CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – Harry Balser, accompanied by his wife, Mary, embarked on a nostalgic journey to retrace the steps of his Uncle Macy’s unit in Mindanao during World War II nearly eight decades ago.
Balser’s uncle, Macy Carneal, served as an infantryman with the 155th Regiment of the United States Army’s 31st Infantry “Dixie” Division. Without children of his own, Macy often shared stories of the Pacific war with his favorite nephew, Harry, in their small hamlet of Phoebus, Virginia, sparking a lifelong interest in World War II.
“The Philippines was a big part of my uncle’s life, and that also made me curious to see what the fighting was all about and how his campaign was conducted. We didn’t have maps of Mindanao like we have now, but General Robert Eichelberger’s memoir, Our Jungle Road to Tokyo, provided me very good documentation on the path of the campaign, and fairly good documentation on what transpired along the ‘roads’ through Mindanao. So, this was my starting point along with my uncle’s book of Division history,” Balser said.
After consulting Dr. Richard B. Meixsel, an assistant professor of history at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and an author on the US military in the Philippines during World War II, the Balsers reached out to Gina Cuerdo-Amador, a tour guide based in Bukidnon, to organize their trip. They finally made the journey in September.
The couple met their guide in Davao City on September 15. After touring World War II sites in the city, they traveled through Digos City to Fort Pikit and Kabacan in Cotabato, where Macy Carneal began his Mindanao campaign. He had waded ashore with the 31st Division in Parang on April 22, 1945.
Uncle Macy
Balser’s uncle was a skilled woodsman and an avid sports fisherman and hunter, very comfortable in the wilderness. He could live off the land, read signs on forest trails, and navigate by the stars – skills that served him well as an infantryman. He often took the lead as the point man on his unit’s jungle patrols.
During one patrol between Kabacan, Cotabato and Bukidnon, he strayed too far ahead of his column and had to hide behind a farmer’s chicken coop until he could safely rejoin them. From that moment on, he developed a deep affection for the Philippines, feeling that the land and its people had saved his life.
From Cotabato province, the Balsers traveled to Valencia City, Bukidnon, with a stop at Lake Pinamaloy, the site of the Battle of Colgan Woods. Also known as the Battle of Pinamaloy, it was the deadliest encounter faced by the US’ 31st Division during World War II, where the 124th Regiment clashed with the Japanese 2nd Battalion, 74th Regiment.
Their next stop was the historic Cinchona Forest Reserve in the village of Ka-atoan, which is now part of Lantapan town, Bukidnon. It played a crucial role in supplying quinine to troops from the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) in Bataan. The quinine, flown in by the Bamboo Fleet, delayed Bataan’s surrender longer than the Japanese Imperial Forces had anticipated, disrupting their conquest timeline in the Southwest Pacific. That delay allowed the Allies time to regroup, ultimately turning the tide against Japan.
The Balsers also visited Camp Casisang in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon, a national historical landmark where the remnants of the USAFFE’s Mindanao Force were held, along with their commander, Major General William F. Sharp, and General Manuel A. Roxas. Roxas, then the head of the Philippine Commonwealth Government, would later become the first president of the Republic of the Philippines in 1946.
Heading further north, the group toured the Del Monte Lodge, where General Douglas MacArthur and his family stayed from March 13 to 17, 1942. They also visited the General MacArthur Memorial Marker at Del Monte Airfield No. 1 in Barangay Dicklum, where MacArthur’s party took off in two B-17E bombers on their final escape leg to Australia.
Their tour ended with visits to historic sites in Cagayan de Oro City, including Gaston Park, where the Battle of Cagayan took place on April 7, 1900, between the Mindanao Battalion under General Nicolas Capistrano and the US 40th Volunteers under Colonel Edward A. Godwin.
They also saw the MacArthur Memorial Marker in Barangay Puntod, where General MacArthur landed on March 13, 1942, after successfully escaping the Japanese blockade of Corregidor.
Takeaways
“Of course, our trip focused on more than just military history. We took in the scenic beauty of the Philippines, met the people, and enjoyed experiences that delighted visitors. I am sure those kinds of things are an everyday part of working in the tourist industry,” Balser said.
He said he plans to write an account of their journey for their travel club newsletter, and tell Professor Meixsel what he experienced during his trip.
“I would really like to see Mindanao and the people of Mindanao remember more vividly what happened, and make the history come alive for themselves. I really think it’s a great attraction for visitors. People in Mindanao are missing a piece of history by not having a more tangible experience and feeling of it, because obviously the freedom that the Philippines has, was paid for, and it should be appreciated,” Balser said.
Their guide, Cuerdo-Amador, agreed. She said that in most significant sites there were no monuments, and local guides were unaware of what happened there during World War II.
Amador said, “It was ironic that in Davao City, my guide colleague found no information at all about the Second World War. Fortunately, Digos City had much more data, and a very enthusiastic historian to boot in Vice Mayor Johari Bana who showed us around!”
Despite this, she said she plans to develop specialized World War II-themed tours for Mindanao, focusing on significant battles and other historical sites. At present, Amador only guides guests to local monuments and battle sites based on their specific requests. – Rappler.com