VIDEO: Gen. Walter Krueger Visiting 11th Airborne Camp in Lipa, Batangas 1945
By April 1945, the 11th Airborne Division of the United States Army had successfully done away with the last pockets of Japanese resistance at the Malepunyo Mountain Range east of Lipa and Mount Maculot (Macolod in US Army Records) in Cuenca, Batangas.
The months to follow, therefore, were for mopping up operations to clear the entire province of Japanese stragglers as well as for much-needed rest and recuperation. By May, the division was able to establish bivouac camps in Lipa. Major Edward Flanagan, in his book, described the camp1, which should be relevant when the reader starts viewing the video:
The video2 was originally downloaded from the United States National Archives, cropped and treated using video editing software to brighten it and increase overall clarity. It is made available to researchers, teachers, students and the general public in Batangas who have interest in the province’s history.
Notes and references:
1 “The Angels: A History of the 11th Airborne Division 1943-1946,” by Major Edward M. Flanagan Jr., published 1948 in Washington.
2 Video taken from “GEN. HENRY H. ARNOLD INTERVIEW, FT. SHAFTER, HAWAII ; GEN. WALTER B. KRUEGER VISITS 11TH AB DIV, LIPA, BANTANGAS PROVINCE, LUZON,” online at the United States National Archives.
The months to follow, therefore, were for mopping up operations to clear the entire province of Japanese stragglers as well as for much-needed rest and recuperation. By May, the division was able to establish bivouac camps in Lipa. Major Edward Flanagan, in his book, described the camp1, which should be relevant when the reader starts viewing the video:
“The first two weeks we were in bivouac were devoted to that old game of housekeeping. It was just that, this time, for we were starting from scratch... Most of the units selected coconut groves for their camp sites. The trees were evenly spaced and made the laying out of streets between rows of trees simple. An abundance of bamboo provided the framework for the ever-present pyramidal tents. The rainy season was due toward the end of May so tent floors were built from steel matting or bamboo strips a foot above the ground.”By June, the soldiers were visited by none other than General Walter Krueger, Commander of the United States Sixth Army. The video footage shows Krueger visiting one of the bivouac camps. The footage is actually part of a longer video showing, in the first part, General Henry H. Arnold, Chief of the Army Air Corps, in Hawaii. This part has been deleted not only to shorten the video but also for lack of relevance to this site.
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| Gen. Walter Krueger speaks to men of the 11th Airborne Division. |
The video2 was originally downloaded from the United States National Archives, cropped and treated using video editing software to brighten it and increase overall clarity. It is made available to researchers, teachers, students and the general public in Batangas who have interest in the province’s history.
Notes and references:
1 “The Angels: A History of the 11th Airborne Division 1943-1946,” by Major Edward M. Flanagan Jr., published 1948 in Washington.
2 Video taken from “GEN. HENRY H. ARNOLD INTERVIEW, FT. SHAFTER, HAWAII ; GEN. WALTER B. KRUEGER VISITS 11TH AB DIV, LIPA, BANTANGAS PROVINCE, LUZON,” online at the United States National Archives.