Thursday, May 19, 2022

PT-41 Comes Home

Veterans kin donate PT-41 scale model for MacArthur Memorial

By Mike Baños


The commemoration of the 80th Anniversary of General Douglas MacArthur’s Breakout from Corregidor on March 13, 2022 was constrained by the latest surge of the coronavirus pandemic, but this did not stop some private citizens from making a token gesture to acknowledge its importance in our local and world histories.


A 1/24 scale model of PT-41, the PT Boat which brought MacArthur and his family from Corregidor to Cagayan has been crowd-funded by a group of private citizens and institutions led by the Philippine Veterans Bank and the heirs and families of the following patriots:


Col. Leonardo V. Hernando O-2462 (Ret.); Col. Fidencio M. Laplap  O-37530 (Ret.); Lt. Col. Angeles L. Limena O-2141 (Ret.) ; Commander Albert Parker Ross  2015690 (Ret) USN; Major Blas Chaves Velez O-37540 (Res); Maj. Rosauro P. Dongallo, Sr., O-37833 (Inact); Capt. Andres D. Bacal O-37523 (Inact); Capt. Ramon R. Buhay ASN Unk (Inact); Capt. Luciano S. Firmacion ASN Unk (Inact); 1st Lt. Jose D. Docdocil O-37829 (Inact); 2nd Lt. Baltazar A. Cabrera O-33265 (Inact); 2nd Lt. Rodolfo A. Moreno O-37659 (Inact); Master Sgt. Mauricio E. Malabed 0-738461 (Inact); Cpl. Jesus B. Ilogon 0-33105 (Inact); Cpl. Jose G. Gorra 0-136215 (Inact); and, Pvt. Emiliano Macanas A. 0-179700 (Inact).


MacArthur’s successful Breakout to Australia enabled him to reorganize the Allied Forces in the Pacific and eventually keep his promise to the Filipinos of “I Shall Return.”

Meantime, the unsurrendered USAFFE soldiers and guerrillas kept the enemy disrupted with timely raids on their garrisons and intelligence reports that enabled the sinking of enemy ships by Allied submarines which also supplied them with weapons and ammunition to continue the struggle for freedom.

In memory of the valor and sacrifice of our guerrillas and soldiers this memento will be dedicated and unveiled at the Ayala Centrio Activity center during the 77th Anniversary of the Liberation of Cagayan on May 12, 2022. 


The formal turnover to the Cagayan de Oro City Government through the City Tourism & Cultural Office will be scheduled later.

The organizers acknowledged with grateful thanks and appreciation the financial assistance of the following persons and entities who assisted in the successful conclusion of this 80th anniversary project: The Philippine Veterans Bank through First Vice President Miguel Angelo C. Villa-Real; Congressman Rufus B. Rodriguez, 2nd Congressional District of Cagayan de Oro City; Engineer Elpidio M. Paras, UC-1 Corporation; Philippines World War II Memorial Foundation through Vice President for Research and Education Desiree Ann Cua Benipayo; and former Norfolk Sister City Association- Cagayan de Oro Committee Chair Chief Hospital Corpsman Harry Acuña, US Navy (Ret), with Senior Chief Machinist Mate Angelo Acuña, Jr., US  Navy (Ret), and Mr. Angelo Acuña, Sr.


And not the least, the heirs and relatives of the veterans honored with this 80th anniversary memento who helped crowd-fund the completion of the scale model and its accessories: Mrs. Alice Limena Lacson and Family, Dolly and Raul Ilogon and Family, Leonardo  Jr., Eduardo and Adrian Fidel Hernando and Family;  Fr Antonio Moreno, SJ; Dr Ramon Moreno and Family; Gerlou and Rosie Docdocil and Family; Joy & Gil Blas Velez & Family; Lito, Olet & Bobby Cabrera and Family; Brig. Gen. Johnny Macanas & Family; Annie Gorra Rago and Family; William, Faye Bacal & Family; Rosauro Dongallo, Jr. & Family; Penny Dharamdas, Debra Fortich, Rowena Laplap & Family, Dorothy Jean Buhay Pabayo & family, and Franciso B. Sarraga & Family.


This project was initiated and sustained by the  Volunteer Project Committee with  Engr. Elpidio M. Paras, Congressman Rufus  B. Rodriguez,  Mr. Miguel Angelo C. Villareal, Miniature and Scale model builder Desi R. Reyes, Photographer and Modeler Albert Labrador, Mr. Albert Parker Ross II (who provided the drawings and advised Mr. Reyes during the entirety of the PT-41 build); Artist Nicolas Aca, Jr., Graphic Artist and Designer Christopher Gomez, Donna C. Ocampo and Asst. Prof. Philip Molina Garcia of the University of Utah Asia Campus, Inchon, South Korea, without whom this project would not have been made possible.














No comments: