Post by Rafael M Alunan III on Jan 4, 2010 7:22:33 GMT 8
The Filipino Soldier
"Men who adopt the profession of arms submit of their own free will to a law of perpetual constraint of their own accord. They reject their right to live where they choose, to eat what they want, to dress as they like. From the moment they become soldiers, it needs but an order to settle them from this place, to move them to that, to separate from their families and dislocate their normal lives. In the world of command, they must rise, march, run, endure bad weather, go even without food and sleep, and be isolated in some distant post. They cease to be the masters of their own fate. If they drop on their tracks and their ashes are scattered in the four winds, it is part and parcel of their job.” - General Charles De Gaulle
Throughout known history, the Filipino soldier earned an honored place on the battlefield. The annals of history are full of praise for the Filipino warrior and soldier.
The Chinese Testimony
The geographical encyclopedia written by Ma Tuan-lin states:
“They are all very brave; in fighting on land or water they are superior to other nations. All would be ready to take them without fail no matter how energetic the resistance.
(D'Harvey St. Denis's French translation)
Chau Ju-kua wrote:
"They are skilled at fighting on land or water. They appoint chiefs and leaders, and all provide their own military equipment and the necessary provisions. In facing the enemy and braving death they have not their equal among other nations."
(Chu-fan-chi translated by Hirth and Rockhill)
The Spanish Testimony
Under foreign rule, the Filipino established a reputation as an excellent soldier. One Spanish writer declared that the Filipino soldier was the bravest of all the subjects of the king of Spain, at a time when the Spanish empire was at its height.
Fr Delgado, responding to criticism leveled against the Indio stated:
"On the contrary, it must be said that the Indians are those who defend us from our enemies; for, in the presidios, who are the soldiers, who sail in the war fleets, who are in the vanguard in war? Could the Spaniards, perchance, maintain themselves alone in the country, if the Indians did not aid in everything?"
(Blair & Robertson, The Philippine Islands,
1493-1898, Vol. VI, pp. 270-271)
The British Testimony
When the British invaded Manila they encountered stirring resistance from the Filipino defenders. Here is what Draper says in his journal:
"Had their skill and weapons been equal to their strength and ferocity, it might have cost us dear. Although armed chiefly with bows, arrows, and lances, they advanced up to the very muzzles of our pieces, repeated their assaults, and died like wild beasts, gnawing the bayonets."
The American Testimony
The Americans also quickly realized the value of the Filipino soldier. Colonel Edmund J. Lilly, CO of the 57th Infantry, wrote:
"When I think of them, Kipling's words run through my head. "I have eaten your bread and salt. I have drunk your water and wine, and the deaths you died I have watched beside and the lives you lived were mine."
(The Philippine Scout Heritage Foundation, The
Philippine Scouts, 1996, p. 107)
Excerpts from a poem written by American officer 1st Lt Henry Lee of the 12th MP Coy during the Battle of Bataan:
No more the men who did not fear to die
will plug the broken line,
While through the din their beaten comrades raise the welcome cry,
“Make way, make way, the Scouts are moving in!"
The men who were besieged on every side
who knew the dissolution of retreat,
Still retained their fierce exultant pride
and still were soldiers - even in defeat.
Now meet the veterans of ten thousand years
now find a welcome worthy of their trade,
from men who fought with crossbows and with spears
with bullet and with arrow and with spade.
All the men in every nameless fight
since first Man strove against Man to prove his worth,
shall greet the tired Scouts as is their right.
No finer soldiers ever walked the Earth.
(The Philippine Scout Heritage Foundation,
The Philippine Scouts, 1996, p. 463)
At Brgy. Pawing, Palo, Leyte, is General Douglas MacArthur’s tribute to the Filipino World War II soldiers and veterans who offered their supreme sacrifice for the sake of freedom.
"He needs no eulogy from me or from any other men. He belongs to history as one of the finest examples of successful patriotism. He belongs to posterity as the structure of the future generations in the principles of liberty and freedom and he belongs to the present by his virtues and his achievements."
My Testimony
I submit my credentials beforehand to say that I have first hand knowledge of the attributes of the Filipino soldier because not too many know this part of my life. Now that it is past me, I am no longer constrained to speak up.
I hold the rank of Colonel in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, confirmed by the Commission of Appointments; a graduate of the Army’s Command and General Staff College; received training from the Special Forces and the Phil Constabulary’s Special Action Force, two units founded by President Fidel V. Ramos when he was still in the active service.
I was adopted by these units, PMA ’74 and the First Scout Ranger Regiment; held authority over the Phil. National Police and the government’s anti-terror network; commanded two Phil. Army Reserve Infantry Divisions, the 131st Standby and the 9th Ready Reserve; and participated in COIN, counter-coup, counter-terror, hostage recovery, and civil-military operations.
I’ve been on their ships, planes and tanks to where we sent our soldiers; visited them in their camps from the Cordilleras to Tawi-Tawi to let them know they were not alone and forgotten; shared their hardships in forward operating bases; consoled the wounded and the families of those who gave their lives to save others; and was with them when they fought from the air and on the ground.
My exposure to the Filipino soldier led me to the nexus between war and peace with rebel rightists, leftists and secessionists, and to the doorsteps of the war on terror. I witnessed their patience, endurance, intrepidity, resolve and loneliness; more so when they served under the U.N. flag in Cambodia, Haiti and East Timor. I heard directly from their foreign military commanders how lucky they were to have versatile “can do, will do” Filipino troops. In all that time, our men and women in the frontlines and the backrooms, both officers and enlisted, were their equal.
I’ve been fortunate to have met heroes of WWII, like Emmanuel de Ocampo from the famed Hunter’s ROTC Guerrillas; Korea, like Nicanor Jimenez and Ernesto Gidaya; Vietnam, like Gaudencio Tobias and the psywar, medical, rural development, civil affairs and engineer cadres; and of our local wars, like Manuel Yan, Rafael Ileto, Fidel Ramos, Simeon Ventura, Rodolfo Caniezo, Renato de Villa, Lisandro Abadia, Arturo Enrile, Alex Aguirre, Arturo Ortiz.
Two USAFFE heroes deserve separate mention: 1.) Alfred Xerex-Burgos who carried his buddy during the Death March saving his life in the process and, later, restored Corregidor to the sacred memorial that it is today; and 2.) My father-in-law, Louie Jalbuena, a Camp O’Donnell POW and, after his release, a guerrilla fighter in Panay under the command of another hero, Macario Peralta.
The Filipino soldier I came to know is tough, dutiful, resourceful, simple, cunning, daring, quick to smile and easy to please. He is a jack-of-all-trades – an adventurer, protector, team player, savior, teacher, technician, builder, warrior and leader (good enough to be President); yet, remains mistrusted, uncared for, underpaid, underequipped and poorly led. Though he hopes to get a better break for his family, his life is his choice in the service of God, country and people. Honor is his profession.
Some are even in custody, led by Rene Miranda and Danilo Lim, for taking a principled stand against their unworthy superiors in the chain of command, who dared violate the very Constitution and oaths of office that they swore to uphold to stay in power for all the wrong reasons. But despite their treachery to the nation and the injustice to himself, his resolve is unshakeable in the belief that good will ultimately triumph over evil, and that history will vindicate him and venerate his selfless sacrifice.
Today, at 62, I am an inactive citizen-soldier but strong enough to still perform my duty if called. I owe that to where I began – at Naval ROTC – where my attitude toward service and duty was firmed up. Now, I only have my dogtags, gear, and mementos to ignite poignant and bittersweet memories.
I reminisce with much fulfillment in the knowledge that I had that rare opportunity of following for 17 years the long line of determined footsteps, and was privileged to be in the company of those who truly made a difference.
Rafael M. Alunan III
COL INF GSC PA(RES)
O-126272
"Men who adopt the profession of arms submit of their own free will to a law of perpetual constraint of their own accord. They reject their right to live where they choose, to eat what they want, to dress as they like. From the moment they become soldiers, it needs but an order to settle them from this place, to move them to that, to separate from their families and dislocate their normal lives. In the world of command, they must rise, march, run, endure bad weather, go even without food and sleep, and be isolated in some distant post. They cease to be the masters of their own fate. If they drop on their tracks and their ashes are scattered in the four winds, it is part and parcel of their job.” - General Charles De Gaulle
Throughout known history, the Filipino soldier earned an honored place on the battlefield. The annals of history are full of praise for the Filipino warrior and soldier.
The Chinese Testimony
The geographical encyclopedia written by Ma Tuan-lin states:
“They are all very brave; in fighting on land or water they are superior to other nations. All would be ready to take them without fail no matter how energetic the resistance.
(D'Harvey St. Denis's French translation)
Chau Ju-kua wrote:
"They are skilled at fighting on land or water. They appoint chiefs and leaders, and all provide their own military equipment and the necessary provisions. In facing the enemy and braving death they have not their equal among other nations."
(Chu-fan-chi translated by Hirth and Rockhill)
The Spanish Testimony
Under foreign rule, the Filipino established a reputation as an excellent soldier. One Spanish writer declared that the Filipino soldier was the bravest of all the subjects of the king of Spain, at a time when the Spanish empire was at its height.
Fr Delgado, responding to criticism leveled against the Indio stated:
"On the contrary, it must be said that the Indians are those who defend us from our enemies; for, in the presidios, who are the soldiers, who sail in the war fleets, who are in the vanguard in war? Could the Spaniards, perchance, maintain themselves alone in the country, if the Indians did not aid in everything?"
(Blair & Robertson, The Philippine Islands,
1493-1898, Vol. VI, pp. 270-271)
The British Testimony
When the British invaded Manila they encountered stirring resistance from the Filipino defenders. Here is what Draper says in his journal:
"Had their skill and weapons been equal to their strength and ferocity, it might have cost us dear. Although armed chiefly with bows, arrows, and lances, they advanced up to the very muzzles of our pieces, repeated their assaults, and died like wild beasts, gnawing the bayonets."
The American Testimony
The Americans also quickly realized the value of the Filipino soldier. Colonel Edmund J. Lilly, CO of the 57th Infantry, wrote:
"When I think of them, Kipling's words run through my head. "I have eaten your bread and salt. I have drunk your water and wine, and the deaths you died I have watched beside and the lives you lived were mine."
(The Philippine Scout Heritage Foundation, The
Philippine Scouts, 1996, p. 107)
Excerpts from a poem written by American officer 1st Lt Henry Lee of the 12th MP Coy during the Battle of Bataan:
No more the men who did not fear to die
will plug the broken line,
While through the din their beaten comrades raise the welcome cry,
“Make way, make way, the Scouts are moving in!"
The men who were besieged on every side
who knew the dissolution of retreat,
Still retained their fierce exultant pride
and still were soldiers - even in defeat.
Now meet the veterans of ten thousand years
now find a welcome worthy of their trade,
from men who fought with crossbows and with spears
with bullet and with arrow and with spade.
All the men in every nameless fight
since first Man strove against Man to prove his worth,
shall greet the tired Scouts as is their right.
No finer soldiers ever walked the Earth.
(The Philippine Scout Heritage Foundation,
The Philippine Scouts, 1996, p. 463)
At Brgy. Pawing, Palo, Leyte, is General Douglas MacArthur’s tribute to the Filipino World War II soldiers and veterans who offered their supreme sacrifice for the sake of freedom.
"He needs no eulogy from me or from any other men. He belongs to history as one of the finest examples of successful patriotism. He belongs to posterity as the structure of the future generations in the principles of liberty and freedom and he belongs to the present by his virtues and his achievements."
My Testimony
I submit my credentials beforehand to say that I have first hand knowledge of the attributes of the Filipino soldier because not too many know this part of my life. Now that it is past me, I am no longer constrained to speak up.
I hold the rank of Colonel in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, confirmed by the Commission of Appointments; a graduate of the Army’s Command and General Staff College; received training from the Special Forces and the Phil Constabulary’s Special Action Force, two units founded by President Fidel V. Ramos when he was still in the active service.
I was adopted by these units, PMA ’74 and the First Scout Ranger Regiment; held authority over the Phil. National Police and the government’s anti-terror network; commanded two Phil. Army Reserve Infantry Divisions, the 131st Standby and the 9th Ready Reserve; and participated in COIN, counter-coup, counter-terror, hostage recovery, and civil-military operations.
I’ve been on their ships, planes and tanks to where we sent our soldiers; visited them in their camps from the Cordilleras to Tawi-Tawi to let them know they were not alone and forgotten; shared their hardships in forward operating bases; consoled the wounded and the families of those who gave their lives to save others; and was with them when they fought from the air and on the ground.
My exposure to the Filipino soldier led me to the nexus between war and peace with rebel rightists, leftists and secessionists, and to the doorsteps of the war on terror. I witnessed their patience, endurance, intrepidity, resolve and loneliness; more so when they served under the U.N. flag in Cambodia, Haiti and East Timor. I heard directly from their foreign military commanders how lucky they were to have versatile “can do, will do” Filipino troops. In all that time, our men and women in the frontlines and the backrooms, both officers and enlisted, were their equal.
I’ve been fortunate to have met heroes of WWII, like Emmanuel de Ocampo from the famed Hunter’s ROTC Guerrillas; Korea, like Nicanor Jimenez and Ernesto Gidaya; Vietnam, like Gaudencio Tobias and the psywar, medical, rural development, civil affairs and engineer cadres; and of our local wars, like Manuel Yan, Rafael Ileto, Fidel Ramos, Simeon Ventura, Rodolfo Caniezo, Renato de Villa, Lisandro Abadia, Arturo Enrile, Alex Aguirre, Arturo Ortiz.
Two USAFFE heroes deserve separate mention: 1.) Alfred Xerex-Burgos who carried his buddy during the Death March saving his life in the process and, later, restored Corregidor to the sacred memorial that it is today; and 2.) My father-in-law, Louie Jalbuena, a Camp O’Donnell POW and, after his release, a guerrilla fighter in Panay under the command of another hero, Macario Peralta.
The Filipino soldier I came to know is tough, dutiful, resourceful, simple, cunning, daring, quick to smile and easy to please. He is a jack-of-all-trades – an adventurer, protector, team player, savior, teacher, technician, builder, warrior and leader (good enough to be President); yet, remains mistrusted, uncared for, underpaid, underequipped and poorly led. Though he hopes to get a better break for his family, his life is his choice in the service of God, country and people. Honor is his profession.
Some are even in custody, led by Rene Miranda and Danilo Lim, for taking a principled stand against their unworthy superiors in the chain of command, who dared violate the very Constitution and oaths of office that they swore to uphold to stay in power for all the wrong reasons. But despite their treachery to the nation and the injustice to himself, his resolve is unshakeable in the belief that good will ultimately triumph over evil, and that history will vindicate him and venerate his selfless sacrifice.
Today, at 62, I am an inactive citizen-soldier but strong enough to still perform my duty if called. I owe that to where I began – at Naval ROTC – where my attitude toward service and duty was firmed up. Now, I only have my dogtags, gear, and mementos to ignite poignant and bittersweet memories.
I reminisce with much fulfillment in the knowledge that I had that rare opportunity of following for 17 years the long line of determined footsteps, and was privileged to be in the company of those who truly made a difference.
Rafael M. Alunan III
COL INF GSC PA(RES)
O-126272
