Ildefonso David

[VeeVee]

Moved this posting by Insurrectomad, probably better under this sub-forum. Also posting the picture he sent in for this:

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Not too sure this is the best thread but here goes. my Asawa's eldest uncle was a capt. in the P.S. 1941 died in Campus POW camp, at O'Donell. His name was Ildefonso David. he was just 23yrs old and had married the yr before. his son was born a few days before the muster to the front ( N. of Tarlac?) He was never seen by the family again a witness saw him on the death-March near Florida -Blanca, Panpanga. His little boy died in a tragic accident 5 yrs later. I have a photo of him in his Lt.s uniform (the day of marriage). the lapel badge suggests artillery unit. My Father-in-Law (Died 19 Jan 2009 aged 89yrs) was the next brother in line and was a Sgt. in the Guerrilla Forces. During 1941, my F. in L. Eligio David (then 210 and his brother "Junior" (then 17yrs old) attempted to gain access to the POW camp to supply their brother Ildefonso ("Pussin") food and news, but were turned back at point of bayonet & clubbed with rifle butts. Uncle Junior (Eustaqui David) at 84 is O.K. and visiting the family here in Porac, Pampanga.
And has been telling me some of the things that took place during the war. The atrocities he and "Tatay" witnessed burned a deep and strong desire in Eustaqui to take revenge By mid 1942 both brothers slipped away from the family and roamed the hills for days on end until enlisted with the N.W. Pampangan, Central Luzon Brigade. Their served in copany 'D'. Each comp. acted independently I'm told. Uncle "Junior" shyly holds his head down and softly tells me how he like a wild tiger he killed, ensnared, and trapped his enemy. Never taking prisoners. "My blood was on fire then, & my heart was stone!" His eyes flashed, voice harsh for an instant and then returns to the mild old man. For years I thought the photo was of "Tatay". He would never talk of the war except to say it was a dreadful time. Uncle "Junior" spoke proudly to me Yesterday of the struggle he and other Vets of the Guerrilla Units to get their USA Milt. Vets pension. "Our names are on the US Milt. Rolls" he said and showed me his Vets Visa/I.D. card. He returns to Cal. on the 11 April 09. As he is not strong enough to visit Mt. Samat Memorial on the 9th; I will go for him, and lay a wreath.
I hope to spend the day there & sleep-over at our families farm in Tokup Village, Bataan. As I still can,'t manage to download Image here, I'll E-mail copy of the photo to VeeVee. Mabuhay! B.B's -David

[RayAdillO]

My salutes to the brothers David....soldiers all!

The photo of Capt. Ildefonso David P.S. shows him wearing a Philippine Army Field Artillery officer's uniform at the time of his wedding.

Unless he was P.S. transferred to train the P.A. in 1940, he probabaly transferred to the Philippine Scouts FA due to his proficency and the opening of vacant posts within the P.S. when it had a brief expansion just before the war broke out.

Here's a brief expalanation of P.A. insignia


Collar insignia for Philippine Army General officers are the U.S. version "eagles".

[insurrectomad]

Just a postscript to add to info. on to that of my Father-in-Law, Eligio Tenedo David. Today looking through some old papers and came across his discharge papers dated 1946. Eligio David was a 1st Sargent, not just a 3 striper. In the Brit. Army that would make him a Sargent-Major. The paper states that he after doing his basic training in July-Dec 1939 he enlisted on 2oth August 1942. He the company 1st Sargent of 'D' comp. 3rd Bn. NW Pampanga MD. Operating in guerrilla warfare, each company acted independently and this must have placed enormous responsibility on my F. in L. I can well understand now what made him restless & drove him to absent himself from the family as he would go off into the hills for days at a time. He was always a gentle self-effacing man to me and never spoke of the war beyond the remark "It was a terrible time".