Claro Laureta

Last updated
Claro L. Laureta
Claro Laureta.jpg
Birth nameClaro Lopez Laureta
AllegianceFlag of the United States.svg  United States of America
Flag of the Philippines (1946-1998).svg  Commonwealth of the Philippines
Service/branchPhilippine Army (1942 -1957)
Philippine Constabulary(1934–1942)
Philippine Scouts(1926–1932)
Years of service1934–1957
Rank US-O6 insignia.svg Colonel
Service number 0-1407
Unit130th Infantry Regiment
2nd Davao PC Company
45th Infantry Regiment (PS)
Commands held107th Division (Guerilla), 10th Military District
130th Infantry Regiment (Guerilla Unit)
2nd Davao PC Company
Battles/warsEpic Battle of Tagum(November 10 – 14, 1944)
Battle of Ising (May 3 – 10, 1945)
AwardsUS Distinguished Service Star
Bronze Star
Military Merit Medal
Alma mater Philippine Constabulary Academy (1934)

Claro L. Laureta, a military officer of the Philippine Army who commanded guerilla units within Davao Region area during World War II. He enlisted as a Private in the Philippine Scouts in 1926 and assigned 45th US Infantry Regiment until 1929. He attended Philippine Constabulary Academy in Baguio and graduated in 1934. He was commissioned as 3rd Lieutenant and assigned to Davao province in 1936. He was commanded 2nd Davao PC Company based in Camp Victa in Kapalong, Davao(now Davao del Norte) in 1941 before the war. [1] He fought the Japanese until when it moved forward towards Monkayo.

Contents

When Visayas-Mindanao Force surrendered in May 1942, Captain Laureta refused to surrender and move inland and setup his guerilla force made up of his men in PC, stragglers of USAFFE units, and recruited to augment his unit now named as 130th Infantry Regiment. [1] He is known for securing the safety of POWs who escaped from Davao Penal Colony. [2] When Colonel Wendell Fertig merged all guerilla forces in Mindanao in 1943, Laureta rose as commander of guerilla units in Davao region which is now called 107th Infantry Division comprising with his now with 130th Infantry Regiment and 111th Provisional Infantry Battalion, Laureta was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and relinquished his command of 130th Infantry to Lieutenant Colonel Saturnino Silva, who came from Australia. [3]

During the liberation campaign in November 1944, 19th US Infantry Regiment of 24th US Infantry Division linked up with 107th Division. [4] and fought Japanese along with the 24th US Infantry Division in Battle of Tagum and later Battle of Ising in May 1945 [1]

After the war, he resumed his career as Army officer. He retired in 1957 with the rank of Colonel. [5] With his exploits during World War II he was awarded with various military medals Distinguished Services Star, Bronze Star, and Military Merit Medal. [6]

Legacy

Laureta Elementary School and Laureta National High School in Tagum City, Davao Del Norte is named after him. A bill was passed by Congressmen Alan Dujali renaming Davao del Norte Provincial Police Office Camp in Tagum [7] after him is still pending for approval. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippine Scouts</span> Military unit

The Philippine Scouts (Filipino: Maghahanap ng Pilipinas/Hukbong Maghahanap ng Pilipinas) was a military organization of the United States Army from 1901 until after the end of World War II. These troops were generally Filipinos and Filipino-Americans assigned to the United States Army Philippine Department, under the command of American commissioned officers (though a handful of Filipino Americans received commissions from the United States Military Academy). Philippine Scout units were given the suffix "(PS)", to distinguish them from other U.S. Army units.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Army Forces in the Far East</span> Military unit

United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) was a military formation of the United States Army active from 1941 to 1946. The new command's headquarters was created on 26 July 1941, at No. 1, Calle Victoria, Manila, Luzon, the Philippines, with General Douglas MacArthur as commander. The Chief of Staff was Brigadier General Richard K. Sutherland and the Deputy Chief of Staff was Lieutenant Colonel Richard J. Marshall. The core of this command was drawn from the Office of the Military Advisor to the Commonwealth Government of the Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tagum</span> Capital of Davao del Norte, Philippines

Tagum, officially the City of Tagum, is a 1st class component city and capital of the Davao del Norte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 296,202 people making it the most populous component city in Mindanao.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carmen, Davao del Norte</span> Municipality in Davao del Norte, Philippines

Carmen, officially the Municipality of Carmen, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Davao del Norte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 82,018 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Mindanao</span> WWII Battle in the Pacific Theatre

The Battle of Mindanao was fought by the Americans and allied Filipino guerrillas against the Japanese forces on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines as part of Operation VICTOR V. It was part of the campaign to liberate the Philippines during World War II. The battle was waged to complete the recapture of the southernmost portions of the archipelago from the Imperial Japanese Army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William E. Dyess</span> United States Army Air Forces officer

William Edwin Dyess was an officer of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. He was captured after the Allied loss at the Battle of Bataan and endured the subsequent Bataan Death March. After a year in captivity, Dyess escaped and spent three months on the run before being evacuated from the Philippines by a U.S. submarine. Once back in the U.S., he recounted the story of his capture and imprisonment, providing the first widely published eye-witness account of the brutality of the death march. He returned to duty in the Army Air Forces, but was killed in a training accident months later.

The Battle of Davao was a major battle in which American and Philippine Commonwealth troops including locally organized guerrillas fought the Japanese to liberate the city of Davao. The battle is part of Operation VICTOR V, an offensive operation against Japanese forces in Mindanao, and part of the campaign for the liberation of the Philippines during World War II. The battle was the decisive engagement of the Mindanao Campaign.

Noel A. Coballes is a retired Filipino Lieutenant General and a two-time Distinguished Conduct Star recipient for combat actions in Maguindanao, and thrice recipient of Distinguished Service Star. He also was awarded five Gold Cross Medals, two Bronze Cross Medals, and more than one Military Merit Medals. He is the former Commanding General of the Philippine Army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">81st Division (Philippines)</span> Military unit

The 81st Infantry Division was a reserve division of the Philippine Army under the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE). It was established in the prewar period and fought 1941–1942. Its troops are from Cebu, Bohol, and Leyte but most of its troops are Americans and junior officers are Filipinos coming mostly from Luzon. The division served in defense of Mindanao but it never commanded the 4 of its maneuver regiments but was supplemented with 61st Infantry from Panay and 73rd Infantry from Negros. Also, 2nd Regular Regiment was transferred to its command in the early part of Japanese invasion of Mindanao.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">101st Division (Philippines)</span> Military unit

The 101st Infantry Division was one the reserve divisions of the Philippine Army under the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE)'s 10th Military district mainly entire island of Mindanao.

The 102nd Infantry Division was a division of the Philippine Army under the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">91st Division (Philippines)</span> Military unit

The 91st Infantry Division was a division of the Philippine Army under the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Macairog Alberto</span> Filipino general (b. 1963)

Macairog Sabiniano Alberto is a Filipino retired general and diplomat who served as the former Commanding General of the Philippine Army. He is a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy "Sinagtala" Class of 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noel Clement</span> Filipino general (born 1954)

Noel Segovia Clement is a retired Filipino general who previously served as the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Prior to his appointment as Chief of Staff, he served as the commander of the AFP Central Command, and the 10th Infantry Division. He is a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy "Sandiwa" Class of 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mindanao Railway</span> Proposed railway system in the Philippines

The Mindanao Railway, previously known as the Trans-Mindanao High Speed Railway, is a proposed railway system in Mindanao, the southernmost major island of the Philippines. Originally proposed in 1936 as part of Manuel L. Quezon's efforts to strengthen the presence of Commonwealth government in Mindanao against the rising influence of Imperial Japan before World War II, the line was shelved. Other proposals and studies were made in the 1950s, 1990s, and the 2000s, but never materialized. The current line began development in 2018; however, construction has yet to start. It will be initially built as a single-track standard gauge system to be operated by diesel-powered rolling stock, but will have provisions for upgrading to double-track and electrification through overhead lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clarence A. Martin</span> United States Army general (1896–1986)

Clarence Ames Martin was a highly decorated officer in the United States Army with the rank of Major General. A veteran of World War I, he distinguished himself as Company Commander in France and held various staff and field assignments during interwar period.

Tirso Gimenez Fajardo was a Filipino Army General who served as 2nd Commanding General of the Philippine Army.

Visayas-Mindanao Force was a military formation created in November 1941 to command all soldiers of US Army, US Philippine Scouts, Philippine Army, and Philippine Constabulary in the southern islands of the Philippines. Colonel William F. Sharp was appointed as commanding general and was promoted to Brigadier General in November 1941 and later Major General. He was just starting to organize his command and train his soldiers into a fighting unit when the war started on December 7, 1941.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mindanao Force</span> Military unit

Mindanao Force is a corps size military unit defending the island of Mindanao the second largest Island of the Philippines from March 17, 1942, to its surrender on May 9, 1942. The force was already created when the Visayas-Mindanao Force was split into two in March 1942. It was initiated in February 1942 in the headquarters of US Army Forces in the Far East but took effect when General Douglas MacArthur departed for Australia on March 17, 1942.

61st Infantry Regiment is a military unit and formation activated in August 1941 in Panay Island. It is under the command of 61st Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army. The regiment collapsed in May 1942 with its commanding officer captured by the Japanese Army in Lanao.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 https://hrep-website.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/legisdocs/basic_18/HB08174.pdf
  2. Shaw, Frank (November 29, 1967). Victory and Occupation. Washington, D.C: US Government Printing Office. pp. 770–771.
  3. Figueroa, Antonio (2023-09-11). "FAST BACKWARD: Lt. Col. Saturnino Silva, war hero". Edge Davao. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  4. Smith, Robert Ross (March 15, 1961). Triumph in the Philippines. Washington, D.C: Office of the Chief of Military History. pp. 632–634.
  5. "Philippine Scout Wall of Heroes". Philippine Scouts Heritage Society. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  6. https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/araw-ng-kagitingan-bk/pdf/roll-of-honor.pdf
  7. https://issuances-library.senate.gov.ph/bills/house-bill-no-8174-18th-congress-republic

See also