Ramon A. Alcaraz

This article is about the Filipino Navy officer. For the Mexican Army officer, see Ramón Alcaraz.
Ramon A. Alcaraz

Philippine Military Academy photo - Class of 1940
Birth name Ramon Abacan Alcaraz
Nickname(s) Monching, Parron
Born August 15, 1915
Quingua, Bulacan, Philippine Islands
Died June 25, 2009(2009-06-25) (aged 93)
Santa Ana, California, United States
Buried at Fairhaven Memorial Park, Santa Ana, California, United States
Allegiance  Philippines
Service/branch Philippine Navy
Years of service 1940-1941 (Army)
1941-1946 (USAFFE)
1946-1966 (Navy)
Rank Commodore (Navy)
Captain (USAFFE)
Unit Offshore Patrol - (USAFFE)
Philippine Naval Patrol (Navy)
Commands held Philippine Naval Operating Force
Philippine Naval Fleet
Battles/wars World War II
* Battle of Bataan
Awards Silver Star (USA)

Commodore Ramon Abacan Alcaraz (August 15, 1915 - June 25, 2009) was an officer in the Philippine Navy during the Second World War. A member of the 1st graduating class (4-year curriculum) of the Philippine Military Academy in 1940. He served with Philippine Army after graduation then joined the Offshore Patrol unit of the U.S. Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE), predecessor of the Philippine Navy. Imprisoned by the Japanese after the Fall of Bataan in Malolos POW Camp.[1]

Early Life and Education

Alcaraz was born on August 15, 1915 in Quingua, Bulacan, Central Luzon, Philippines. Son of Domingo Lipana Alcaraz and Maxima Cruz Abacan.[2] He is the oldest of two brothers, Mariano 'Rocky' (Capt., Philippine Navy, Ret.).

He entered the Philippine Military Academy at Teachers Camp, Baguio City, Mountain Province, Philippines from June 15, 1936 to March 15, 1940 where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree.[3] Alcaraz graduating among the 79 members (originally 120 cadets)[4] from the Class of 1940 "The Pioneer Class". His class was the first group of graduates to finish the four year curriculum, as the previous curriculum was only three years. Alcaraz was a writer for the PMA publication "Corps" and the bantam weight boxing champion in 1937 and 1938.[5]

In 1941, he voluntarily joined and graduated from the Army's newly formed Offshore Patrol (OSP) Training School in Manila as part of the USAFFE forces. In 1959, he went to United States to study at the Naval War College - Command Course at Newport, Rhode Island.[6]

Military career

World War II

After graduation, he assigned as a 3rd Lieutenant to the Philippine Commonwealth Army. Nineteen months later, he volunteered to the newly formed Offshore Patrol unit of the Army and promoted as a 2nd Lieutenant with the OSP - Sea duty forces. A few weeks after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he was promoted as a 1st Lieutenant after he was inducted into the U.S. Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE). He was the Commanding Officer of the Q-112 Abra, a 55 ft stepped-hull torpedo boat with aftward launch torpedo chutes built for the Philippine Commonwealth Government by the British shipbuilding firm John I. Thornycroft & Company - one of three "Q-boat" torpedo boats used by the Offshore Patrol (OSP) during the war.[7]

On January 17, 1942, while on patrol along the east coast of Bataan in Manila Bay with Q-111 Luzon, they were spotted by nine Japanese dive bombers that was travelling towards the Bataan coastline. The two torpedo boats turned to engage the Japanese enemy aircraft at full speed, and laying down accurate machine gun fire to shoot down three of the nine aircraft. Their attack was successful that it forced the remaining damaged Japanese planes to return to their base, thus preventing them to complete their bombing mission on Bataan installations.[7] For their actions, he was immediately promoted to Captain by General MacArthur in Corregidor and awarded the Silver Star for heroism and gallantry in action.[8]

On April 10, 1942, to prevent their boat capture by the Japanese, Captain Alcaraz’s Q-112 Abra was scuttled at night near the shore of Paombong coast, four miles off Bataan’s east coast. He and his crew floated to shore using bamboo poles but spotted by two search lights from Japanese patrol boats.[7]

They were subsequently incarcerated in Malolos, Bulacan POW Camp. Alcaraz was shortly appointed as Head among the POW prisoners, and took care of his fellow POWs in that capacity but was likewise held accountable for any escape. Alcaraz immediately used the sense of humor. Despite of his disheartened state, Alcaraz befriended the Japanese and joked often flattered his enemy’s ego by asking to recount their battle victories. When new prisoners arrived with their hands tightly bound behind their back, Alcaraz would have Japanese soldiers untie them. Alcaraz felt responsible for keeping his fellow POWs alive and make their lives better the best way he could. It was during the many story-telling hours that his men enjoyed a respite from hard labor by just sitting and pretending to listen to the Japanese soldier’s stories. At fall-in formations and other ceremonies, where POWs were required to hail “Banzai.” Alcaraz would join in with his boisterous native version of “Bankay” (corpse), and the Japanese would roar with approval. By then, Alcaraz humor had become part and parcel of his escape plan, resulted in a less tortuous POW experience for his comrades compared with the unspeakable experiences the POWs endured at Camp O’Donnell . Notably, not a single death was registered at the Malolos POW camp.[9]

After four months, Alcaraz was released after undergoing months thru an intensive “rejuvenation program” on August 10, 1942. He was paroled and instructed to be re-trained to join the Bureau of Constabulary at the Torres High School in Gagalangin, Tondo. In September 1942, he graduated as a police officer and was told that his first assignment was at Lanao del Norte province in Mindanao. Alcaraz faked that he has malaria illness and was confined to a hospital in San Lazaro. This resulted that he would miss his transport ship to Mindanao which he was later reassigned to Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya.[10]

Post-war

Alcaraz was a staunch critic of Ferdinand Marcos' administration.[11] He was promoted to the naval rank of Commodore in 1965.

Retirement and Personal Life

After 26 years of active service, Commodore Alcaraz was placed on the retired list from active duty on January 22, 1966.[12][13]

He was married to Concepcion 'Conching' Dualan from Cavite in 1960. They have five children—two sons and three daughters.[4] Alcaraz died peacefully at his Orange county home on June 25, 2009. He is currently buried in Fairhaven Memorial Park, Santa Ana, CA, U.S.A.

Legacy

On May 6, 2012, Philippine President Benigno Aquino III announced that the country's second Gregorio del Pilar class frigate would be named the BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PF-16), in honor of Alcaraz' long service to the nation.[14] Formerly known as the United States Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) Dallas, the Ramon Alcaraz was formally transferred to the Philippine government on 22 May 2012 (23 May 2012 Philippine standard time) under the auspices of the United States Foreign Assistance Act, with ceremonies held at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center Pier Papa in North Charleston, South Carolina.[15][16]

References

  1. ↑ "WWII War Diary of Commodore Ramon Alcaraz - May 1942" Commodore Alcaraz: WWII War Journals, 2009-10-25, Retrieved 2012-05-22
  2. ↑ "Cmdre. Ramon A. Alcaraz, PN" Geni: A My Heritage Website, *Middle name spelled incorrectly, February 24, 2014, Retrieved February 12, 2016
  3. ↑ "Brief History of the PMA", Philippine Military Academy Class 1940: "The Pioneer Class", Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  4. 1 2 "RIP Commodore Alcaraz", Philippine Defense Forces Forum, May 6, 2012, Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Class members: Ramon A. Alcaraz" Philippine Military Academy Class 1940: "The Pioneer Class", Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Part 3 - WWII Diary of Commodore Ramon Alcaraz" Facebook: Filipinos in WW2 US military Service, May 24, 2013, Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 "Remembering the Battle for Bataan, 1942", The Bataan Campaign Website, February 22, 2014, Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Index of Army Silver Star Recipients in World War II" Home of Heroes Website, Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  9. ↑ "WWII Diary of Commodore Ramon Alcaraz - Part 3", Filipinos in WW2 US military Service - Facebook, May 24, 2013, Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Philippine Defense Newsletter: Who is Commodore Ramon Alcaraz?", Department of National Defense - Philippines, Facebook, May 23, 2012, Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Arrival Ceremony of the BRP Ramon Alcaraz" Republic of the Philippines: Official Gazette, August 6, 2013, Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  12. ↑
  13. ↑ Archived October 27, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
  14. ↑ Conde, Chichi, Philippines' Second Warship to be named Ramon Alcaraz, World War II Hero May 6, 2012, Retrieved May 22, 2012.
  15. ↑ "Decommissioned Coast Guard Cutter Dallas being transfered [sic] to Philippine navy". The Digitel Charleston. 2012-05-18. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
  16. ↑ "Cutter Dallas officially turned over to Philippines". ABC News 4 Charleston. 2012-05-23. Retrieved 2012-05-23.

External links

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