The History of the Philippine Scouts (Philippine Army)

[Lorenzo]

The Philippine Scouts was a military organization of the United States Army from 1901 until the end of World War II. Made up of native Filipinos assigned to the United States Army Philippine Department, these troops were generally enlisted and under the command of American officers, however, a handful of Filipinos received commissions from the United States Military Academy. Philippine Scout units were given a suffix of (PS), to distinguish them from other U.S. Army units.

The first Scout companies were organized by the US in 1901 to combat the Philippine Revolution led at that time by General Emilio Aguinaldo. In 1919-20, the PS companies were grouped into regiments as part of the US Army and redesignated the 43d, 45th, and 57th Infantry Regiments, plus the 24th and 25th Field Artillery Regiments, the 26th Cavalry Regiment (PS) and the 91st and 92nd Coast Artillery Regiments. Service and support formations were also organized as engineer, medical, quartermaster and military police units. The infantry and field artillery regiments were grouped together with the U.S. 31st Infantry Regiment to form the U.S. Army’s Philippine Division. At this point, the Scouts became the U.S. Army’s front line troops in the Pacific.

The Philippine Department assigned the Scouts to subdue the fierce and warlike Moro tribes on the island of Mindanao (see Moro rebellion), and to establish tranquility throughout the islands. In the 1930s, Philippine Scouts, along with the 31st Infantry Regiment, saw action at Jolo, Palawan.

Philippine Scout regiments became some of the first United States Army units to be in combat during World War II, until the surrender of USAFFE in May 1942. Even after that some individual soldiers and units refused to surrender and become beginning elements of the resistance to the Japanese occupation. Later paroled POWs would also join the resistance.

[Lorenzo]

Philippine Scouts In WWII

On December 7, 1941 Imperial Japanese forces attacked the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, bombed the U.S. Army’s Far East Air Force at Clark Field in the Philippines, attacked British Hong Kong, and landed troops on the shores of British Malaya, simultaneously. Over the next three months the Japanese Army marched through Southeast Asia, and by March 1942 the Japanese had completely overrun every country and island in the western Pacificâ€"except the Philippines.

On the Bataan Peninsula of Luzon Island, the Philippine Scouts, a few U.S Army National Guard units, and ten divisions of poorly equipped, almost untrained Philippine Army soldiers held out against the Japanese. Survivors of the Battle of Bataan, to a man, describe the Philippine Scouts as the backbone of the American defense there. President Franklin Roosevelt awarded the U.S. Army’s first three Medals of Honor of World War II to Philippine Scouts: to Sergeant Jose Calugas for action at Culis, Bataan on January 6, 1942, to Lieutenant Alexander R. Nininger for action near Abucay, Bataan on January 12, and to Lieutenant Willibald C. Bianchi for action near Bagac, Bataan on February 3, 1942.

[Lorenzo]

26th Cavalry moving into Pozorrubio pass

[Lorenzo]

A formation of Philippine Scouts in 1905

[Lorenzo]

Philippine Scouts at Fort McKinley firing a 37mm anti-tank gun in training.

[Lorenzo]

[Lorenzo]

Philippine Scouts during Bolo hand-to-hand combat drill

[Lorenzo]

The Philippine Scouts, the heroes of Corregidor

[Lorenzo]

reference: wikipedia

[chicogon]

My grandfather's brother was one.... he was sent to the Korean War

[Lorenzo]

Really? I bet he had a lot of amazing stories to share of his experiences there eh?