As we abandoned our vehicles,
we disabled them so the Japanese would be unable to use them. We then
placed our first-aid materials and my little medical bag on litters,
and started up the trail at a rather rapid pace. In the hot sun we
soon became exhausted and realized we would have to go slower and rest
frequently.
About three hours up the trail, we came upon Associated Press
Correspondent Clark Lee trudging along. Resting with him on the path
for a few minutes, we swapped stories; he reported: "Lingayen city has
been bombed! Many Filipinos are fleeing south through the central
plains with all their belongings. I came up to Baguio yesterday;
soldiers had dynamite boxes ready to blow the bridges on the
Naguillian Trail. I saw Major Ganahl and asked him what happened to
our North Luzon Forces. Joe answered, 'Hell! We are the North Luzon
Forces!"
We never saw Clark Lee again, but later learned that he found a
short-cut through St. Nicholas and Tayug to the central plain, where
he had a brush with the Japs on his way to Bataan. He proved an old
saying, "He travels fastest who travels alone!" He later wrote a very
interesting book about his experiences in the Philippines, "They Call
It Pacific.
Pages:
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42