
I have a number of good friends who went to Viet Nam, another ugly war. Without going into politics, my thoughts while on Leyte also went to these friends who fought on or were stationed in Viet Nam.
Unlike a certain former president, my buds did not evade the draft… or avoid, whichever term you prefer. My friends did their duty. When they got drafted, they reported for duty as any American man should have.
But while I certainly appreciate their sacrifices, nothing in what I’ve read gave a hint about the climate THEY in Viet Nam had to fight and survive in. Having been on Leyte, I can now more fully sense it was indescribably WORSE than what was written, if any.
Just like for Uncle Suetaro and Smitty, their days were grueling and a throwback to the times of cavemen. Nightfall brought very little relief in temperature or humidity. If my friends were at a fire base in the Vietnamese jungles, they went on for days without showers or even toilets. New, laundered dungarees? Dry feet during the monsoons? No.
When I got back to LA and got over my jet lag, I called several of them to thank them even more and explained I more fully appreciate their sacrifices of their youth for the rotten conditions under which they faithfully fulfilled their duties. One also had a father who was gunner on a Liberator in the sweltering SWP as well. (There are a number of bloggers I know that I did not call but you know who you are. Thank you.)
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Day 4 – Villaba
After chowing down in the morning, we piled into our well-driven vans once again. We headed north towards Villaba on the same road that Uncle Suetaro marched up in October 1944 to Carigara but back then, it was mostly dirt – or mud. They also had use of undetermined vehicles but the road offered no protection from US airpower from which rained bombs and strafing runs. US planes dominated the skies.

In addition, their march north was hampered by attacks from US-supplied Filipino guerrillas. They would blow up parts of the road that were at most merely passable. In addition to slippery, oozing mud (see above), the Japanese were forced to go off the main road to bypass the destroyed sections. This implies, for example, that since Uncle Suetaro’s platoon was hauling their 37mm cannons, they would be forced to break down the artillery pieces into the two wheels and cannon barrel sections to carry it over blown up section of road… in addition to lugging their shells and ammunition.
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On our way north towards Cananga, Mr. Ota spotted a “Jack Fruit” at roadside; we had never seen a fruit this big before. Have you? It must be the Fat Albert of the fruit world.

Passerbys were equally bewildered by our “touristy-ness”, it seems. We definitely caught their attention.

Third Memorial Service

After veering off from a town called Cananga, we headed northwest. We stopped at an older memorial (indicated by #3 above) erected by a Japanese citizen many years ago. It had not been maintained but amazingly rested in between two dwellings. Unfortunately, it was erected just yards away from the street.



At this service, my cousin Kiyoshi read his letter to Uncle Suetaro.
Dripping in perspiration, Kiyoshi was incredibly strong emotionally reading his letter to his uncle that he was never able to meet. In his letter, Kiyoshi introduced himself to his Uncle Suetaro and that they were finally able to meet here. Kiyoshi hoped that Uncle Suetaro was not lonely as no one had come to see him in these past 70 years and to please forgive us. He explained he was the last child of Suetaro’s older sister Michie and that it is said he was born in Suetaro’s place after his death. Because of Michie’s strength and devotion, all of her children are living long lives. He closed by saying we will always remember his life and sacrifices then bowed reverently.

After closing the ceremony, we once again handed out the food to the local children and families who were very grateful and friendly.

Again, like the low decibel thunder we heard after I read my letters, we soon saw a sign that Uncle Suetaro heard Kiyoshi and Namie: a rainbow appeared overhead, spotted by Izumi. It was very fulfilling for us to see.


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We then headed towards the Mt. Canguipot area, a smaller hill just east of the town of Villaba (see map above). It is said many Japanese soldiers closed their eyes for the last time while looking at Mt. Canguipot. I understand Ms. Setsu Teraoka’s uncle, Lt. Nakamura, died here in its shadow, possibly during the last “banzai” charges against the US 1st Cavalry on December 31, 1944.
Our drivers, under Mr. Ota’s accurate GPS-assisted directions, wormed their way up a hidden dirt road – a very uneven and narrow hidden dirt road. My belly was wider than the road. Frankly, I don’t know how Mr. Ota even remembered where this road was except it was slightly south of the actual seaside town of Villaba. This is where we saw the adorable little village girl running alongside us.
After bumping and thumping up the road in the vans engineered for city driving, we ended up at a very small clearing found at the crest in a small town called Catagbacan (marked by “school” in the map above). We disembarked with all the village folk staring at us; there were a number of poor, scraggly dogs roaming about, their skin badly infected from incessant scratching of their numerous mosquito bites. My two daughters would have been devastated if they had seen them.

Mr. Ota led our party down a dirt path; after a distance, the peak of Mt. Canguipot veiled in dark clouds assembled by the Japanese gods began to peer down on our little pilgrimage. Perhaps they were beckoning us.

Nearing the end of the trail, Mr. Ota explained to us what happened around Mt. Canguipot, which included Lt. Nakamura. He had collected this detailed information through many years of dedicated research including interviews of a couple of survivors. Their last coordinated attacks were recorded to be on December 31, 1944. (See US battle notes below.)
After offering our Buddhist prayers to the souls, we headed back up the incline. Masako doggedly kept up with us.
We crossed through Catagbacan’s center and into their small elementary school, partially rebuilt after Typhoon Yolanda. It was a large spread, with its natural sprawling beauty. Mr. Ota explained that the last remaining rag tag survivors of the 41st Regiment had assembled in this spot along with others. (One report said there were 268 in total.)

The Path
Mr. Ota had explained that every single night, a couple of the most capable men would walk down the hill under the cover of darkness to the shoreline in Balite. They had heard rumors that the Japanese Navy was arranging for their evacuation. The boats never came and therefore, they were never rescued. (For details of their hopes on being evacuated yet tragic and ultimate futility, please see my A Soul Lost in a Faraway Jungle.)
I was then duped into taking a “short” trek down to the shore area from this peak by Masako’s daughter, Izumi. (She and my son did the same thing to me in Japan, tricking me into climbing Mt. Misen in Hiroshima. I will get even!) She said, “Koji-san, let’s go (to your death is what I thought)!”
While Masako, escorted by Carmela, wisely made the decision to return to the nice air conditioned van, Mr. Ota had hired a young man to lead us down the path taken by the Japanese soldiers in December, 1944. Hint of the things to come: he had a machete to cut through the growth, not a Black & Decker portable trimmer with rechargeable lithium batteries. We exited through the backside of the school, never to be seen by humanity again. Just kidding.
The trek down the path was through abundant natural growth and sweltering humidity. Passing through shaded areas provided no relief; in fact, in some spots, the humidity had become entrapped by the vegetation. Nothing better than natural saunas.
Yes, I was the straggler but my excuse was I was lugging my back pack laden with 100 pounds of camera equipment. Just kidding; I’m just a SoCal wuse. Even Namie and Tomiko were ahead of me as we neared the shoreline. Notice the guide had made them walking sticks out of branches he cut down along the way.

I had wilted once again on this trek; Mr. Ota said it was about 2-3 kilometers. (I shall get even, Izumi-san!) But seriously, what I thought about was how emaciated and very thirsty soldiers – without medical provisions either – did this night after night for a couple of weeks in hopes of spotting Japanese Navy rescue boats. I understand a vast number of these “boats” were actually commandeered Filipino hollowed-out canoes with pontoons.

For those soldiers in December of 1944, it was desperation to survive and return home; I have never experienced this. In fact, after being abandoned on this island by their own military, it would have been easy to be overcome by hopelessness and depression. However, in a testament to their fortitude and determination, I was (plenty) fed, had bottled mineral water and dry shoes, socks and feet; yet, I was still pretty beat up. They likely were infected with jungle rot, dysentery, malaria, infected wounds… This went for all military on that island, Japanese or US (who likely had access to medical care however basic).
Remember: not only did they climb down, they had to climb back up before dawn in their emaciated condition. Still, the thick growth effectively covered their movements during the day offering some protection against US airpower. They could also easily duck into the bush if need be to avoid being detected.

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By this time in December 1944, death was the rule which governed their existence; surviving until this time was the exception. Yet, in spite of starvation, thirst, illness and depression, these last few soldiers survived, only to perish here due to their inability to surrender.
Two powerful letters and emotion-laden deliveries by Izumi and Setsu will mark the last service.
You will definitely shed a tear or two.
To be continued in Part 8.
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Other chapters are here for ease of locating earlier posts in this series:
A Soul Lost From WWII Comes Home – Part 1
A Soul Lost From WWII Comes Home – Part 2
A Soul Lost From WWII Comes Home – Part 3
A Soul Lost From WWII Comes Home – Part 4
A Soul Lost From WWII Comes Home – Part 5
A Soul Lost From WWII Comes Home – Part 6
A Soul Lost from WWII Comes Home – Part 8
A Soul Lost from WWII Comes Home – Epilogue
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
US BATTLE NOTES (from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines by M. Hamlin Cannon):
The US 1st Cavalry Division
With the clearing of Highway 2 and the junction of the X and XXIV Corps at a point just south of Kananga, the 1st Cavalry Division was in readiness to push toward the west coast in conjunction with assaults by the 77th Division on its left and the 32d Division on its right. The troops were on a 2,500-yard front along Highway 2 between Kananga and Lonoy.
On the morning of 23 December the assault units of the 1st Cavalry Division moved out from the highway and started west. None encountered any resistance. The 1st Squadron, 12th Cavalry, established a night perimeter on a ridge about 1,400 yards slightly northwest of Kananga. The 1st Squadron, 5th Cavalry, set up a night perimeter 1,000 yards north of that of the 1st Squadron, 12th Cavalry, while the 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry, dug in for the night on a line with the other two squadrons.
This first day’s march set the pattern for the next several days. The regiments pushed steadily forward, meeting only scattered resistance. The chief obstacles were waist-deep swamps in the zone of the 12th Cavalry. These were waded on 24 December. The tangled vegetation and sharp, precipitous ridges that were henceforward encountered also made the passage slow and difficult.
On 28 December, the foremost elements of the 5th and 12th Cavalry Regiments broke out of the mountains and reached the barrio of Tibur on the west coast, about 2,800 yards north of Abijao. By nightfall on the following day, the 7th Cavalry was also on the west coast but farther north. In its advance it had encountered and destroyed many small, scattered groups of the enemy, most of whom showed little desire to fight. The regiment arrived at Villaba, two and one-half miles north of Tibur, at dusk, and in securing the town killed thirty-five Japanese.
During the early morning hours of 31 December, the Japanese launched four counterattacks against the forces at Villaba. Each started with a bugle call, the first attack beginning at 0230 and the final one at dawn. An estimated 500 of the enemy, armed with mortars, machine guns, and rifles, participated in the assaults, but the American artillery stopped the Japanese and their forces scattered. On 31 December, the 77th Division began to relieve the elements of the 1st Cavalry Division, which moved back to Kananga.
On the morning of the 30th of December, the 7th Cavalry had made physical contact northeast of Villaba with the 127th Infantry, 32d Division, which had been driving to the west coast north of the 1st Cavalry Division.
Reblogged this on Lest We Forget and commented:
Part 7…
Thank you very much, Pierre. I am just getting to replying to most comments so my apologies.
Okay. Crying. Incredibly moving and such important history.
And I think of your father as well, Cindy.
I should have bought stock in Puffs – I’d be rich by now!
[Vietnam is one subject I avoid like the plague.]
Vietnam is in our history. I always salute those who went and did their duty.
Yes, it is and I know you always show respect. It simply pains me to talk about the place – for so many reasons….
One of the very many bad things about war is how, fifty or sixty years down the line, things are the very opposite of what they once were. Old enemies become new friends. Which is how it should be, but it does make you wonder why people begin fighting in the first place.
I don’t think man likes being dirty, sweaty, caked in muck. We can’t lick ourselves clean, and grooming is no longer an acceptable social exercise, so these conditions you describe–they must have been intolerable.
They were. When I was on Leyte, I was able to shower – twice in one – day and had clean clothes. I can’t comprehend how they survived. There’s no 7-11 selling toilet paper…
Taking down a massive artillery piece and carrying parts plus munitions separately by hand, my God that essentially made them sitting ducks to anyone looking for them, so many forget the sacrifices that were made and I’m so glad you are sharing the story by taking us on the road with you.
Now, that jackfruit? what on earth did they feed it?! 😲
Uncle’s artillery piece was a 37mm anti-tank gun. Not saying it was light but it wasn’t an 88mm either. Still, lugging it even in pieces over muddy roads or slippery slopes made it extremely fatiguing.
For sure! in the mud everything will feel another 5 pounds heavier and not to mention slippery, while trying to stay quiet :O
Day four: yet another good post. You’ve been doing a great job weaving together the history and your experience on the same roads and hills years later.
Thank you very much. You do a much nicer job!
Years of practice and lots of editing. 🙂 Thanks though!
If someone wants to discuss the Vietnam War thats fine, most say the US lost that war. I however do not share that thought, well its the US won militarily, but lost politically. The US never lost a battle over there, inflicted 10 times the casualties on the Viet Cong and the NVA. My specialty is the Philippines of WW2. The Philippines was a clear cut US stomping of the brutal Japanese invaders. I have talked with a few elderly Filipinos during the time I lived there, some have forgiven, some have not. The Filipinos that haven’t forgiven were people who had relatives killed by the Japanese. Some I talked with say that the US killed my relative during the fighting in Manila when MacArthur gave the order to use the artillery and aerial bombing to dislodge the Japanese from certain parts of town like Intramuros and Rizal Baseball Stadium. The 77th Division just prior to landing in the Philippines were in the fight for Guam. My 3rd Division Marine grandfather was also on Guam, he told me the Japanese on Guam executed nearly 4000 of the natives on Guam, the survivors said the Japanese took all the food, executed those who hid food for themselves and their families. Recently in the news the 70th anniverssary of the US atomic attacks on Japan. One thing that bothers me about all that is so many Japanese call the US war criminals for the atomic attacks, yet say NOTHING about the millions who were killed by the Japanese all across greater Asia. I do notice its the younger people saying this for the most part, so many people just love to bash the US for their very just war of liberation. I do feel its time for Japan to stop having to apologize, but on the otherhand, they must stop the lies, the denials and their attempts at revising history, which I see all to often. I see the arrogance in the people still in the way most Japanese people say that any photo showing and proving Japanese soldiers committed attrocities in the lands they invaded are nothing but US made, photoshopped fakes. Germany is not treated as Japan is with regards to not denying their role in WW2, its because they owned what they did and made things right as best they could. I never hear the things about Germany as I do about Japan, and that goes back to the fact Japan cannot just accept the truth and tell its people once and for all that its mostly true. The IJA soldier who hid in the hills and jungles of Lubang, Philippines for 29 years is considered a hero in Japan, but to the families of the 30 farmers he killed long after the war was over cannot be called a hero in the Philippines even though Marcos pardened him, he was nothing more than just like the callously trained men of his Army. In his long solitude one would think that after some years, that he would come to realize something was amiss. To think a war could go on for 30 years goes back to fact of his harsh training and indoctrination as this “Bushido Warrior” of old, he at least should have been put on trial. The people of Japan MUST come to terms with the facts of their war conduct, until thats done, Japan will suffer the indignation of being a country that cares little for people other than its own…
You do such a thorough job Koji. I feel like I was watching a movie with a time warp. I am greatly appreciating the memorials you and your family have done for your Uncle. Respect and honor, and family love. I thank you for continuing to share this.
I am touched by your poignant effort to humanize our soldiers, be they on one side or the other. Indeed, life will always be tough for those who live in harsh conditions in the field. It takes so much patience and understanding, and sometimes, those who have not experienced the hardships will be quick to judge. I love your devotion and respect for your elders and for your work, Koji. Keep it up!
Those were very kind words, sir. I am very humbled. Thank you. While I do believe when war has to be fought, it needs to be fought to win and quickly. By doing so, casualties will be less. Still, war is vile. Unless you were there, you just won’t understand the horror of death in war…and what somebody must do in order to stay alive. Since I have never served, I am one of those…but I try to understand.
No matter how many times I read or am told about the conditions of war, there is really no way for me to understand. I can try to think about it, but nothing I imagine comes close. I love the alters and ceremony of the memorials you participated in, and I’m so glad you shared them. They point to the idea that decades later there is still a sense of loss and the need for reverence and memory. Beautiful!