Aubuchon and Sta. Romana's Report on the Lone Wolf Guerrilla Unit, July 1946

17 July 1946

In accordance with verbal instructions from Chief of Section, Guerrilla Affairs, G-3, AFWESPAC, Lieutenants Leonard J. Aubuchon and Eliseo Sta. Romana proceeded to Lipa, Batangas to contact the “Lone Wolf Guerrilla Unit” in order to determine whether or not this organization should be recognized by the United States Army. The following report is a summary of the investigation and basis for the recommendation.

The history of the “Lone Wolf Intelligence Unit” which follows is taken from the history prepared by Hermenegildo L. Lopez, CO of the Unit and is not to be considered as being concurred with by the investigating officers.

On about 3 January 1942, Hermenegildo L. Lopez, ex-operative for the Philippine Division of Investigation, fled from Manila and went to Sta. Maria, Laguna. There, he contacted the Mayor, Jose Velasquez, who agreed to head a combat unit to operate with an intelligence unit to be headed by Lopez. This organization was named the “Lone Wolf Intelligence Unit,” comprising combat, intelligence and home guard units. The unit operated during 1942 and until late 1943 as an independent unit devoting their time to propaganda and minor sabotage. Late in 1943, they were contacted by a representative of Anderson’s Guerrillas and fused with that organization. They then began an intensive campaign to recruit men and claim to have recruited 1,500 men by mid-1944. In Nov. 1944, Col Anderson sent Capt Alfonso Panopio, guerrilla officer, to Lipa, Batangas with basic radio equipment to set up a radio station there to transmit information regarding the movements of the Japanese.

Hermenegildo L. Lopez, CO of the “Lone Wolf Unit,” took over control of this radio station and his operatives spread out through Batangas province to gather intelligence. This radio station was operated until the arrival of the American Liberating Forces, at which time Lopez and his men were attached to the 11^th Airborne Division.

The following persons were interviewed by the contact team and their statements are the basis for the findings:

Lt. Col. Bernard L. Anderson Esteban Mayo Alfredo M. Politico Ramon B. Pilapil Col Quentin Gellidon Candido Lopez Hermenegildo Lopez Manuel Lopez Martin Endaya David Vergara Alfredo Atienza Pedro Dimayuga Cresenciana Pureza Guillermo Silva Enrique Atienza Vivencio Suarez Benjamin Lindo Rufo S. Reyes Esperidion Garcia Jose Gabinete Maximo Garcia Cosmero Estubano Ambrosio de Jesus Margarito de Jesus

USA Mayor of Lipa, Batangas Sec to the Mayor of Lipa Chief of Police, Lipa Bat. PA Former Mayor of Lipa, Bat. CO "Lone Wolf Intelligence Unit" Major ExO "Lone Wolf Intelligence Unit" 1st Lt. "Lone Wolf Intelligence Unit" 1st Lt. "Lone Wolf Intelligence Unit" 1st Lt. "Lone Wolf Intelligence Unit" 2d. Lt. "Lone Wolf Intelligence Unit" 2d. Lt. "Lone Wolf Intelligence Unit" 2d. Lt. "Lone Wolf Intelligence Unit" 2d. Lt. "Lone Wolf Intelligence Unit" T/Sgt. "Lone Wolf Intelligence Unit" S/Sgt. "Lone Wolf Intelligence Unit" S/Sgt. "Lone Wolf Intelligence Unit" 1st Sgt. "Lone Wolf Intelligence Unit" S/Sgt. "Lone Wolf Intelligence Unit" 1st Sgt. "Lone Wolf Intelligence Unit" Cpl. "Lone Wolf Intelligence Unit" Pvt. "Lone Wolf Intelligence Unit" Pvt. "Lone Wolf Intelligence Unit"

When the investigating officers arrived in the barrio of Antipolo, Lipa, Batangas, the “Lone Wolf Unit” had there assembled approximately 200 men. About forty of these men were questioned as to their guerrilla activities and their knowledge of the unit under investigation. All of the men claimed to have been guerrillas, yet could name no specific work that they did as guerrillas; many

of the men did not know the name of the unit in which they claimed membership nor did they know the name of the CO of the unit. Five or six of the members questioned were boys who gave their ages as 15 and 16. When confronted with the results of the questioning of the men, Hermenegildo Lopez admitted that the unit had not been known as the “Lone Wolf Unit” previous to the time they submitted their roster, but that they had been a part of Anderson’s Guerrillas Batangas Military Area. Lopez also admitted that a lot of the men they assembled, apparently in an attempt to impress the investigating officers, were not members of the unit. Colonels Terry Adevoso and Marking Agustin, former overall commanders of the ROTC and Fil-American Guerrilla forces, respectively, in a statement in the files of this office, stat that the “Lone Wolf Unit” is unknown to them. Col Quentin Gellidon PA, who was attached to the staff of the 11^th Airborne Div. to coordinate guerrilla attachment, states that no unit called the “Lone Wolf” ever contacted or was attached to their Headquarters in Batangas province.

Lt. Col. Bernard L. Anderson, USA, former overall commander of Anderson’s Guerillas, states that in November 1944, he sent Capt Alfonso Panopio to Lipa, Batangas with instructions to set up a radio station. Capt Panopio established this station and with the help of Candido Lopez, then Mayor of Lipa, he obtained the help of men to gather intelligence for him. This radio station operated until the liberation of Lipa in April 1945 at which time Capt Panopio recommended approximately twenty men, including Hermenegildo L. Lopez, to Col Anderson as having been of value to his mission in Lipa. After the liberation of Luzon, Lt. Col. Anderson screened his units to determine the members who had been

active as guerrillas. In Batangas Area Command, he formed two companies and in “A” Co of this Command were placed the 20 intelligence operatives of Hermenegildo L. Lopez. Lopez was given the rank of Capt and placed on the roster as CO of “A” Co Batangas Military Area. Cos “A” and “B” Batangas Military Area were recognized by letter dated 21 December 1945. Lt. Col. Anderson further states that the group headed by Hermenegildo L. Lopez had been given more than adequate recognition for the work in which they engaged.

After being advised of the facts known about the so-called “Lone Wolf Intelligence Unit,” Hermonegenes L. Lopez admitted that he and his men had been members of Anderson’s Guerrillas, Batangas Military Area. He also stated that they were not satisfied with the recommendation of Col Anderson, and in [an] attempt to get more men recognized, he submitted the roster of the “Lone Wolf Unit.” During the investigation in Antipolo, Lipa, Batangas, Roberto Buenafe, former intelligence operative of Lopez, who has spent about twenty years in the States previous to 1940, stated that Lopez never had a large intelligence organization and to his knowledge, there were not more than twenty men active.

The investigation proved that Hermenegildo L. Lopez submitted the “Lone Wolf” roster in an attempt to get more people recognized and to get his own rank changed from Capt to Col. The T/O of this unit is completely out of balance in ranks claimed for the members. The total strength of the unit is 384 and a breakdown of their ranks shows: 1 Colonel, 1 Lt. Col., 3 Majors, 16 Captains, 27 1^st Lts., 29 2d Lts., 54 1^st Sgts., 16 S/Sgts., 35 Sgts., 28 Cpls., 75 Pfcs., and 99 Pvts.

It is concluded that the Lone Wolf Intelligence Unit never

existed except in the form of a roster submitted on March 15, 1946. It is further concluded that all men who did intelligence work for Lt. Col. Bernard Anderson in Batangas province have previously been recognized in the roster Col. Andersons submitted from the Batangas Military Area.

This unit does not appear to have any political affiliations or aspirations.

After careful consideration of the statements of the present members of the “Lone Wolf Intelligence Unit,” the statements of Filipino and American Guerrilla Leaders and documents presented, it is recommended that with the exception of those members previously recognized as part of Anderson’s Guerrillas, Batangas Military Area, the “Lone Wolf Intelligence Unit” be not favorably considered for recognition.

[Sgd.] LEONARD J. AUBUCHON [Sgd.] ELISEO STA. ROMANA

Notes and references: