A Brief History of the Lipa Guerrilla Regiment Paran's Unit
[TRANSCRIPTION]
The Lipa Guerrilla Regiment used to be known as the “Second Batangas Regiment” when it was affiliated with the Marking’s Guerrillas of Marcos Agustin. It was formed by a former USAFFE officer named Felino Paran. Upon Paran’s capture by the Japanese, command was assumed by Miguel Lina and became known as the “Lipa Guerrilla Unit.” The organization ultimately failed to collectively gain official recognition by the United States Army, but some of its members did get this coveted accolade. In this page1 is a transcription of a short history of the Lipa Guerrilla Regiment submitted to the United States Army as part of its application for official recognition.
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H E A D Q U A R T E R S
LIPA GUERRILLA REGIMENT – PARAN’S UNIT
– BRIEF HISTORY –
Organized, December, 1942.
Made contact with the Marking’s Guerrillas in San Rafael, Sto. Tomas, Batangas, through Lt. Col. Dionisio Medrana, February, 1943.
Formally incorporated into the Marking’s Guerrillas, May, 1943, by Col. David Mangkon as the Second Batangas Regiment of these Guerrilla Forces.
Commenced operation, July, 1943, mainly counter-intelligence work and anti-collaborationist activities. Operations done with utmost secrecy. Areas covered: Lipa, San Jose, Malvar, Calamba, Alaminos and San Pablo, concentrating mainly in Lipa.
Lost contact with Marking’s Guerrillas when Colonel David Mangkon was captured by the enemy. September 1943 operated as an independent unit since then.
December 1943: concentrated on intelligence work. Unit operating as the Chief Intelligence Corps for the provinces of Laguna, Tayabas and Batangas. Agents were assigned to do extensive sabotage work against enemy installations in Lipa and other areas by giving them specific orders to masquerade as laborers in Japanese labor battalions. This was done as per request of all the other guerrilla units operating in said areas, i.e., PQOG, Fil-Americans and Hunters or ROTC.
Arms secured through raids of enemy supply depots.
May 1944, commenced actual combat operations against Japanese patrols, charged with the requisitioning of food stuffs from Filipino producers. Areas covered: Lipa and Rosario.
July 1944: Started counter-propaganda activities.
September 1944: establishment of semi-permanent base on the eastern portion of the municipality of Lipa to coordinate large-scale sabotage work. Japs’ installations accurately mapped.
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Enemy supply depots in the sitios of Lumbang, Dagatan, Sapac, Talisay and Bubuyan, all of Lipa, Batangas, were raided and approximately ten thousand rounds of artillery and one million rounds of small arms ammunition were destroyed.
Supply depot in the sitio of Sapac was raided and the Japanese Army clothing were confiscated (about six truck-loads) and issued to enlisted personnel.
Gasoline dumps in and around the vicinity of the Lipa airstrip were destroyed, 600 barrels of high grade aviation gasoline.
Supply depot in Tambo, Lipa, Batangas was raided: 200 cavans of rice and 24 boxes of Japanese biscuits rationed out to needy civilians. Japanese food stuffs bound for Manila were taken.
November 1944: transferred headquarters higher in the midst of Malarayat Mountain. An American fighter pilot (Lt. John Boyle, USNR) rescued in the sitio of Dagatan.
Enemy installations and dispositions mapped out and sent for transmission to SWPA through unit of Anderson’s Guerrillas, AIB. Bomb targets indicated to American planes.
December 1944, countermeasures taken against enemy mass massacre of civilians in the southern Batangas area.
Military reservation was established in the sitios of Payapa, Maugat, Nasi and Castillo. Civilians were evacuated to this area from territories subjected to reconnaissance of Jap patrols ordered to kill all civilians found. 67,000 people were evacuated from Lipa, San Jose, Rosario, Tiaong, Candelaria and San Pablo given due protection.
Garrisoned area since then up to March 1945, during period warding off seven Japanese attacks against same. Same period food was rationed out to needy and medical attention given to [the] sick and to those who survived or escaped from Japanese massacre.
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January 1945: two machine guns (Japanese) Cal. .30 taken including 200 sacks of rice; and ammunition depot burned when this unit made physical contact with the Jap garrisoned troops in the barrio of San Celestino, Lipa, Batangas. One Jap 81 mm. mortar captured.
March 1945: made contact with American forces in Alitagtag, Batangas. Unit was assigned to work directly under the Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff, G-2, 11th Airborne Division by Lt. Col. Mueller.
March 1945: Three Japs killed in Pinagkaanuran, Rosario, Batangas; one battle flag taken.
April 1945: cooperated with the 11th CIC Detachment, 11th Airborne Division under Lt. David Finn and Lt. Myhan in apprehending Makapilis and Japanese collaborators and gathering affidavits regarding same.
Units were attached to units of the American forces operating in respective areas, as follows: Lipa, Tanauan, Malvar and San Jose, Province of Batangas.
One Jap caught alive and two killed in Masiit, Lipa, Batangas; Jap alive taken to CIC>
Combat units participated in the extensive mopping operations in areas, Lipa, Malvar, Rosario and San Jose.
Some certificates issued by U.S. Army officers contacted were lost. Only a few remaining ones are submitted herewith for information.
Some of the captured enemy weapons are still available and same can be produced if desired.
Colonel
Commanding Officer
Lipa Guerrilla Regiment
FZP/Mpc