WWII LIBERATION CAMPAIGN IN

ILOCOS NORTE

Leslie Kay Rivera Corpuz

Center for Iloko and Amianan Studies
February 29, 2024
American Corner Batac
BRIEF BACKGROUND ON THE INVASION OF THE
PHILIPPINES BY JAPAN

Return from retirement of

General Douglas
MacArthur

Preparation for the war

Japanese attack
PREPARATION
The Imminent War
THE ATTACK
THE ATTACK
USAFFE
USAFFE TRAINING
DESTROYED HQ
MAKAPILI
 US-PH IN WWII
cooperation between american soldiers and guerrillas of
ilocos Norte
 ILOCOS NORTE IN WWII

Rise of guerrilla
movements/groups

Ablan- Madamba Guerrilla

Unit
 GUERRILLA OPERATIONS OF THE MONJE UNIT

Nannuangan, Batac

Instruction from USAFFE

office

Trials
 FIGHT FOR FREEDOM

USS Stingray SS-186

USAFIP-NL

War for Liberation

(December 1944)
 STINGRAY MEMORIAL

From the first days of WWII,

Filipinos and Americans set-up
resistance throughout the country;
the first to attack the Japanese was
the Ablan-Madamba Guerrilla Unit
of Northern Luzon.

When General Douglas MacArthur

learned of the native resistance he
asked the US Navy for submarines
to supply the Philippine
underground.
 STINGRAY MEMORIAL

Cmdr. Chick Parsons, who had earlier

escaped from Japanese captivity in
Manila, organized and directed the 20
Spyron Special Mission Submarines
which completed 49 secret missions.
They delivered arms, ammunition,
medicine, radios and specially-trained
commandos.

The returning US forces were met by

350,000 guerrillas; there were over 200
radio/coastwatcher stations sending
vital information to MacArthur.
 STINGRAY MEMORIAL

These 20 submarines were a

major factor in the liberation
of the Philippines, and were
the most successful patrol
mission boats of WWII:
Narwhal, Nautilus, Bowfin,
Stingray, Ray Angler, Redfin,
Gudgeon, Blackfin, Seawolf,
Trout, Gar, Crevalle, Gunnel,
Grayling, Harder, Cero, Hake,
Thresher, Tambor.
 STINGRAY MEMORIAL
On this point, Caunayan Bay, in the
early morning of August 27, 1944, the
USS Stingray offloaded 15 Fil-Am
commandos, led by Capt. Joe Valera,
and 6 tons of arms and supplies for
the guerrillas and bolomen. This was
the last of the major submarine
landings, just 6 weeks prior to the
Leyte Invasion.

This anchor and chain represents the

loss of 9 by those submarines and left
them behind in their often hasty
departures.
 STINGRAY MEMORIAL

An anchor and chain lie

underwater 100 meters from the
spot where they were left by the
Stingray during its harried exit.
She was surrounded by 21
Japanese vessels, but escaped to
deep water without firing a shot.

This memorial is anchored in

freedom, enshrined in
friendship.
 PHOTO SOURCES:

Guillermo, Miguel R. and Dominador C. Javellana III. Bolomen. Manila:

Interformat AV Manila, 2007.

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qz28tAhDROO_gv2z9Xaru8wcbdXrSeQSK1HH4sKUVw4_fcwenYIC1RdH
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uMo1z0BSHSzpZzGk_CjwLSf0g5bwsLs&opaqueCursor=AbpB8AcgZMVAd
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73LUlr9D3WuuGgEgLvbb29_PeX-jJXvsAfzPAHjGR4uIlWlb-
xUTQr04INQ98l74XzrNWWALrI-Po6A-
6PKp9D9VZvkQxBgX5b1XdE2gCTJ1mEPgEWRTJL07Ej1gWwyNJ52-
z5l_hxHokMjowLF3ek3NeuzXKaeQ28HG2t9vdqnwBgNQjzKRIoOfHBgys
wgHw7Xu_vFHEpl4mwWVwPmNu0u9c6CuMEf4ZfXdAEQyX67pfQZcRx
pKeAs9974SWGC4FGKAqEHgP1xzzj4vRVGs-HlOjNQvhDSM1O-
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N6wguo
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MmwmNtcFKZBrsf0BG80AqSR8L3KXhfFlmGXD0noKM6Lfvh2zS-
OXfMzpW-ggDqWWB2a_atiQDwFunvrjCyro6H64Rsvrau8Rg2YP7rE5-
AomX3rDQL45t9xc1QzSJPMdIoz6D44tqbFV3cGxo&opaqueCursor=Abq
UhGWXv4cdf708Wj9wUfY00XInFju7dq9y-
1Yqh7p2jrwGtd0of2lVLEUBJdjJUcU6u20DbYZNeoDEMTPBubMUwnc
xWLc0nZk-
_JVW3IlKCw80uNsPWPrGhXTK9qOkI_2Mv2cdsCFYNtFmKHC--
oPkhY29VeCLueb4l8KpC2QFMlec2lnbP5zdUqHKaia5-
TmBAfEsxh7nyWmHU3ZG4RCwMA5J60VQ2aetq-
97ex28NTAsbaacGg6SGWcy2mE4jm7db7AGnaOupsaO-
zcqKWepgNCeEZwGZyH6x4wM_L_P3AdPgEQEHat5tmJHgX8ghbiKh
n4WIxZMlZXxUz1tTzw-tOtbrSlH2PyBACkJjk4LtM_6-
b5G_NryIcTeMuIhObSYv13GuClbwdClu0xclQyw80vQVYUAidwTPQvJ
UWQXe7Ikpgk5YgM7GBmfYoH5e9z875LWP4eDPLAxDvsuStgMSAIXl
DTX2ijCI_tbYyw_PU2-
Y1yDBnHsxu8j43yZPs_cvYSCexdtlTvE55gOHYvZbhGJVD4lyP1UDbq4l3
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