Marcos’ World War II Medals (1)

“Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth.”

“Three US medals that Marcos was said to have received are fake, according to the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.”

“The National Historical Commission opposed the burial of Marcos at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani.”

Every time I recall seeing those headlines in Philippine newspapers from 1962 to 2016, it kills me.

How can the chairman and members of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines erase from the collective soul of the Filipino people the sense of love, admiration, and recognition for a young Filipino who, in reality and undeniably, exhibited courage and risked his life against the common enemy that others may live and be safe?

Are the chairman and members of the commission of the same breed and values as the chairman and members of the Presidential Commission on Good Government, which was formed based on hatred and revenge against Marcos to recover his “Ill-gotten wealth?” 

The chairmen and members of the National Historical Commission and the Presidential Commission on Good Government exercised their respective functions unjustly, greedily and ruthlessly. In both cases, by both commissions, contrary to what is true.

Albert Einstein, the most influential physicist of the 20th century, and just maybe the most famous scientist to have ever lived, said: “Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth.”

The Washington Post in 1982 said: “There is no question that Marcos served in combat on the US side at the beginning of World War II or that he received many Philippine decorations for wartime actions. In 1940, soon after graduating from law school, he was called to active duty with the Philippine Army. At the time, the Philippines was still an American colony and the army was under US command. When the Japanese invaded the Philippines in December 1941, Lt. Marcos was serving in the 21st Philippine Division, which was part of the forces driven to the Bataan Peninsula. These division combat units were assigned to reinforce the US II Corps main division position known as the Abucay Line.

“After the surrender of the forces on Bataan in April and the ensuing Death March, most Philippine soldiers were released under the terms of the Japanese amnesty. Subsequently, Marcos organized ‘Ang Mga Maharlika’ (The Nobles), which the Philippine government described as a guerrilla group. In December 1944, he joined Col. Russell Volckmann’s guerrillas in Northern Luzon. Two of the US medals purportedly were earned during the Bataan campaign.”

“Marcos claims to have earned a Silver Star for dispersing infiltrators at Guitol, far behind US lines, on 16 January. Two days later, some eight miles to the west, he allegedly carried out his exploits on the slopes of Mt. Natib. Finally, according to the official Philippine version, Marcos’ Philippine commander recommended him for the Medal of Honor for his heroism in organizing a group of 100 stragglers that blocked a Japanese offensive, enabling the US forces to carry out a withdrawal to a new defense line. This occurred from 22 through 26 January.”

When Marcos entered the army, he was already well known because of a well-publicized trial that ended in his conviction for killing a political opponent of his father, who had run for the National Assembly. The conviction was overturned. While going through the appeal, he received another boost to his popularity by scoring first in the national bar examination.

“A photograph of Marcos taken at the end of the war shows him wearing a US Distinguished Service Cross medal and one Silver Star (as well as a Purple Heart). Marcos’ claim to these medals rested heavily on a letter to him from Headquarters, US Army Forces, Pacific dated 6 July 1946. It said: ‘Based on your statements and the affidavits of witnesses, the validity of your claims for your (award of DSC and the first of Two Stars) is hereby acknowledged.’” 

(To be continued)