INDIANA SOLDIERS & SAILORS
Honoring Indiana Men KIA Southwest Pacific WWII
I entered the 50 year-old, two-story, Spanish style bungalow and the Cornista’s saw to it we were comfortably seated then Lorenzo found contentment in his wooden rocking chair. The rocker sat at its forward position as he poured over treasures and recollections of youthful days and the adventures of war spread out on a small table. Several folders and four books were within a hand’s reach and after some greetings and pleasantries we settled into the interview. On November 30, 2011, I was walking past Lorenzo’s home and greeted him at the gate. I had my recorder and notebook and thus a second part has now been added.
Guerrilla Interview with Lorenzo Cornista
by Dave Dwiggins
This interview presents a small cross section of, Lorenzo Cornista’s guerrilla operations in the Philippines during Japanese Occupation, World War II. Rather than surrender, these great men chose to wage a different kind of war that was effective and further risked their lives. If not for the precise intelligence that the Filipino guerrilla organizations amassed, liberating forces could never have advanced so quickly to Leyte, Luzon and Japan eventually bringing a long waited freedom. The sufferings of fellow countrymen would have been prolonged. Lorenzo Cornista of San Pablo City, Philippines is a surviving member of San Pedro’s unit of Markings Fil-American Guerrilla Forces. Originally the organization was Hugh Straughn’s Fil-American Irregular Troops (FAIT) but after the death of Straughn, Col. Marcos V. Marking took over the FAIT’s command which he drummed up as Marking’s Fil-Americans. I consulted Lorenzo long ago about the possibilities of an interview and in agreement we decided that the late afternoon of September 9, 2006 we would meet up.
Lorenzo Cornista.
The Interview
Dave: Sir Lorenzo, it is my pleasure to be here with you today to discus your involvement and experiences as a young member in Marking's Fil-American Guerillas during World War II in the Philippines. Sir, where were you born?
Lorenzo: I was born in Barangay Sta. Cruz, in the bukid southeast of San Pablo City.
Dave: As a young man did you notice any changes around San Pablo before war came to the Philippines in December 1941?
Lorenzo: Three years before the war Japanese moved into this part of Laguna. I know five Japanese who came here. They were dealing in bicycles, refreshment parlors, sold toys and employed shops at the market. They were very friendly and courteous people. Kuyama was a dealer of the bicycle parts and a good friend. I use to go to him for bearings and rubber tires before the war. I was just a boy then and after the war he was gone. The Japanese became familiar with the mountain and all of San Pablo and much of Laguna. We did not know but they were already planning routes to the mountain and knew where water supplies were located. They knew more than we knew. At night they could walk from Lipa City to the mountain passing through Tiaong without a guide. America did not think of the intelligence of the Japanese before the war. When war was declared the Japanese were ready. One Japanese named Berto Hapon operated a homestead on the mountain at Tayak and he planted many kamote there. They were foreigners and could not own the land but they planted it, harvested it and planted again, having a homestead was not a problem.
Berto was a Japanese Captain. He invited me to his house and he would show me his Samurai sword. Nothing else was planted, only kamote. When we arrived on Tayak we could eat, even with your hand you could dig kamote with your hands because the soil was soft. This was good because we rarely had food at our reach. You did not need to use a knife or hoe. Sometimes when there was plenty of rain, kamote would be infested with insects and worms. The kamote would be rotten and have a bad smell. We also ate santol but it was not as plentiful as kamote. Santol was a wild mangosteen and could be sweet or sour depending on ripeness. We hoped we could eat rice once a day but kamote was our main meal most days at Tayak. Sometimes we had Lugaw and coconut. We worried about food always until supplies were dropped into Tayak by the American DC-3s. We would open with our knives and bolos or slam them against the trees. Civilians at Tayak also planted white corn and it was soft and chewable. We boiled it.
Dave: The Japanese bombed San Pablo December 25, 1941. Do you remember that day and where you were?
Lorenzo: When San Pablo was bombed I was near Franklin Baker along the national highway and I almost got hit by one of the bombs. If not for my niece who told me, Uncle I will die to go with you to the market. I told her, no! So I was delayed. Had I been that area I would have been hit by one of the bombs. Fifty meters away from Franklin Baker is the drug store of my uncle and I was there when it was bombed. The first bomb hit the gate of Franklin Baker. Another bomb dropped downtown San Pablo at the vicinity of the Metro Bank.
Dave: Did the bombing last a long time that day?
Lorenzo: There were two waves of bombing. It started around nine o’clock and must have returned to refuel and load with more bombs. Between eleven and twelve o’clock another wave returned. I did not know the extent of the bombing because I returned to our house in San barrio Sta. Cruz.
Dave: Juan B. Hernandez of San Pablo barrio, Butokan, wrote a book, FOR LOVE OF FREEDOM, a history of San Pablo during World War II. As the bombing started and also when the Japanese were involved in atrocities, he told of folks moving to the mountains to the south for safety. Did your family experience moving away from home for safety and if so where did they travel?
Lorenzo: My parents and family stayed in barrio Sta. Cruz and did not proceed to San Cristobal.
Dave: The Japanese in control did not release American POWs but in the summer of 1942 they released captured Filipios. Do you remember when the first train of released prisoners of war when they arrived in San Pablo?
Lorenzo: Well, I don’t know the date but I know, that the first batch there are around 15 San Pableños prisoners in the first batch. Most of them are officers. My brother that died at Banahaw Compound was due for release the next day, but the night before he died. He died because of torture. You will be forced to drink water with a hose then the Japanese would jump on their stomachs. We had an inside man there that monitors the movement at that compound and what the Japanese are doing. We also have a woman vendor selling peanuts, fruits and vegetables so that we could walk in and look around and sell it to the Japanese.
Dave: What inspired you to join a guerrilla unit?
Lorenzo: The first unit that I have joined is the Santa Fe Brigade that was composed of prominent people here in San Pablo. One was Col. De Guzman and Col. Catipon was our commanding officer but unfortunately when one of our comrades was captured by the Japanese . . . he squealed, so the whole unit was summoned by the Japanese. All members were summoned by the Japanese at the garrison at San Pablo Elementary School. We had to report at eight o’clock in the morning up to five o’clock in the afternoon, under the heat of the sun . . . no food no water. After two weeks of the ordeal, the third week I did not return. I went to Sta. Isabel and contacted Col. San Pedro of Marking’s Fil-American guerrilla troops, who was our cousin. I told him I think I cannot anymore bear the burden of being under the heat of the sun… imagine, at eight in the morning up to five o’clock no food and no water! He said it is okay. My father has guns at home. I brought them because our father did not surrender our arms to the Japanese. When I join I have already arms. That’s how it started. Col. San Pedro of the USAFEE had been a prisoner of war previously and upon his release August 15, 1942 at 26 years of age, he joined Hugh Straughn’s Fil-American Irregular Troops (FAIT). He started recruiting ex-USAFFE’s, ex- Philippine Scouts, ex-Philippine Constabulary, Philippine Army reservists and trainees, civilian volunteers including professionals to constitute his outfit. His unit became known as the FAIT’s 2ndDivision of the III Army Corps under the immediate command of guerrilla Col. Justiniano Estrella, alias Alfredo M. David, who dubbed his corps, David’s Command. After the death of Col. Straughn, Col. Marcos V. Marking took over the FAIT’s command which he drummed up as Marking’s Fil-Americans.
SIGNIFICANCE: The author founded INDIANA SOLDIERS AND SAILORS PROJECT - "uniting photos of Indiana WWII servicemen's graves with their families free of charge". The interview was purposed to learn histories how these Indiana and American heroes of his homeland were killed bringing lost freedoms back to the people of the Philippines and other South Pacific nations. THE INTERVIEW was a preamble to DISCOVERY of TAYAK HILLS and the LANDING STRIP on Mount San Cristobal and the significance of Rizal, Laguna's history. Demet Formales discovered THE INTERVIEW and immediately understood the importance.
Dave: Were you ever suspected to be a guerrilla when you did not have your weapon with you?
Lorenzo: I was already a suspected guerrilla when I was with the Santa Fe Brigade when I have no weapon. If they found out I was a guerrilla I would be a dead duck. I was still a boy when the war started and I was soon employed by the Guerrillas as an observer. I would go to the Banahaw Compound where the Japanese barracks were located and stand outside the fence. They played softball without fielding gloves and I watched. When a ball came over the fence I would fetch it and throw itback to them. Once they were familiar with me they invited me in to play ball. Sometimes after the games they would give us kamote. I could count the number of barracks, trucks, jeeps and estimate the number of troops and how many vehicles came and went each day.
I went there every day. One day I was there very early and they asked why was there before they were. I told them I came to watch them play ball. Another time I was gone for several days and they asked where I went. I told them I had work to do. They became suspicious of me.
One day Japanese surrounded our house about 6 o’clock, we lived near the City Hospital. Our home was 5 houses from Schetelig on the road to the hospital. My cousin who was in front of the house saw the Japanese were coming and hurried to give me the tip. There were plenty of big trees behind the house and on the way so I was able to slip away to the hospital to hide. After that I hurried to the camp and contacted San Pedro. He told me to never return to the Banahaw Compound again because I was a marked person and I never went back.
That was the last time I entered town. After that I stayed at the camp.
Dave: Do you remember the Bamboo Parades?
Lorenzo: Yes, that is what we called the bamboo army. You had to carry a bamboo pole. When we are attending the camp at the elementary school we had to bring bamboo pole. If you do not bring that, you already a guerrilla. So that’s our pass to go there.
Dave: When all of the Filipinos joined in to march and show allegiance to the Japanese, even though it might be a fake allegiance, how did you feel about that? Did you feel uncomfortable?
Lorenzo: Well they have a purpose also. At the first I think they're already collaborators but no . . . that is one way to get information. Pretending to be a part enabled them to receive information.
Dave: Do you recall the inhabitants of the community bringing in their weapons when the Japanese requested them?
Lorenzo: That was when the Sante Fe Brigade was discovered. More than 400 arms were surrendered by the Sante Fe Brigade then the Japanese asked for more. Well . . . they were really asking for all the arms of the guerrilla units. However some of them, especially the unlicensed ones were easy to hide but the licensed ones, they cannot hide. It needed to be surrendered because they were able to get the list of people holding permits with regular license from the city treasury office. I was almost seventeen years old when I joined San Pedro’s unit in September 1943. Attending the rudimentary school was reason enough to join. Imagine standing in the sun every day, all day without food or water! San Pedro’s unit was under the command of the U.S. 6th Army based in Australia.
Dave: What was your main duty in the guerrilla unit?
Lorenzo: I joined the guerrillas because we are high school students already and our fellow guerrillas most are only grade school. We taught them drills, close order drill, marching, how to fire a rifle. Close order drill was marching. That is the only way to train a soldier to fight and to obey orders. It was discipline. We were already high school students and during our high school we had the preparatory military training. We had that background training already. So we have to give them the commands attention, at ease, parade rest.
Dave: Did most of the guerrillas have military preparatory training in high school?
Lorenzo: Very few of the high school students had been trained and very few of the rich people of San Pablo joined. Most of us came from common families.
Dave: Being a guerrilla put you and your family at risk. Did your family or friends encourage or discourage you joining Marking’s Fil-Americans?
Lorenzo: My parents were concerned, they preferred me to join the guerrillas. Two of my brothers died at Bataan already in the Philippine Army. My father told us if you will not join the guerrillas you might be picked up by the Japanese. It was good, one week after they raided our house. I was only 16 years old, why were they looking for me. God’s will maybe. I was surprised to learn that the Japanese released these men before the war was over. The men were subjected to the Death March; they walked and suffered from Bataan to Capas. The men arrived by train from Manila and many were not recognized because they were so sick or starved. I was sent back because the commanding officer of the guerrillas here is a grandson of my father. So, when I joined he said you better get back because grandfather will get angry; you are too young to join. No, I told him I must join because I am already wanted by the Japanese kempetai. After a week they say okay, you stay here with us. They gave me a pistol. What’s funny about the pistol given to me by the guerrillas; it is a 45 caliber, but only one shot.
Dave: How did Marking’s Fil-American Guerrillas get organized?
Lorenzo: Originally the unit was formed as Hugh Straughn’s Irregular Troops (FAIT). Following Straughn’s death Colonel Marking took over renaming the outfit Marking’s Fil-Americans. This was a fine tuned network of guerrilla units. A segment of this network was Col. Gertrudo San Pedro’s 2nd Division. He had been a prisoner of war previously, released with others August 15, 1942. This was a token of good will and friendship by the Japanese to gain the loyalty of Filipinos. Americans remained imprisoned. San Pedro recruited officers and men who were previously prisoners of war, USAFFE, Philippine Scouts, Philippine Constabulary, Reservists, ROTC, policemen and civilians volunteers including professionals. The Philippine Red Cross provided a list of prisoners because many of the men released in August were too weak and had to be fetched by their families. The list became a good recruiting list as well.
Division Staff Officers Recognized by the U.S. Sixth Army
Gertrudo San Pedro Division Commander
Lt. Col. Vicente San Pedro Chief of Staff
Major Benjamin Ignacio G-1
Major Pedro Reyes G-2
Major Rustico P. Luga G-3
Major Raymundo Bombane G-4
The objective of Marking’s Fil-Americans was to send intelligence reports to the general headquarters of General Douglas MacArthur at Australia, through higher guerrilla headquarters. San Pedro provided mutual assistance to allied guerrilla organizations as a united front against enemy attacks. The front would include harassing and ambushing enemy troops and counteract enemy propaganda among citizens.
Dave: Where was your Command Center located?
Lorenzo: Our headquarters in Sta. Isabel was our control. We had a detachment in Sta. Isabel. Our headquarters was in Bakungan; that is near Tayak. Therein that is our main headquarters. We had a detachment in Dolores; we had a detachment in Calauan. We had a real network.
Dave: Was communication a problem?
Lorenzo: Sure, it was very hard. We had no radios at that time, we had a runner, and the runner usually used . . . horse . . . he’d ride the horse. Especially if there is an enemy approaching, our runner is arriving on the horse so that he could relay the message that is an enemy is coming . . . they are around us so much. So our problem of action is to leave at once or to meet them. But during that time we were short of ammo, so our action was to avoid confrontation.
Dave: Did you carry the M-1 carbine?
Lorenzo: No! During that time I was using a 45 caliber Colt model 1911. Then we have also shotgun during that time which was good for an ambush.
Dave: Once you were with the guerrilla movement, did you return to your home?
Lorenzo: Sometimes. We ask pass from our commanding officer so we could visit our parents and eat a complete meal. During our camp we only ate only twice a day. Sometimes if there is none, our supply officer cannot supply provide rice, we eat only once. Sometimes we go out eating the santol, fruit santol. That’s our breakfast.
Dave: What was the most difficult thing you had to do as a guerrilla?
Lorenzo: Our worst enemy was having enough food to eat. During the war the Philippines was hard up and having food was difficult. Few would send us a sack of rice. In the morning you know what we eat? Tubo, you know tubo of the coconut, the water of the coconut. We eat sopas as breakfast. We cannot rely on our supply officer because people were so hard up. We eat kamote and kamote tops. We boiled the kamote tops. Tastes sour. Sometimes we eat prayer because we don’t have anything to eat. Then we have a glass of water. Not all guerrillas suffered so much. It is only here. We have also rice fields but we have no access because the Japanese cut us off. We use to harvest rice at night. In Calauan, Bay and Pila, when there is a full moon we harvest the rice. We help the people harvest the rice because daytime we evaporate. That’s when they dry it in the sun. At night again we go back to pound the palay to make it ready for cooking. You know, that’s the first time I take hold of the tool to mash. I don’t have any inkling that I would be pounding the rice but everybody must work. The people were afraid to give us food too because once they are spotted by the Japanese they are in trouble too and will die.
Dave: Was your unit ever in the Manila area during the war?
Lorenzo: We were not in Manila because when the 5th Cavalry US Army came we joined them in liberating Quezon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur as well as Batangas. We are the only unit in Southern Luzon attached to the 5th Cavalry.
Dave: The women who were guerrilla nurses, did they go out on patrol with you?
Lorenzo: They did not accompany us on our daily operations. We had some wounded men but the nurses mostly helped with malaria cases. We had few cases of pellagra and dysentery as U.S. soldiers did. Malaria was the most prevalent sickness. We had a safe house in Sta. Isabel and we would take the sick there where the nurses could care for them. The safe house was located about one half kilometer from the roadside. Doctors and nurses from San Pablo City Hospital would smuggle medicine for us. Sometimes we would kidnap the doctors at night take them to the safe house for treatment of our patients and return them to the hospital before daylight. We also had two doctors who were permanent with our Fil-American Guerrillas, Dr. DeGuzman and Dr. Laborte. Both doctors were prisoners of war at Bataan. A month after their release at Capas, they joined us.
Dave: You speak of Batangas, Quezon, Los Baños and Tayak, that is a great distance. Did you travel by foot?
Lorenzo: Yes! We even go to Infanta by foot. Infanta, Quezon! We are very fast, we can go there in one day. We go everywhere by foot.
Dave: Did you know Don Placido Escudero of the Hugh Straughn’s Fil-American Irregular Troops?
Lorenzo: Of course, a best friend of mine.
Dave: The Japanese garrison at Banahaw Compound was on Rizal Avenue in San Pablo, is that correct? One of my brothers died in concentration there. One of my brothers died at Bataan in Mariveles. That’s why we are already allergic to the Japanese at that time because both of my brothers had already died.