troops that the 34th Infantry to be replaced by 151st Infantry Regiment February 5th, 1945 . . . 489 Corregidor Island operational overview . . . . . . . . . . 499 Units of the 34th Regiment while attached to 503rd Parachute Regiment arrive on Corregidor Island, Philippines February 16th, 1945 . . 500 The Japanese ignited motor fuel and high explosives in one of the tunnels on Malinta Hill, Corregidor Island February 21st, 1945 . . 528 Units of the 34th Regiment were relieved by the 2nd Battalion, 151st Infantry Regiment on Corregidor Island February 25th, 1945 . . 540 34th Regiment arrived at Subic Bay, Luzon Island for preparation of movement February 25th, 1945 . . 540 C HA P T E R T E N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 543 Mindoro Island for rest and rehabilitation, Calapan Operation for the 2nd Battalion February 27th, 1945 through April 10th, 1945 34th Regiment departed Subic Bay, Zambales, Luzon Island, Philippines for Cabirian, Mindoro Island, Philippines February 27th, 1945 . . 543 34th Regiment arrives at Cabirian, Mindoro Island for rest and rehabilitation February 28th, 1945 . . 543 Due to the heroic actions of the attached units of the 34th Regiment on Corregidor Island, Philippines, the units were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation February 28th, 1945 . . 543 Calapan operational overview . . . . . . . . . . 546 2nd Battalion of the 34th Regiment departs for Calapan, Mindoro Island to “mop up” any Japanese stragglers March 20th, 1945 . . . 546 Major General Woodruff, 24th Division Commander, made presentation of Bronze Star Ribbons to members of 1st Battalion, 34th Regiment March 31st, 1945 . . . 549 C HA P T E R E L E V E N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 553 Mindanao Island Operation April 11th, 1945 through July 15th, 1945 Mindanao Island operational overview . . . . . . . . . . 553 34th Regiment moves from Cabirian, Mindoro Island to the beach for preparation of movement April 12th, 1945 . . . . 555
xxii || 34th Infantry Regiment – Volume I 34th Regiment departed Cabirian, Mindoro Island, Philippines for Parang, Mindanao Island, Philippines April 12th, 1945 . . . . 555 34th Regiment arrives at Parang, Mindanao Island April 19th, 1945 . . . . 557 3rd Battalion, 34th Regiment surgeon was wounded April 22nd, 1945. . . . 559 1st Battalion, 34th Regiment was ordered to 24th Infantry Division reserve May 2nd, 1945 . . . . 566 War Department announced a point system for demobilization of enlisted men May 10th, 1945 . . . . 575 34th Regiment, 1st Battalion, ‘A’ Company suffered nineteen casualties May 13th, 1945 . . . . 577 Staff Sergeant Matthew J. Ott receives Honorable Discharge while at Camp Edwards Convalescent Hospital, Massachusetts June 21st, 1945 . . . . 622 Friendly planes dropped 12 bombs on 34th Regiment, ‘A’ Company, killing five and wounding 20 June 24th, 1945 . . . . 627 Colonel Thomas E. Clifford, 19th Infantry Commanding Officer (former 34th Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion Commanding Officer) killed in action June 24th, 1945 . . . . 628 1st Battalion, 34th Regiment became the lead on the offensive and deployed near Tamugan July 2nd, 1945. . . . . 638 1st Battalion suffered the final casualties from Japanese combatants July 4th, 1945 . . . . . 641 34th Regiment has been relieved by the 21st Infantry Regiment and then stationed at Sirawan, Luzon Island, Philippines for rest and rehabilitation July 5th, 1945 . . . . . 643 Philippine Campaign officially ended July 5th, 1945 . . . . . 643 C HA P T E R TWE L V E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 647 Imperial Japan Surrenders July 16th, 1945 through September 2nd, 1945 As a test, the United States detonates the first nuclear device July 16th, 1945 . . . . 647 United States, United Kingdom, and China, issued the “Potsdam Declaration” July 26th, 1945 . . . . 649 Soviet Union unilaterally abrogated the Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact August 5th, 1945 . . . 650 United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan August 6th, 1945 . . . 650 United States dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan August 9th, 1945 . . . 651 Surrender of Imperial Japan August 15th, 1945 . . . 653 ‘B’ Company moved to Bunawan, Mindanao Island, to receive Japanese prisoners August 15th, 1945 . . . 654 Formal surrender of Imperial Japan September 2nd, 1945 . . 661
Contents || xxiii Epilogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 665 Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 685 Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 687 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 713 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 721 Volume II Appendices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Appendix One: Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Appendix Two: United States Army Organization Units (1943 - 1944) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 587 Appendix Three: Army Table of Organization and Equipment (TO&E) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 589 Appendix Four: 34th Infantry Regiment Commanders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 593 Appendix Five: 34th Infantry Regiment Personal Citations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 601 Appendix Six: 34th Infantry Regiment Casualties and Enemy Killed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 627 Appendix Seven: 34th Infantry Regiment Honor Roll of Wounded and Injured . . . . . . . . . . . 631 Appendix Eight: 34th Infantry Regiment Honor Roll of Dead and Missing . . . . . . . . . . . . 689
I N T R O D U C T I O N Matthew James Ott, born on April 9th, 1919, in Camden, New Jersey, was my father. Like most family members of a World War II veteran, my father never spoke about his four years of service in the Army. When I was a very young child, for the few times that I remember asking him about “what did you do,” “what happened,” and “did you shoot somebody,” his response was always the same, “it was war.” I could see that he didn’t really want to talk about it and he would change the subject. A few times, I remember him showing me on a globe where he had been: Hawaii, New Guinea, and some island in the Philippines that I thought was called “lady.” At the age of six, the island of Leyte sounded like “lady” to me. I knew my father was wounded. That was easy to tell, I could see the scar on his arm left by the bullet. Again, he didn’t want to talk about it. I knew that he had a medal because of the wound to his arm, the Purple Heart. Little did I know at the time, that Purple Heart was actually for a wound that I didn’t know about until the research for this book. The Purple Heart was for a wound that occurred previously to the gun-shot wound of his left arm. I also knew that he was given a medal that had special meaning to him; he called it the Silver Star Medal. Two or three times that I remember, he did show me those two medals. Two or three times, my father showed me a “big thick book with a leaf on the cover” that he had called Children of Yesterday. The book had his name in it, something about him “throwing grenades” and “saving somebody.” Again, all of this was through the eyes of a child. That was the extent of what I knew about my father’s World War II experiences. After my father’s passing at the age of ninety-seven in 2016, I’m not sure why, but I was curious again about my father’s time during World War II. But now, with me being the age of fifty-six and with the perspective of being an adult, I still had the same type of questions that I had when I was a child: “what did he do,” “what did he see,” and “what was it like.” Based on these types of questions I had, where would I find this type of information? It was too late to ask him; before he passed away, he probably still would not want to talk about it, just like years before. My father kept all his documentation from the Army. I started with his discharge papers. Based on the information in the discharge papers, I was quickly able to determine when he was first inducted into the Army, when he was separated from the Army, what Army unit that he was assigned to, what battles and campaigns he fought in, and what decorations and citations he was awarded. That was a great deal of information, but that still didn’t answer any my questions. But it did get me started. I now knew what unit my father served with: ‘B’ Company of the 34th Infantry Regiment, and what his military occupation specialty was: Rifleman (like most of the Army’s infantry enlisted men). I thought that if I can determine what his unit was doing, I would know what he was doing. At first, I needed a basic understanding of the organization of the Army. We have all heard of the different types of units in the Army (lowest to highest): squad, platoon, company, battalion, regiment, division, corps, and field army. But I needed to determine how it all fit together during the early to mid-1940s. With an understanding of the Army’s organization, the next task was to determine what if anything was documented by a unit. It turned out that the lowest unit that had documentation was from a Company. These documents are called Company Morning Reports. Every day, the Company Clerk would produce details of personnel changes and record of events for the day. A battalion also had written documentation called Battalion Journals which would contain the record of events for each day from the battalion’s perspective. Each Army battalion (three battalions in a regiment) would contain four companies: 1st Battalion – ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, ‘D’; 2nd Battalion – ‘E’, ‘F’, ‘G’, ‘H’; 3rd Battalion – ‘I’, ‘K’, ‘L’, ‘M’. ‘B’ Company was organically attached to the 1st Battalion.
2 || 34th Infantry Regiment – Volume I Similarly, a regiment also had written documentation sometimes called a War Diary and After Action Reports, which would contain the record of events for each day from the regiment’s perspective. In the Army’s organization, there was documentation for divisions (three regiments in a division) and above, but that was too high up the chain of command. The National Archives in St. Louis, Missouri, is the repository of World War II Morning Reports, Unit Rosters, Payroll, and Hospital Admissions. The National Archives in College Park, Maryland, is the repository for Battalion Journals, Regiment War Diaries, and Regiment After Action Reports. At one time, all of these documents were classified. Without a security clearance, an average person could not view these documents. At different times over the last seventy years, all these documents have been declassified. I was able to get copies of all these different types of documents from March 1st, 1940, through September 2nd, 1945. The beginning and ending dates represent the prelude of World War II and the end of World War II with the formal surrender of Japan. Based on all these documents, I could piece together what my father’s unit did, what the unit saw, and what it was like. This is not a story about my father but rather the dayto-day events recorded by company clerks of the 34th Infantry Regiment and how those events affected my father. Or in a broader sense, how any event affected my father, the 34th Infantry Regiment, the United States Army, or the United States itself. It’s like many concentric rings overlapping each other, where each ring affects other overlapping rings. Any specific information about my father during his time in Army (from March 5th, 1941 to June 21st, 1945) only comprises a very small percentage of the book. If one had a family member who served in the Army in the Pacific Theater during World War II, this is all their story. It doesn’t matter that the family member’s unit was the 19th Infantry Regiment, 21st Infantry Regiment, 152nd Infantry Regiment, or any infantry regiment. What happened to my father was the same situation that any infantryman would have been exposed to: registering for the selective service, drafted, basic training, unit training, and finally, movement overseas to any of the Japanese held islands of the Pacific (Guadalcanal, New Guinea, Biak, Noemfoor, Philippine Islands, Iwo Jima, Okinawa). What is about to follow is a day-to-day and sometimes a minute to minute narrative written by company clerks of ‘B’ Company of the 34th Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion Headquarters Company of the 34th Infantry Regiment, and finally the 34th Infantry Regiment Headquarters Company. All of ‘B’ Company’s Morning Reports are represented from March 1st, 1940, through September 2nd, 1945, and a good portion of the other companies of the 1st Battalion (‘A’, ‘C’, ‘D’, and Headquarters) are represented. When significant events happened to other companies not in the 1st Battalion, those Morning Reports are also represented along with the 2nd and 3rd Battalion Headquarters Journals. If Matthew J. Ott had been assigned to a company in the 2nd or 3rd Battalions, there would not have been as much battalion headquarters journal information as the 1st Battalion. At times, the 2nd and 3rd Battalion Journals could not be found in the National Archives because they had been misplaced, or they were never written. If a journal was found, there were days without any written record of events. If there was any record of events written, it was usually only one or two sentences for an entire day. Contrasting that with the 1st Battalion Journal, there was always a record of events for every day, and at minimum, there would be at least a ½ page per day (six or seven sentences) and up to three pages in a day. 1st Battalion aid station commander and surgeon Captain George E. Morrissey’s personal journal was used. During the Philippine Campaign, short notes were made on notebook paper and message blanks. During periods of comparative inactivity or rest, the notes were compiled into Captain Morrissey’s journal. The first entry in his journal was on October 13th, 1944 and the last was on July 2nd, 1945, for a total of forty-five pages. In the Introduction of Captain Morrissey’s journal, he states: “Any good infantry officer or enlisted man will realize that the journal is bound to show inaccuracies in certain tactical situations. It was written by a battalion doctor who was strictly a non-combatant and who doesn’t profess to know anything about tactics. No attempt was made to check with battalion or regimental official histories.” In addition to Captain Morrissey’s personal journal, other 34th Infantry Regiment enlisted/officer’s memoirs, recollections, and interviews that were
Introduction || 3 written/recorded decades later were used. These will help give a personal view of what happened with the 34th Infantry Regiment, not just a company clerk’s written documents. The documents from the National Archives were a challenge. Not because they were copies of originals, but because about eighty percent of the documents were hand-written. Almost all of the ‘B’ Company Morning Reports, almost all the 1st Battalion Journals, and some 34th Infantry Regiment War Diary were hand-written. At times, it was easy to determine the handwriting, but at other times, it was very difficult to read the handwriting. This was especially true for ‘B’ Company Morning reports (and for most company morning reports). The paperbased Morning Reports were transferred to microfilmed tape reels in the early 1950s. Due to degradation, some reports were extremely difficult to read. How difficult? One could spend a half-hour or more translating four or five short sentences for the Record of Events for one day. And remember, there were five years of Morning Reports. That’s over 728 ‘B’ Company Morning Reports, not counting any other company Morning Reports. In addition to the handwriting and/or the degradation, hundreds of Army abbreviations had to be determined. To make matters worse, some of these abbreviations were only used during World War II or were just used by a specific Division. Most of the abbreviations have been translated to their full-word meanings. Because certain abbreviations were used so often, the abbreviation is still in the narrative, but can be found in the book’s Glossary. Using the official documented events from 34th Infantry Regiment, these documents lacked color and descriptive effect. Human interest is particularly lacking. To describe a day’s events with the proper background, it would be necessary to obtain personal narratives from thousands of enlisted men and hundreds of officers to cover the actual descriptions of each unit in each operation during times of battle. A few officers and enlisted men wrote of their experiences in their published personal memoirs. These personal memoirs were very similar in concept to Captain George E. Morrissey’s personal journal, but not exactly the same. These memoirs were written decades later, but many events were usually based on their experiences from notes written at the time the event took place. In addition, Matthew J. Ott’s personal recollections of ‘B’ Company events were used for some of the journal entries. These quoted personal memoirs and recollections were used to give color and descriptive effect. The National Archives in College Park, Maryland, contains documents called General Orders. There were General Orders at the Regiment and Division level, the United States Army Forces in the Far East, the United States Army Forces in the Pacific, the War Department, and the Department of the Army. At the Regiment level, General Orders would contain the official awarding of Purple Hearts. At the Division level, General Orders would contain the official awarding of Air Medals, Bronze Star Medals, Bronze Star with Valor Medals, Soldier’s Medal, and Silver Star Medals. At the United States Army Forces in the Far East and Pacific, General Orders would contain the official awarding of the Distinguished Service Cross Medals. At the War Department and the Department of the Army, General Orders would contain the official awarding of the Medal of Honor. The awarding of Bronze Star with Valor, Silver Star, Distinguished Service Cross, and the Medal of Honor, these four awards were given because of an act of valor during combat, with the Medal of Honor being the highest act of valor. As part of the award for any of the four acts of valor, on the day that act of valor occurred, a narrative was written about the specific act of valor. To more vividly describe what happened during various actions, all of the act of valor narratives from the 34th Infantry Regiment are woven into the journal entries for that specific day, and if possible, the time during that day. These acts of valor narratives serve to describe the intensity of action and to insert human interest into the reading. As stated earlier, the Division’s General Orders contained Air Medals, Bronze Star Medals, and Soldier’s Medal. These three types of medals usually didn’t have any narrative (what one did to earn the medal). The actual narrative was placed into the soldier’s personnel file, but not in the General Orders. For these three types of medals, the 24th Infantry Division’s General Orders just
4 || 34th Infantry Regiment – Volume I contained the following: branch of the Army, type of award, soldier’s name, serial number, the date and/or dates when the action occurred, and the next of kin, but no narrative. The author was able to locate some of these types of citations and their narrative. Like the acts of valor, these narratives are woven into the journal entries for that specific day. In addition to the documents from the National Archives, fifty-nine publications and thirty-nine newspapers were used to augment a narrative for a specific date and/or time. The information from the publications and newspapers were not added to an existing narrative from the National Archives documents but was used to give color and descriptive effect during a day’s narrative. From the newspapers, many of the important articles and/or front pages are included in Volume II, Appendix One. In addition to the narratives of the 34th Infantry Regiment during World War II, there are other narratives that directly or indirectly affected 34th Infantry Regiment and Matthew J. Ott. These other narratives were from Japan’s government, the United States government, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson, Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Douglas MacArthur, General Walter Krueger, Major General Frederick A. Irving, Major General Roscoe B. Woodruff, other military operations, and many others. This gives the reader a better picture from the top down of why an event happened and how those events affected Matthew J. Ott and the 34th Infantry Regiment. What follows is how one event affects another, which in turn affects others, like many concentric rings overlapping each other, from the highest level (United States and Japan) down to the lowest level (Matthew J. Ott). This is not a deep analysis of the strategies of the Pacific Theater, nor does it have any in-depth sophisticated historical or cultural context, nor does it go deeper into the lives of the enlisted or officers of the 34th Infantry Regiment (except for Matthew J. Ott). These are narratives, day by day, minute by minute, of how and why men from the United States became enlisted men and were then sent overseas to some island to win a war with the Japanese. And once on any of these islands, questions like: “what did he do,” “what did he see,” and “what was it like,” could be answered.
H O W T O R E A D T H I S B O O K This book is done mostly in a journalistic format, not a novel format. What’s the difference? Most books are created in a novel format as either fiction or non-fiction. A novel tells a story using sentences, within paragraphs and those paragraphs follow additional paragraphs creating a chapter. A sequence of events connects these paragraphs and chapters. In a novel, the sequence of events flows smoothly together where each event causes or leads to the next event. In a journalistic format, there are sentences, but the sentences create a short narrative. These short narratives can be thought of as very small short stories. These very small short stories would contain up to five or six sentences with no paragraphs and sometimes just one or two sentences. This book was created using this format, containing one or more short narratives each day. There may be events in a narrative, but those events not might lead to the next event in a smooth transition. A narrative can be independent of other narratives, where it has its beginning, middle, and end. Army company clerks authored almost all of the narratives in this book, and those narratives were woven together to create the events and those who participated in those events, day by day, minute by minute. Think of all these journal of events in the book as a timeline of events, where an event occurs one after the other, minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, month by month, and year by year. There are chapters in the book just like a novel. Each chapter represents where the 34th Infantry Regiment was geographically located and/or when the regiment was doing something significantly different from what they were doing before. The following are guidelines on how to read this book. At the beginning of each month, the month’s name is written along with the year on a separate line. This icon represents a journal entry within a month on the next line. Think of this icon as a square calendar day within a monthly calendar. Immediately after this icon on the same line is the day of the week name and the day of the month number. If there was just one narrative for a day, this narrative was written on the same line. If there was more than one daily narrative, this icon represents a journal entry within a day. Think of this icon as a round face of a clock. Immediately after this icon, if the time of day can be determined, the time is written and then the narrative. If the time of day could not be determined, every attempt was made to put the narrative at or about where the entry happened during the day. If there were multiple narratives during the same time, each narrative was written starting with number one “1)” and ending with the last narrative number. There are a few instances where there were multiple narratives during the same time, and within that narrative, there were additional narratives. In these cases, each narrative was written starting with letter “a.” and ending with the last narrative letter. To help determine what date is on which page, the outer bottom of each page contains the date of the narrative that starts at the top of that page, similar to a phone book. There are days when a specific day is missing. This is because the Army company clerks’ documents either did not contain any information for that day or the day was missing in the document itself, or nothing happened on that day that directly or indirectly affected the 34th Infantry Regiment. The actual narratives were changed slightly so that the point of view is no longer first person but now third person. This was done to clarify who is speaking. When there were narratives for the same day from ‘B’ Company, the 1st Battalion, and the 34th Regiment, without adding in which unit the narrative came from, the overall narrative for the day became quite confusing. Typically, the unit name was added to the narrative, examples: “Company ‘B’ did this”, “1st Battalion did that”, and “the 34th Infantry Regiment is leaving tomorrow”. In general, it will be easy to determine where the narrative came from: company, battalion, or the regiment perspective. In addition, in the narratives themselves, they use first person pronouns (we, us, our). There were hundreds and hundreds of these first-person pronouns. At times, it was very confusing who was the “we,” “us,” or the “our,” especially when all three types of documents were used during the same day. Most
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTEyMDIxMA==