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Post by legionnaire on Sept 22, 2007 18:11:51 GMT -5
Found this very impressive formation of 22 men PA troops and hopefully someone can identify this unit doing the Bataan PS impression. I don't know if Col. Aguilar knows this unit. Philip
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Post by RayAdillO on Sept 23, 2007 0:35:15 GMT -5
Very nice Legionnaire!
Where or from what site did you get this photo?
It looks like it can be in the Philippines. If so, then I wonder who organized and outfitted them?
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Post by VeeVee on Sept 23, 2007 9:56:55 GMT -5
I believe this was a photo from the opening of the Cabanatuan POW camp memorial (or the O'Donell). Yes this was in the PI.
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Post by legionnaire on Sept 23, 2007 10:04:56 GMT -5
There were no info details when I found this photo. This was probably a while back. I remenber Col. Aguilar a long while back requesting from me donations for leggings, helmets and ammo belts to equip a dozen of his men. And he got help from a Bataan veterans group here in the US. So It could be that this were his men he help get equipped for this event.
Opps thanks for the head count correction Rudy! ;D
Philip
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Post by 26th on Sept 23, 2007 11:33:20 GMT -5
Hey Philip: Where are the other 6 soldiers? That's the way we should always line up when together with Joe yelling at us>haha Rudy
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cco23i
History Student
"But I don't wanna go back to the States"
Posts: 94
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Post by cco23i on Sept 23, 2007 19:46:23 GMT -5
That is an impressive photo!
Scott
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Post by VeeVee on Sept 23, 2007 21:40:58 GMT -5
Those are most likely real Philippine Army soldiers outfitted in WW2. They look too snappy and lack the beer belly to be reenactors
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victoree
History Buff
V for Vacate, Joe
Posts: 119
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Post by victoree on Sept 23, 2007 23:11:11 GMT -5
Yup, ya can only be fat if your a white troop. ;D
Martin
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Post by RayAdillO on Sept 28, 2007 20:59:20 GMT -5
Well folks, The "Mystery Honor Guard" platoon has finally been positively identified! I sent an E-mail with the photo attached, CC'd to none other than our good friend Colonel Resty Aguilar. He had a good look at the photo and immediately recognized it , and promptly e-mailed me back a reply And so, with the Colonel's kind permission, here is his reply of acknowledgement: "If I am not mistaken they were my boys from the 24th Infantry Battalion, 7th Infantry Division, PA taken in April 2002 at Camp O'Donnell, Capas, Tarlac during the 60th anniversary of the Araw ng Kagitingan. My boys served as firing detail during the honors for the dead of the Battling Bastards of Bataan. I was their battalion commander from 2000-2002. Philip attended one of two Military Vehicle Shows I organized for 2 consecutive years.
The platoon leader, then Lieutenant Louie Dema-ala is now a Captain. I was also in that occasion in the same type of uniform but out of the sight of the camera. While there were lots of shots taken before and after this one, I don't have a copy of any photo taken during the said activity because we did not bring a photographer. Some of the photos are in the possession of the families of the veterans who attended the occasion. Thanks for this one.
It took me 2 years to generate uniforms and "complete" accessories for the boys. The rifles are M1903A3 Springfields from the AFP Logistics Command, the authentic leggings and repro cartridge belts were donated by the Battling Bastards of Bataan while the helmets are replicas molded in plastic by Prof. Mel Silvestre of the UP College of Fine Arts.
It was just unfortunate that when I left for another assignment, my successor did not have passion for history. Many of the uniforms and accessories were eventually infested by termites in the battalion supply storage but when I learned of it, I retrieved whatever can be salvaged and some have been displayed on the PA Museum mannequins. The rest are still with me for future use.
Thanks and Regards.
Resty "We salute you Colonel Aguilar for the painstaking efforts you and others have done just to make that one Bataan commemoration in Capas, Tarlac of April 2002 so much more memorable. FOR THE HONOR OF OUR SACRED DEAD...RISE AND STRIKE! LET THE IDOMITABLE SPIRIT OF BATAAN AND CORREGIDOR LEAD ON. LET NO HEART BE FAINT. LET EVERY HAND BE STEELED. FOLLOW IN HIS NAME TO THE HOLY GRAIL, AND MAY THE HAND OF DIVINE GUIDANCE POINT THE WAY TO RIGHTEOUS VICTORY!
Douglas MacArthur, Field Marshall of the Philippine Army
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Post by 26th on Sept 28, 2007 21:15:00 GMT -5
Just like Victor said, too smart looking for reenactors and no beer bellies. Good research Ray. When we meet again soon, let's line up like that at camp when Gereral Ortega shows up. Rudy
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Post by VeeVee on Sept 28, 2007 22:48:46 GMT -5
Ray, Thanks for the info and the research. We should help Col. Aguilar however way we can. Martin, No, it's not just white troops who get fat. Filipino food is not exactly healthy stuff. Rudy, When you guys do line up like that at Marching Through History, don't forget to take some good pictures I hope this "memorial regiment" comes to fruition too: pinoyhistory.proboards22.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=1190006271
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victoree
History Buff
V for Vacate, Joe
Posts: 119
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Post by victoree on Sept 29, 2007 0:00:52 GMT -5
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Post by 26th on Sept 29, 2007 10:55:08 GMT -5
Now that last picture show a pinoy belly of rice and san miguel beer>
Rudy
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victoree
History Buff
V for Vacate, Joe
Posts: 119
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Post by victoree on Sept 29, 2007 16:09:44 GMT -5
This is what they tagged the photos as...
American Major Edwin Andrews, commanding officer o... PHILIPPINES - NOVEMBER 1941: American Major Edwin Andrews, commanding officer of Zablan airfield and Filipino training officer, Major Jose Francisco, just prior to war with Japan. (Photo by Carl Mydans/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images)
He is eating well.
Martin
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Post by legionnaire on Sept 29, 2007 16:47:54 GMT -5
The time/ life pictures text on this must be mistaken as this is a Filipino Officer of the Commonwealth of the Philippine PAAC and has the Philippine Commonwealth Eagle on his Pershing hat mistaken for the American Eagle officer's hat badge. Philip
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victoree
History Buff
V for Vacate, Joe
Posts: 119
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Post by victoree on Sept 29, 2007 19:18:22 GMT -5
The hat badge was throwing me. I didn't know how "native" that a person might have gone. The white troops in the Philippines seem not to follow regulations very well. It is kind of confusing to tell exactly what is going on sometimes.
Martin
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cco23i
History Student
"But I don't wanna go back to the States"
Posts: 94
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Post by cco23i on Sept 29, 2007 21:50:07 GMT -5
Old and lumpy? I prefer "well aged" Scott ;D
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