ABOUT THE BOOK:
The First Filipino Battalion was formed, and around 7,000 eagerly volunteered. From the unit came the First and Second Infantry Regiments that returned with the liberation forces. From the Regiments formed the First Reconnaissance Battalion (Special) and the 978th Signal Service Company, secret military units highly trained and known only to General Douglas MacArthur and a few of his staff. Why were these suicidal missions sent to the Philippines in the two years before his return? And why were they a secret?
Discovering that her father was a member of this clandestine unit, author Marie Silva Vallejo was compelled to find out. But the secrecy of the covert missions to the islands challenged the creation of their chronological history. Large gaps about their exploits in the Philippines had to be filled in largely from guerrilla records to complete their story. The children of the men who were so proud of their fathers, shared their stories that fleshed out the daunting experiences they underwent in the jungles of the islands.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Marie Silva Vallejo has a degree in Education and pursued graduate studies in Psychology. She authored Battle of Ising: The Untold Story of the 130th Infantry Regiment in the Liberation of Davao and Mindanao. She was on the board of the American Historical Collection in Manila. She spearheaded the scanning of the Guerrilla Recognition Program files in the Philippine Archives Collection at the U.S. National Records and Administration (NARA) that began the Philippine Veterans Administration Office's (PVAO) mission to scan the entire Collection and make it available online to show the Filipinos' contribution to WWII history.
ABOUT THE CENTRAL COAST VETERAN MEMORIAL MUSEUM:
This treasured Veterans history museum and education center in San Luis Obispo County, was established in 2002 by Central Coast Veterans and community supporters to preserve historic artifacts, educate the community, host veterans and public events, and record the stories of Veterans from across the Central Coast of California.
Through their ongoing partnership with the US Library of Congress (LOC), The Veterans Museum in San Luis Obispo, is a designated site for US Veterans to record their 1st person accounts of service in the US Armed Forces, to be preserved into a national history archives of America's historical records.
The Museum is a 501c3 nonprofit, history organization accepting donations, sponsorships and membership to support their mission to Honor and Remember all Veterans from past and present, with emphasis on those from the Central Coast of California through preservation, education and creating a community for our veterans to feel honored and appreciated.