Max Young, a 98-year-old former guerrilla fighter, on Monday recalled his ordeal and those of his comrades in World War II, particularly their escape from their Japanese captors on March 20, 1942.
Young, who hails from Cebu, recalled the 79th anniversary of the Japanese invasion of the Philippines on Dec. 8, 1941 that started the war in the Pacific.
Young is the only surviving Filipino war veteran who fought during the Second World War, the Korean War and the Vietnam War where he was a member of the Philippine Civic Action Group to Vietnam, but was not engaged in combat but in civic action work.
Despite his age, Young remembers to the last detail all his combat experiences, particularly the Korean War where he was a tank commander who fought almost singlehandedly against the superior Chinese and North Korean forces in the battle of Yultong, where he was awarded the Taegeuk Medal, South Korea’s highest military medal for gallantry in combat.
Young still does calisthenics every day, doing 1,000 steps and walks on his own.
He said he was aboard a civilian ship where he was working, together with 160 soldiers and their families who were going to Manila from Cebu, “when we heard over the radio at 10 in the morning that Pearl Harbor in Hawaii and Clark Air Base in Pampanga were bombed by Japanese warplanes on that fateful day of 8 December 1941.
“We were sailing near Mindoro Island when we heard the news that shocked all of us. We prayed to God for protection. But The ship’s captain was undaunted as he made the ship sailing for Manila faster.
“As we sailed to Manila, two Japanese warships spotted us. We were told to surrender but our skipper ignored the warning. And suddenly the Japanese opened fire at us with their big guns as we continued to sail.
Young said the boat’s captain proceeded to Corregidor and anchored the ship on the seashore.
“We jumped to the shallow waters and ran for our lives,” Young said.
After a few days they were told to proceed to Bataan, but “on Dec. 15 we went to Fort Mills in Corregidor Island, where there was an enlistment in progress by the United States of Armed Forces in the Far East.
“I was enlisted immediately. I was elated. At that time I was 19,” Young said.
With the Philippines under attack, Young said, he was ready to die and defend the country against the Japanese invaders.
Later, he and six of his companions decided to surrender to the Japanese on March 1, 1942, or three months after the invasion.
“We were assigned to help in serving meals to our Japanese captors,” he said.
“Then on March 20, 1942, we secretly planned to escape. Fortunately, we were able to escape and thanked God for His help and protection.”