Daring Sailboat Mission Sets Stage for Guerilla Linkup!

Luzon - 1945 - Leonard Beechinor 130A/T Company Commander receives the Bronze Star from General Stillwell for Luzon mission.

Daring Sailboat Mission Sets Stage For Guerrilla Linkup Luzon --15 March 1945 -- Contact had to be established between the 130th Infantry Regiment and Col. Volckmann's guerrilla forces 15-20 miles up the coast from Aringay.

It was determined that the best way to accomplish this mission was by sailboat from Aringay, traveling under cover of darkness to the small San Juan harbor near San Fernando.

Asked to make this contact by Col. J.B. Faulconer was the 130th's anti-tank company CO, Captain Leonard Beechinor. He asked for another volunteer and Corporal Joseph Resciniti stepped forward.

Beechinor and Resciniti first went to another guerrilla camp near Aringay for a day or two to learn more about their destination.

They were told "when the wind is right we will sail, but not before then."

It was about two o'clock one morning shortly thereafter that they were told the breezes were in their favor.

"So we went down to the beach and got in this little sailboat," Beechinor recalled. "It had just this Filipino besides Resciniti and myself -- and a rooster."

A rooster?

"Yeah, a rooster. We sailed up the coast for about 8 hours and as we got to the mouth of this small harbor I was dozing when the damn rooster started crowing. I peered over the side of the sailboat and could see this Japanese cargo ship unloading. I guess they were used to sounds like this so they didn't pay it any attention," Beechinor said. "There were also patrol boats in the area; they didn't come close to us, but we could see them.

"Anyway, we proceeded on north. We had a map showing the approximate position of Volckmann's guerrillas. It turned out this was excellent information.

"As we approached this desolate looking area with a long stretch of sandy beach, our sailor said according to the map this was where we were to get off.

"He didn't want to get in any closer because, number one, he was concerned about getting hung up a sand bar and, number two, he didn't want to get fired on. So he got as close as he could and the corporal and I swam in to the beach.

"We only had our sidearms, no rifles, as we were instructed not to fight in the event of capture. So, we proceeded on this big sandy beach with jungle in the distance and on the sides," Beechinor said.

And the specific mission?

"It was to contact the guerrilla headquarters and to subsequently join the 33rd Division with the guerrillas and to pinch off that area of coastline," Beechinor said. "And as we proceeded inland we saw nobody at first, then we began to see movement on our right flank, our left flank and out in front of us, but we kept right on walking."

"You had no way of knowing if these were friendly or enemy units?

"That's right. We just kept right on walking and when we got to the edge of the jungle, they closed in on us and it turned out we were right on target with the map as it was Col. Volckmann's camp. We were taken right to him where we exchanged certain information.

"We spent the night. The instruction I had given the boatman was to be back the next day, again ifthe wind was favorable. I remember we had carabao steaks as those in the camp celebrated that we were the first Americans they had seen.

"The next day they escorted us back to beach and sure enough the old man was there with the boat. We swam out, only he was closer to shore this time as he had protection. I had also been instructed to reconnoiter a road which could be used as a landing strip that an L-5 liaison aircraft could land on. And we had found a spot that would be suitable.

"We sailed back down the coastline to Aringay where I reported directly back to General Clarkson. And, he said, 'You'll have to go back with the L-5 as you are the only one who knows where the landing strip is.'

"It was just a day or two later that the pilot and I went back up and picked up Col. Volckmann and brought him back to meet directly with Col. Faulconer and then with the Division commander. The information they exchanged led directly to the linkup of the 33rd with the guerrillas up north."

In a recent interview with the newsletter, Beechinor said, "I would give my right arm to find Resciniti who, I believe lived in the New York or New Jersey area."

(Ed. note: In separate action on Luzon, Beechinor and Resciniti each received the Silver Star.)

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