Hunters ROTC

Hunters ROTC
Active 1941-1945
Country  Commonwealth of the Philippines
Allegiance  Commonwealth of the Philippines
 United States
Role Resistance movement
Nickname(s) "The Hunters"
Engagements Raid at Los Baños

The Hunters ROTC was a Filipino guerrilla unit active during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, and was the main anti-Japanese guerrilla group active in the area near the Philippine capital of Manila.[1]:206 It was created upon dissolution of the Philippine Military Academy in the beginning days of the war. Cadet Terry Adevoso, refused to simply go home as cadets were ordered to do, and began recruiting fighters willing to undertake guerrilla action against the Japanese.[2][3] This force would later be instrumental, providing intelligence to the liberating forces led by General Douglas MacArthur, and took an active role in numerous battles, such as the Raid at Los Baños. When war broke out in the Philippines, some 300 Philippine Military Academy and ROTC cadets, unable to join the USAFFE units because of their youth, banded together in a common desire to contribute to the war effort throughout the Bataan campaign. The "ROTC lads", as they were referred to, did their bit to protect the civilians and to assist the USAFFE forces by way of intelligence and propaganda.

After the surrender of American and Filipino forces on Bataan, and organized resistance ceased, the entire group went up the Antipolo mountains, bringing with them arms secured from civilians and USAFFE stragglers, and began calling themselves the Hunters.

The Hunters originally conducted operations with another guerrilla group called Marking's Guerrillas, with whom they went about liquidating Japanese spies. Led by Miguel Ver, a PMA cadet, the Hunters raided the enemy-occupied Union College in Manila and seized 130 Enfield rifles.[4]

The Hunters was one of the more effective south Luzon guerrillas, Terry's Hunters were composed primarily of military academy and ROTC cadets. They were founded in Manila in January 1942 by Miguel Ver[5]:87 of the Philippine Military Academy, and moved to Rizal Province in April where they came under Col. Hugh Straughn's FAIT. After the Japanese captured Straughn and Ver the executive officer, Eleuterio Adevoso (aka Terry Magtanggol), also a Philippine Military Academy cadet, took over.[5]:87 They were among the most aggressive guerrillas in the war and made the only guerrilla raid on a Japanese prison, Muntinglupa (New Bilibid), to free their captured members and to obtain arms. They also participated in the liberation of Los Banos prison camp during liberation. Captain Bartolomeo Cabangbang, leader of the central Luzon penetration party, said that the Hunters supplied the best intelligence data on Luzon.

During the Battle of Manila (1945), the Hunters ROTC, under the command of Lt. Col. Emmanuel V. de Ocampo, fought with the U.S. Army from Nasugbo to the Manila General Post Office.[5]:87 The Hunters also jointly operated with the Philippine Commonwealth Army and Philippine Constabulary and the American soldiers and military officers of the United States Army in many operations in Manila, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas and Tayabas (now. Quezon).

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References

  1. ↑ Keats, J., 1963, They Fought Alone, New York: J.B. Lippincott Company
  2. ↑ "Philippine Resistance: Refusal to Surrender". Asia at War. 2009-10-17. History Channel Asia.
  3. ↑ Mojica, Proculo (1960). Terry's Hunters: The True Story of the Hunters ROTC Guerillas.
  4. ↑ "Remember Los Banos 1945". Los Banos Liberation Memorial Scholarship Foundation, Inc. 2008. Retrieved 2009-10-17.
  5. 1 2 3 Connaughton, R., Pimlott, J., and Anderson, D., 1995, The Battle for Manila, London: Bloomsbury Publishing, ISBN 0891415785
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