This article is related to one of the unsung heroes of the Second World War.The conquerors and he vanquished had their names
etched alike in golden words in history,but what is forgotten at this point of time is the contribution of those liitle
army,battalions ,or the soldiers who fought gallantly and had even laid their lives.This article is just a maegre contribution
to one of those soldiers who had fought very valiantly in the scene.His name was Jose Calugas.
Calugas was born on 29rd December 1907, in a secluded group of islands,Philippines.Calougas joined the United States
army, in the Philippine Scouts and got himself trained as an artillery man. He had received the medal of honor,for his
skills shown in the Battle of Bataan.He worked as an artilleryman,serving different batteries
till his unit was mobilized to fight the world war.He had been orced to move to an enemy camp,when he had been taken
as a captive along with several other of his army members.He had been then freed in 1943,where from he then took the assignment
of a guerilla unit.Calugas then acceped the citizenship of United States of America,after his retirement from army,and settled
in Tacoma,Washington.
Calugas actions were of the primary importance during the second world war,most notable in te battle of Batan.As it
is aforecited,his exploits at Bataan had earned him the medal of Honor for the same.
THE BATTLE:At the Bataan,Calugas was performing his specific
duties,known as the KP duty,which actually is the mess seargent in charge of the soldiers who had been preparing the
day’s meals,while his unit was covering the withdrawal of a portion of the US Army Forces Far East,in collaboration with
31st Infantry Regiment and the 26th Cavalry Regiment of the Philippine Scouts.Then there was a sudden silencing of the one
of the unit’s guns resulting the killing of the crew.Without the regard of his own life,or orders,he ran 1000 yards,across
the entire area.Then he captured the gun position,oranized a squad,and started returning Japanese Artillery fire.This continued
the entire afternoon.Even at the same time,other soldiers dug their positions in,and defended the line.Thereafter he returned to
the KP,when the combat subsided.Subsequently,his superiors had recommended him the highest possible honor,the Medal of
Honor.But ,all the american forces at Bataan had srrendered to the Japanese forces even prior to him receiving the honor.
THE SURRENDER AND THE DEATH MARCH:There had been a near-complete destruction of the communications and defenses,as a result
of repeated artillery fire of Japanese forces.On April 9,1942 many Filipino and American troops to a Japanese army,
calculating to the single largest surrender of one of it’s military forces in Amercan history.Immediately after,Calugas
along with the other prisoners in te province of tartar.The prisoners,then,after being relieved of their belongings had
been endured to a 61 mile march,on the route,which,many people had died of starvation,untreated wounds,and wanton execution
Calugas then had been released in 1943 to work for the Japanese.
Post release:his releae made him a labourer in a Japanese rice mill,where he also joined a guerilla unit.Also,he participated
in an attack on the Japanese garrison at Karangalan.His unit fought repeaedly in the lberation of Philippines,ending in
it’s eventual liberation in the 1945.Post liberation of tephilippines,he then had been eventually awarded the Medal of
Honor,to which he had been approved of,before the war.
AFTER LIFE: Calugas retired in the year 1957,from where he moved to Tacona,Washington with his family.He then earned a
degree in Business Administration,from the University of Puget Sound in 1961.He eventually died at the age of 90,in
Tacona on January 18,1998.
HONORS:The action of providing him the Honor Medal took place at Culis,Philippine Islands,on Jan.16,1942.Also,a street
named the Calugas Circle had been dedicated to his honor,where his family lives presently in,1999.He had also been honored
at the Living war Memorial Park ,in 2009,at a memorial already there.
