Petition to the U.S. Army for Recognition of the Alcazar Battalion
[TRANSCRIPTION]
The Alcazar Battalion was a guerrilla unit purportedly founded by one Emilio Alcazar in the town of Talisay, Batangas in March of 1942. It was supposedly initially affiliated with Marcos Agustin’s guerrilla outfit but, because of difficulties in communicating with the mother unit, it later became attached instead to the Hunters-ROTC. Communication with this other large organization, however, was also poor so that essentially, the Alcazar Battalion operated independently. In this page is a transcription1 of the petition written by Alcazar asking the United States Army for recognition of his guerrilla outfit.
PETITION FOR RECOGNITION
of
ALCAZAR’S OWN BATTALION
This is a petition for the recognition of a battalion of guerrillas originally organized by the undersigned sometime in March 1942 in Talisay, Batangas. At first, our organization was part of the Marking’s Guerrillas, but in view of the arrest of the undersigned organizer and also the subsequent arrest and execution of Lt. Col. Dionisio T. Medrana, Liaison Officer of the Marking’s Guerrillas, our organization became a separate unit. However, during the early part of 1945, we thought it proper to incorporate our unit with the ROTC Hunters to coordinate action and, thereby, efficiently carry out the purposes and objectives of the guerrillas in the province of Batangas. But, in view of the increased activities of the Japanese when the invasion of Batangas by the Americans became imminent, we again lost contact with the headquarters of the ROTC, the latter having been transferred for fear of being discovered by the Japanese. This is probably the reason why our roster was not submitted with the roster of the 49th Regiment of the ROTC. Since we lost contact with the 49th Regiment of the ROTC, we acted independently and dealt with the American forces of liberation directly, as will be seen from the papers submitted herewith.
With this petition, the undersigned is submitting a short history of the organization and its activities, the roster, and other pertinent papers to prove the existence and activities of the organization.
This petition is respectfully submitted because the undersigned sincerely believes that our organization strictly complied with the rules and regulations, and served faithfully the cause for which we all fought and sacrificed. It is but fitting and just that those men who exposed themselves and their families to great dangers, such as can be expected only from [the] Japanese, be given a reward for their devotion and sacrifices.
If given recognition, it is requested that the undersigned be allowed to designate his organization as “Alcazar’s Own Battalion.”