Tribute to the Philippine Scouts of Bataan

I had meant to post this last week for Bataan Day (April 9) but didn't get a chance. This is a little art tribute to the gallant Philippine Scouts of Bataan.

(click for bigger)






TO THE PHILIPPINE SCOUTS

The desperate fight is lost; the battle done.
The brown, lean ranks are scattered to the breeze
Their cherished weapons rusting in the sun
Their smoldering guidons hidden by the leaves.
No more the men who did not fear to die
Will plug the broken line while through the din
Their beaten comrades raise the welcome cry
"Make way, make way, the Scouts are moving in."

The jungle takes the long-defended lines
The trench erodes; the wire rusts away
The lush lank grasses and the trailing vines
Soon hide the human remains of the fray.
The battle ended and the story told
The blood-smeared leaves of history begin
To open to the Scouts, as they unfold
The little tired soldiers enter in.

The men who were besieged on every side
Who knew the disillusion of retreat
And still retained their fierce exultant pride
And were soldiers---even in defeat,
Now meet the veterans of ten thousand years
Now find a welcome worthy of their trade
From men who fought with cross bows and with spears
With bullet and with arrow and with spade.


The grizzled veterans Rome was built upon
The Death-head horde of Attila the Hun
The "Yellow Horror" of the greatest Kahn
The guardsmen of the first Napoleon
And all the men in every nameless fight
Since man first strove with man to prove his worth
Shall greet the Scouts as is their right---
No finer soldiers ever walked the earth.

And then the Scouts will form to be reviewed
Each scattered unit now once more complete
Each weapon and each bright crisp flag renewed
And high above the cadence of their feet
Will come the loud clear virile welcoming shout
From many throats before the feasts begin
Their badge of honor mid their comrades rout---
"Make way, make way, the Scouts are moving in."

by Henry G. Lee, 1st Lieutenant
Headquarters and Military Police Company
Philippine Division, U.S.A.

 

Thanks for the compliment. I wish I were that talented. My dad is an artist, he painted them. He's actually working on four more. I'll post them when when they're done. -victor

 

Good one!

 

Thanks. Here's another. Scouts of the 26th Cavalry!

 

The 26th Cavalry was one of the most used units to counter Japanese penetrations in Bataan's defense perimeter. That unit saw a lot of action during the Battle of the Points in Bataan. I've read somewhere that this unit made the last US mounted cavalry charge in World War II.

 

Your dad is a great artist. I wish I was that artistic. Thanks for posting them.

 

Jun:
I think the 26th cavalry were involved in the Battle of the Pockets, not the Points. If I'm not mistaken the 45th and 57th Infantry PS were the ones thrown at the Points. I'll have to check the history books.

Matthew:
Thanks. I'll pass on your compliment to him. I hope it encourages him to make more

 

Thanks for pointing that out. It was the Pockets not the Points. The Battle of the Points was the one where the Japanese attempted to insert more troops into Bataan via several amphibious landings, which was from January 23, to Feb. 13. The Battle of the Pockets was fought from January 27 to Feb. 17, roughly just after the first landings of the Battle of the Points.

According to my books, Homma had planned to push into Bataan using these two thrusts (sea and land). In the Battle of the Pockets, patrols had found Japanese troops infiltrating into the rear of Orion-Bagac line behind the 11th Div and in the Gogo-Cotar River Valley in the rear of the 1st Div. One source claims that of the 2,000 Japanese committed to this battle, only 377 made it back to Japanese lines.

At around this time, Homma's Fourteenth Army, which consisted of two reinforced divisions (16th and 48th), roughly a 100,000 troops in total, was put to a halt. Homma was forced to suspend all offensive operations. He had about 7,000 battlefield casualties but his worse problem was that he had nearly 20,000 troops out of action because of ill health.
Thus, the Japanese timetable was wrecked. Japan had to divert more troops, equipment and supplies (which were originally earmarked for other operations in the original timetable) to the Philippines.
Such was the state of the Japanese situation that it was only in March 27 did Homma resume active offensive operations.

During the relative lull, a look on the numbers would show that there was now rough parity between Bataan's garrison and the Japanese forces, which had to set aside sizable numbers of troops into securing the rest of the Philippines. And that was what led some US officers whose head were in the clouds to think of mounting a counter offensive. But with what troops? If the Japanese, who were relatively better supplied had problems, the Bataan garrison had it even worst. The Bataan garrison had about 80,000 troops which included 15,000 US soldiers (and stranded air corps personnel who were used as infantry men.)

Since the Bataan garrison was on one-third rations, hundreds of soldiers were suffering from various diseases, most notably malaria. It was quickly pointed out that it was impractical for the starving, ill Bataan troops to mount any kind of major offensive action.

 

nice painting. I really respect all veterans in WWII.

 

Wonderful art work by your dad. Thanks for the history lesson on the scouts.