Home

My Experiences in the Philippines During World War II
The battle of Zig Zag Pass

2

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6

Our next assignment was a twenty mile hike. Twenty miles can be exhausting and excruciating with a full back pack, cartridge belt, hand grenades and a rifle. But this trial was incidental compared to the snipers, artillery fire, and the loss of several men along the way. It was getting late in the evening, so we dug in for the night. I dug my fox-hole nice and deep. I had a sense that there would be big trouble that night. We were in a small valley with a horseshoe-hill surrounding us on 3 sides - a perfect set-up for disaster. It had been a long day and I was exhausted. We had a quick dinner of C rations. While we were eating we looked up on the ridge above us, 600 to 700 yards away. There we saw a column of Japanese marines circling us. I cannot begin to explain the panic in the very depths of my being, a panic that no doubt was shared by the rest of our camp. I was prepared to seek shelter in my nice, deep fox hole, when my platoon officer called out to me. "You go with these two men, back on the side of that hill, and keep us informed of what the 'Japs' are up to." He must have been operating by a training manual. It was hard to believe he would send men into a sure death trap. The Japanese would be coming down that hill at any moment. Our artillery would be zeroing in on them. Our own troops would be turning 30 caliber machine guns at them, and we would be right in the middle. NEVERTHELESS, YOU OBEY ORDERS IN COMBAT!   The three of us took off with our rifles and radio transmitter, and snuck up a ravine for some cover. We climbed the hill for a couple hundred yards. It was getting darker save for the light from the artillery shells exploding around us. We had to take cover fast. My two buddies hurried to one side of a small hog-back ridge. I ran to the other side. I don't remember why exactly, but it was likely because of the large fallen tree I spotted. I crawled up under it as far as I could and pulled leaves up over myself for concealment. It wasn't long before all hell broke loose. The Japanese were attacking our troops in the valley, throwing mortar and artillery shells down on them. Our troops were lighting up the skies with flares and saturating the entire area with machine-gun fire. I could see all the chaos from underneath my tree. I thought my platoon commander was sending me to my death, but I was being led to a place of safety, and I didn't even know it! The only things that attacked me were mosquitoes. They were big and nasty, biting right through my clothing, I think they enjoyed eating through repellent. It's odd how a little insect was so unnerving in the midst of deadly artillery. Here I was just a kid, Japanese troops coming down the hill to kill me. I was so frightened. I lied back in the leaves and prayed, "Now I lay me down to sleep, The next morning, after the battle subsided, we radioed that we were coming in, because we were afraid we would be picked off by our own men. I don't remember what we had for breakfast that morning. Food doesn’t taste good with your stomach in knots.

2

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6

next