Pre-Japanese Invasion of Luzon

The President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines during that time was, Manuel Luis Quezon, he was the second President of the Philippines. President Quezon was a personal friend of General Douglas MacArthur. Even more so, they were family: Manuel Quezon was the compadre or "godfather" to Douglas MacArthur's son, Arthur. When MacArthur retired from the United States Army in 1935, Quezon courted him back to the Philippines as the commander of the young nation's military, with the title Field Marshal which had never been, nor ever would be, held by another American general. The Military order from President Roosevelt eventually sent to President Quezon. Major General Douglas MacArthur ordered to recruit Filipino Soldiers. The qualifications were at least high school graduates, trained in the ROTC program, and willing to risk their lives for the country. Later that day, the news aired on the radio. Filipino aspiring soldiers were glad to hear the news, and one of them was my grandfather. He told my great grandmother and my grandmother, Antonia, that the American government is willing to enhance the Military force of the Philippines. His mother and my grandmother Antonia just stared at each other with paranoia while my grandfather Teddy was still listening on the radio. The major task of the hurriedly assembled staff of Headquarters, USAFFE, was to work out a plan for the mobilization, training, and supply of the Philippine Army. Within a few days of his appointment, General MacArthur had selected September 1st as the day when the mobilization of the Philippine Army would start. This left thirty days in which to select campsites, enlarge and improve existing camps for the first reservists, and build new camps. Second Monday of August 1941, there was a postman knocking on the door. He went out of his room and received the letter. The letter says, he was invited for a meeting that will be held on September 1st in USAFFE headquarters located at No.1 Calle Victoria, Intramuros, Manila. The letter also tells that, that day would be the start of mobilization of USAFFE, and they must be prepared in a few days as they are expected to come to San Marcelino, Zambales, a province in Northern Luzon. He was wondering why they had to invite him. At the bottom of the letter, he read a statement saying that the USAFFE order prefers to recruit a person who is trained in ROTC. The mobilization of the Philippine Army started with the recruiting of fresh college graduates throughout the country, all graduates trained in ROTC shall be recruited. My grandfather's fellow schoolmates at the University of the East were also invited to the mobilization of USAFFE. My grandfather told his mother and my grandmother that he will go for it, and he is willing to join the Army. My great grandmother said: "Son, the life of a soldier is in great danger. A soldier's foot is already buried on the ground, you should think first about this ten times before risking your life." My grandmother Antonia agreed to her mother in law and said: "Mother is right, you should listen to her." My grandfather answered: "There's nothing to worry about, everything is alright. I have to go there." From that very moment, he knew and could feel the negative feelings from the hearts of his wife and his mother as he insisted to join the Army. That night he stared at the night sky, the moon was formed fully and illuminating the darkness while the stars were blinking their radiance from the heavens. He prayed and made a wish while holding his hands which were lifted up closer to his forehead. My grandmother Antonia just staring at him behind his back, thinking that everything will be alright.

On the following week, two days before arriving at San Marcelino, Zambales with recruited Filipino Soldiers, my grandfather Teddy went to PNR to talk with the Manager. He had to pass a resignation letter and told his Manager about his decision to join the Army. He then passed a letter, stating that he will return someday to continue his work. After the letter was handed to the Manager, my grandfather just said: "I'm so grateful to be part of your good office, I hope you understand my decision and hoping you will hire me again when my duty is over." The Manager just smiled and said: "Of course Mr. David, Just take care of yourself." He replied, "Thank you, Sir!". He walked away from the Station while staring around the site like he will miss the place because he could feel that it would take a long while to see the station again which has been his second home. Later that day, my great grandmother Maria walked closer to his son while he was staring at the night sky. "Son is your decision final? You still have the time to think about it." He replied, "Yes mother, I made my decision already." He then smiled and holds the right hand of his mother." She said, "Take this rosary son, it will guide you from danger. " He grabbed the rosary and said, "Yes mother, I will keep it, thank you." On the following day, my grandfather Teddy was about to go for USAFFE training. He had to leave his mother and my grandmother, Antonia at 6 in the morning after saying his words of encouragement and a promise of return. He embraced my grandmother and his mother tighter, and the tears fell from his eyes. He arrived at the USAFFE Headquarters located at Calle Victoria, Intramuros, Manila, and able to see the recruits who would be his brothers in the Army. He had a conversation with them and had to know each other while waiting for the officers. Some of them were from Bicol, Manila, Ilocos, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Tarlac, and Pampanga. Later on, General Douglas MacArthur and General Jonathan Wainwright arrived, and the six-hour journey to Zambales began. They finally arrived at a camp in Zambales, they rested for a while then General Douglas MacArthur and General Jonathan Wainwright led the induction, while the training of Filipino recruits was led by a Filipino officer. The training initiated with physical exercises like push-ups, sit-ups, running, jumping over some obstacles, climbing, and bamboo cannons for artillery. The USAFFE recruits have been told that they have to train eight hours daily each week, ordered by the General. My grandfather had to continue his training until he finally reached the final chapter, the training for the use of firearms and shooting. The USAFFE recruits were trained without having enough supplies of weapons requested by General MacArthur because of lend-lease commitments, he would not receive most of these items. The Filipino-American forces were forced to use old weapons such as M1903 Springfield, M1917 Enfield rifles, and a Colt M1911A1 pistol used in the First World War. Weeks went by until the training was almost over. My grandfather Teddy and his USAFFE brothers were marching every day at the Camp at 8 in the morning. They were all now considered as Private Soldiers and the degree holder recruits were already promoted to Private First Class. Brigadier General Mateo Capinpin, was assigned as commander of the 21st Infantry division with a staff consisting of the Philippine Army. He then wrote a letter to his mother and wife about joining the USAFFE. My grandfather hopes his mother and my grandmother Antonia will be proud and will support him in his career as he is the first Soldier of Victorio and David Family. He stated in the letter that if they got leisure time, they will visit their relatives in Lubao, Pampanga.

The training of the Philippine Army was beset with numerous difficulties. In many units, there was a serious language barrier, not only between the American instructors and the Filipinos but also among the Filipinos. The enlisted men of one division spoke the Bicolanian dialect, their Philippine officers usually spoke Tagalog, and the Americans spoke neither. In the Visayas, the problem was even more complicated since most of the officers were Tagalogs from central Luzon and the men spoke one or more of the many Visayan tongues. Transfers were made to alleviate the situation, but no real solution to the problem was ever found. Discipline in Philippine Army units left much to be desired, according to U.S. Army officers. Until the war was declared there were no courts-martial. Since the Philippine Army retained its national integrity after induction, the Philippine Army headquarters was responsible for discipline and punishment. Many of the officers and noncommissioned officers were untrained and unqualified for their assignments. There were some first sergeants and company clerks like my grandfather Teddy who could thoroughly read and write. Training facilities and equipment were almost nonexistent. Target ranges had been hurriedly improvised but many units went into battle without ever having fired their weapons. There was a serious shortage of almost all types of equipment. The clothing was old and much of it is not fit for use; the shoes were rubber-soled and quickly wore out. The uniform usually consisted of the blue fatigue suit, and when that wore out, anything that could be found. There were serious shortages in personal equipment, blankets, mosquito bars, and shelter halves. The supply of Enfield and Springfield rifles was adequate but that of many other weapons, entrenching tools, gas masks, and steel helmets which were not. The difficulties of mobilizing and training the Philippine Army can best be shown by following the experiences of a single division. The North Luzon Force was organized between September and November at a camp near San Marcelino in Zambales. When the divisions were organized, some of the division camps were still under construction. The buildings were about 80percent complete, and in the absence of a water system, a few shallow wells were used. Work on sanitary installations had just begun. The 32nd Infantry had been inducted on 1 November but did not join the division until 6 December. Starting on 25 November the third infantry element of the division, the 33rd Infantry, began arriving in camp. Between 18 and 30 November, the medical battalion, motor transport, service, and division headquarters companies were mobilized. The signal company was organized on 1 December when a cadre that had been in training at Fort McKinley for three months arrived at camp. The 31st Field Artillery Regiment began mobilizing on 12 December, after the outbreak of war, and was finally organized with two battalions on 26 December, after the division had already moved to Bataan. The 11th and 31st Divisions, like the other Philippine Army divisions, suffered from shortages in personal and organizational equipment Every man was equipped with a rifle, the 30-caliber Enfield rifle used by American troops in World War I. The stock was too long for the small Philippine soldier and the weak extractor often broke and could not be replaced. Of the other infantry weapons, there was one Browning automatic rifle for each infantry company and eight M1919 30-caliber Browning water-cooled machine guns for each machine gun company. Each infantry regiment had two 50-caliber machine guns and six 3-inch trench mortars, 70percent of the ammunition for which proved to be duds. Artillery equipment for the division consisted of eight World War I model 75-mm. guns which were delivered to the division on the evening of 7 December, without sights Or fire control equipment. The 31st Field Artillery, therefore, could only organize two of the six firing batteries it was authorized. Organic transportation was virtually nonexistent. Division headquarters and the motor transport company could muster only one sedan, one command car, one bantam car, and one 1½-ton truck.