While in the initial phases of starting interviews for the intrepid veterans of World War II I was fortunate to connect with Jose (Joe) Calugas Jr.  The second generation soldier became a valued resource for connecting with potential World War II interviewees.  It would be multiple phone calls and e – mails later that I learned about the exploits of Joe’s deceased father.

Jose Calugas Sr. who had served in the Philippines during the war in the 1940s endured the juggernaut of the Pacific, the Japanese Imperial Army, head on and survived. The elder Calugas, a member of the renowned Philippine Scouts, never shared the stories of his challenging encounters with family members.

All that Joe knew was that his humble father was bestowed the nations’ highest military award for valorous acts during the Battle of Bataan.  The citation issued read:

“The action for which the award was made took place near Culis, Bataan Province, Philippine Islands, on 16 January 1942. A battery gun position was bombed and shelled by the enemy until 1 gun was put out of commission and all the cannoneers were killed or wounded. Sgt. Calugas, a mess sergeant of another battery, voluntarily and without orders ran 1,000 yards across the shell-swept area to the gun position. There he organized a volunteer squad which placed the gun back in commission and fired effectively against the enemy, although the position remained under constant and heavy Japanese artillery fire.”

It was not until years later that Joe Calugas Jr. would discover from his father’s friends the details of the battle near Culis and other exploits including an escape from the Bataan Death March and involvement in guerilla warfare.  Now a proud son can understand with clarity the sacrifices made by a courageous father.