Recollections from Luzon
by Anthony Novak

My combat experience was mostly in the Philippines. I volunteered as part of a squad to climb 11,800-foot Mount St. Thomas, part of the enemy territory, leading to the approaches to Baguio.

It took us three days to climb the mountain where we stayed another three or four. We came down in one day (Wow! hard on reverse leg muscles!) When we got back down to base camp, the division had advanced. We were put in a field hospital for a couple days where we were checked for fatigue and then rejoined our company.

Later, one of the officers that was with us returned up the mountain and learned the Japanese had found out about us being there and killed a whole group of the Igorots in retaliation.

Another night, just before dark, the Japanese strafed and bombed our positions, making a direct hit on our anti-aircraft position. I learned 11 men were killed. We were not too far from it and felt the ground really shake.

Another time in April 1945, we were encircled by the enemy and cut off by Asin. When supplies were dropped, we were informed in a note that President Roosevelt had died. Many of us were quite sorrowful over the news.

On another occasion, I was caught in machine gun cross-fire and my steel helmet fell off my head leaving me with just the helmet liner. Without thinking Iran back to get it, lucky that I wasn't hit.

At another time, we had dug our foxholes when we heard enemy movement. I must have used up a half box or more of grenades. The next day at roll call we learned that one of our men, named Workman, had been killed during the night by the Japanese.

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