Vanderpool's Response to Capt. George Smith on Alfredo Joya's Claims, Oct 46 - Batangas History, Culture and Folklore Vanderpool's Response to Capt. George Smith on Alfredo Joya's Claims, Oct 46 - Batangas History, Culture and Folklore

Vanderpool's Response to Capt. George Smith on Alfredo Joya's Claims, Oct 46

Batangas History
29 Dec, 2017
[TRANSCRIPTION]

Col. Jay D. Vanderpool was the Liaison Officer sent by Headquarters, Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA) Command to southern Luzon, including Batangas, to coordinate guerrilla activities in the area in preparation for the Allied invasion. Transcriptions of a selection of his communications either with guerrilla units or offices of the United States Army are compiled in this section. In this page are transcriptions1 of an exchange of letters between Vanderpool and one Captain George Smith on the claims filed by one Alfredo P. Joya.
Maj. Jay D. Vanderpool
Left: Col. Vanderpool. Image credit:  ARSOF History. Right: Filipino soldiers being inspected. Image credit: US National Archives.

[Letter from Capt. George Smith]

[p. 1]

HEADQUARTERS
CLAIMS SERVICE, AFWESPAC
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF CLAIMS

PDP/aag

AG-153
PRO-2572 		APO 707
28 September 1946

SUBJECT

To 		: Claim of Alredo P. Joya

: Major Jay D. Vanderpool, FA, 0410776
  Hqs. 25th Infantry Division, APO 25,   c/o Postmaster, San Francisco, California.

1. This office is processing a claim of Alfredo P. Joya for a horse and a saddle allegedly commandeered by you in Tanza, Cavite on 27 January 1945.

2. In support of his claim, claimant has submitted a receipt signed by you, true copy of which is attached herewith for your verification.

3. Please give us a statement of your best recollection of facts as involved in the commandeering of the said horse and saddle.

4. Expeditious reply will be greatly appreciated.

FOR THE CHIEF OF CLAIMS:

GEORGE F. SMITH,
Captain, CAC,
Claims Investigating Service

2 Incls:

1 True copy of Receipt # 17
1 Official envelope

[p. 2]

[Response from Vanderpool.]

BASIC: Ltr, Hq Claims Service, AFWESPAC Office of the Chief of Claims, APO 707
        dtd 28 Sept 1946, subj: “Claim of Alfredo P. Joya”

AG 153 1st Ind JDV/ma

Hq 25th Inf Div, APO 25 (Osaka, Honshu), 10 October 1946

TO: Captain George F. Smith, Hq Claims Service, AFWESPAC Office of the Chief of Claims, APO 707

1. The claim for the horse and saddle is true to the best of my memory and belief.

2. This horse, with some thirty (30) others, were commandeered in my name immediately prior to the landing of the 11th Airborne Division in Batangas in late January 1945.

3. I, as the GHQ SWPA representative in Cavite, Batangas-Western Laguna Area, commandeered some thirty horses to be used as mounted messengers. These were used to establish an inter-guerrilla system. A Pony Express system connecting all principal guerrilla organizations was established and remained in operation until March of 1945.

4. Colonel Quintin Gellidon, who was my principal assistant, actually received the horses for me. I signed the receipts and turned them over to Colonel Gellidon. When he received the horses, he countersigned the receipt to indicate that my command had accepted the horses.

5. I sent Colonel Joya a radio message sometime during the middle of January asking that he assist Colonel Gellidon procure the horses. I do not doubt that he sent some of his own horses to my command.

6. Although I do not have personal knowledge that this is one of the horses that I obtained for U.S. forces, I am reasonably certain that this is one commandeered by myself. I recommend that the claim be honored.

[Sgd.] JAY D. VANDERPOOL
Lieut. Col., GSC
A.C. of S., G-4

Notes and references:
1 “Hunters-ROTC Guerrillas,” Box 246, Entry 1087, Philippine Archive Collection, Record Group 407, online at the United States National Archives.
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