The rations had been cut in half because
of the thousands of refugee Filipinos fleeing to Bataan along with the
troops. Many soldiers were becoming so weak they could hardly hold
their rifles. Hospitals I and II were filled with sick and wounded.
On Jan. 26, 1942 a communiqu? from San Francisco was received on the
radio: "The first American convoy carrying U.S. troops has finally
arrived safely in Ireland." We in the Philippines were being
completely abandoned. However, it seemed that England would now be
able to fight to the "last American!'"
Arrangements were being made by the teniente for a group of Filipinos
to go over the mountain to the east of us, to hunt and get food for
the camp. I was asked to go along. We started early the next morning.
At each little village we would come to, the teniente called out in a
loud voice: "Ahhhhhh-Pooooooo! Ahhhhhh-Poooooo!" letting the natives
know we were friendly.
By evening we had reached the next valley, where I was informed it was
the place where Pres. Theodore Roosevelt and Governor General Leonard
Wood had hunted many years before.
I remembered that Gen.
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