|
Home Go
My Experiences in the Philippines During
World War II
The battle of Zig Zag Pass
6
1 - 2
- 3 - 4
- 5 - 6
A few days later we saw replacement troops headed
our way with a new company commander: a first Lieutenant. You
could see his shiny silver bar from three hundred feet away.
That worried me! I remember thinking - this guy is going to get
us killed! I decided not to tell him that I wasn't an officer,
so I could have some say in our operation. Someone told him I
was in charge and the Lieutenant called me "Sergeant."
I didn't correct him.
He brought orders with him that we were to do some
reconnaissance behind enemy lines. The next day we prepared for
our scouting mission. It was to be about a week’s journey.
I was nervous to be working alongside a new commander and new
troops that had never been in combat. We took off on our patrol.
Our new commander wanted to follow the path that the Japanese
had been using - a perfect place to get ambushed.
When I confronted him about it, he said, "Well
sergeant, which way would you have us go?"
We cut a new route though the jungle with our machetes
until we got through their line. Our assignment was to evaluate
their supplies, troop movement, and troop strength. We were completely
isolated from our battalion. Supplies were dropped from small
aircraft, and sometimes we had to fight the Japanese to get to
them. Water, which tasted like gasoline, was dropped in 50 gallon
drums. We burped gasoline all day long.
One time a large group of Japanese approached us
with white flags of surrender, but we thought it was a trick.
We opened fire on them and they ran back into the jungle.
One of the men with us was an artillery observer.
He would lay artillery protection around us at night to keep
the enemy from penetrating our encampment. The mental comfort
of artillery protection helped us sleep like babies, even though
there was shelling all around us. But being refreshed by sleep
did not make the week any less miserable - wading through rivers,
swamps and jungle in the same wet boots.
When we got back to friendly territory, trucks
picked us up to take us back to our Battalion headquarters. I
was so glad to return to a safe area, but very disappointed by
what I saw when I entered my company. There were too many men
lying on their bunks that should have been with us in combat.
I realized that many had been wounded or sick, but they looked
healthy enough to me.
To make things worse one of my buddies came to
me and told me that my name was on the bulletin board for Battalion
messenger. The next day I was to report at 5:00 am! I couldn't
believe it! These dead-beats were lying around on their bunks
while I was dodging bullets, leading the company, and this was
my thanks!
It was my first night out of a fox hole in weeks,
and getting out of my nice soft bunk at 5:00 am wasn't easy.
But I did it, and I delivered some messages, including one to
my new company commander. I went into his office, saluted him,
and handed him a message.
He immediately asked me, "Sergeant, why are
you on this detail?"
I told him I wasn't a sergeant. A few days later
he called me to his office, handed me sergeant stripes, and gave
me a three-day pass to a rest area.
The Japanese surrender came soon after my return
to camp. My company was ordered to go back into the mountains
and escort out the Japanese. A few weeks later I headed home
and was discharged at Fort Meade, Maryland. Once I was back,
I bought a car and headed home to my parents' farm in West Virginia.
When I was eight years old, I received Jesus into
my life. Jesus stood by my side ever since, shielded me in combat,
and brought me safely home. Soon after that he directed me to
meet a lovely Christian girl, the woman who became my wife. I
hope that my story will impress upon you what Jesus can do for
anyone who will walk with Him.
Psalm 91/7 A thousand may fall at your side ten thousand at your
right hand, but it will not come near you.
Edited by Carol J. Anderson and Jeffrey Frame
1 -
2 - 3
- 4 - 5
- 6
I would like you to update,
Dave |
Dave
My friend
Dec 18 208
Dave, a long time ago while surfing the internet
, found my web site. and told me he visited zig zag pass soon
after I had been there. and saw the locations I had been, and
could still smell the stench of the dead soldiers. |
When I recently up dated my web site I lost Dave's
text to this message he sent to me. I will see if he will up
date
Dana,
I think perhaps we have more in common than we thought. I grew
up a city boy in Boston, but in later years the folks moved to
the beginnings of suburbia. As for your growing up on a farm,
two of my most enjoyable and memorable summers were spent working
on a farm. I loved handling a team of horses calling the cows
in the evening and milking time, even feeding the chickens.
The best job I had though were those times on the farm at 14
&15 years of age.
Have a look at those socks. That old sway back
was named Jimmie.
Dave
Dave very close to Combat |
__Jimmie________Dave_ |
4 hours later Dave writes
DANA,
I like that sailor picture. There is a lot I could add to that
information you included with the photo, I will update if you
want. Thanks for referring to me as friend, at our age we don't
have much if any left.
4 or 5 days later Dave sends his up date.
Dana,
I have re written my letter to you, included here. It's considerably
longer and if you feel it is too big just don't bother with it.
I tried to cover ground making it more relevant to your memories.
I have also attached it as an Adobe PDF file which might be clearer
to copy?
I put a link to my Subic Bay story on the bottom,
I re wrote it for the Subic Web Site this last summer.
Dave
It has been several years since I found and read your very interesting
web site and story of your personal involvement in the battle
of Zig Zag Pass, even more so because it seemed to me at that
time, that little was known of that rather horrific battle on
the Bataan Peninsula. Few of the thousands of service personnel
that passed through Subic were aware of that important battle
which took place only a few miles from the Subic Bay Naval Base.
This battle was the catalyst for clearing the Japanese from Bataan,
which permitted the construction at Subic Bay and village of
Olongapo, which was to become the most important United States
Naval Base in the Asiatic Theater for the next 50 years. The
capture of Bataan also permitted an easer access to Manila Bay
and the battle for Corregidor and Manila itself. I personally
had the opportunity to travel and investigate parts of Zig Zag
pass just days after it had been cleared of the Japanese, although
many Japanese stragglers were still encountered for some time
thereafter. Much destroyed military hardware was still to be
found as were some bodies and body parts, the smell still very
offensive which seemed to permeate the nose to the extent that
you seemed to still smell it long after leaving the area, happy
am I that I took no part in the action.7rrived in Subic
Bay, and he did take mortar rounds that day in Olongapo, that
were "not very close"
The ship I was on did not arrive in Subic Bay until
February 2nd and it is likely that my ship was held at sea until
Subic Bay and Olongapo was secured. Although we were armed, we
were not a combat unit, we were referred to as an Advance Base
Unit. That being of course why we had to wait for the 38th Division
and the 34th regiment of the 24th division to to clear the way.
Although the 38ths landing at San Antonio was made with no opposition,
the 20 mile hike did meet with light opposition until arriving
at the Cemetery and bridge over the Kaliklan river at the northern
end of the Olongapo village. On the 30th of January the 38th
Cyclone Division turned west on Rt #7 moving into the hills and
running into a hailstorm of Japanese opposition; And there the
battle of Zig Zag Pass began.
I have often referred to your appendix attack,
described as right before a Japanese counter attack, which almost
wiped out your infantry Battalion, while you were on your way
to the hospital. Bet the Lord had other plans for you.
Although numbers do vary from various sources, these seem to
be about as accurate as most regarding losses on Zig Zag Pass.
38th infantry Division - 270 dead - 420 Wounded
34th Regiment - 68 dead - 268 Wounded
Japanese - 2400 dead - 23 prisoners
Some Memories of Subic Bay and Olongapo,
Daves
Incredible Story
|
|
