CRASH SITE OF U.S. PILOT DURING WORLD WAR II
August 7, 2024.
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Introduction
"It is eternally enshrined that wherever a man has lost his blood for liberty, justice, peace, and freedom, there is sacred ground."
From the Memorial Marker of Major Thomas B. McGuire, US Army Air Forces Pilot.
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It was at the height of World War II when U.S. Air Force Pilot, Major Thomas Buchanan McGuire was assigned to patrol the areas in northern Negros Occidental where Japanese Imperial Forces were said to have camped in what was then known as Carolina Airfield.
Major McGuire, together with three other pilots had a mission to accomplish. "Their aim was to gain victories." (Wikipedia)
Today, my purpose is to visit the crash site of United States Army Air Forces Major Thomas B. McGuire.
Few days before this trip, I visited the Provincial Tourism Office of Negros Occidental at the Capitol Lagoon to gather some tips on where to find the crash site. My conversation with the Tourism Office's staff resulted in valuable information that I needed to find this crash site.
So, it is located approximately 300 meters from the road in Bangga Valderrama in what is now known as Barangay Luna, Cadiz City, Negros Occidental, Philippines.
So, I left Bacolod City on board the Ceres Bus for Cadiz City. It's a two-hour ride.
The Story
It was August 7, 2024, when I visited the crash site of Major McGuire in the village called Barangay Luna, specifically in a community called Valderrama. The crash site was believed to be a part of a hacienda or sugarcane farm.
The crash site is located on the slopy portion of the farm where there is a creek nearby. Slopy area means, slanting area or a higher ground near the creek which is the lower ground.
The walk to this site, pictured hereunder, took almost five (5) minutes. It's good it was a sunny day, meaning, the pathway is dry.
At this point, let me share some of the photos, so you will have an idea on what to do if you wish to visit this spot one day.
The crash site of Major Thomas B. McGuire's.... P-38s plane.
Photo shows the author, in green scarf, with Roy Balila, and Ricky Sanchez. Thanks to another local guide, Michael Surban for taking our picture using my Fujifilm Finepix S4400 camera.
Roy Balila leads us to the crash site. We passed by this dry creek.
From the Valderrama road, the site is around 300 meters away.
Here, Roy Balila leads us up - to the Memorial Marker in honor of Major Thomas Buchanan McGuire, Jr.
Are the local residents aware of this crash that happened on January 7, 1945?
So, I asked the Tricycle Driver, Ricky Sanchez, if there is anyone in the village who knows about this event. He told me that his 90-year-old grandfather used to tell them about the crash, but he did not mention about the details. "Basta ga istorya lang sya parti sa crash".
So, I turned to Roy Balila of Bangga Valderrama whose house is located near the creek where the crash site is located. But he too, does not know the details of that historic crash in 1945. What he told me was - he always accompanied David Mason, also a U.S. Pilot during the war, every time the latter visited the crash site. But one thing was clear - the locals knew that a U.S. Airplane crashed on that slopy area and that there were remnants of the plane many, many years ago but these were all gone now. They do not know who collected the debris of the plane.
My comment: In an article written by Pilot David Mason, he revealed that his team were able to dig the site and collected some small parts of the airplane and other items like .50 caliber brass shell casings with unfired primers, and single 20 mm HEI bullet fragment, among others. David Mason reported that these items taken from the site were now on display in the Clark Air Base Museum in honor of Major Thomas B. McGuire.
For a detailed story, may I refer you to the article written by David Mason on Pacific Wrecks. Here's the link - Pacific Wrecks - The Search For The Crash Site of Major Thomas B. McGuire, Jr.
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*I told Mr. Roy Balila that I want to meet Mr. David Mason but he retored - "Na patay na sya last July."
According to Pacific Wreck website, Mr. David Mason died on July 13, 2024. Peace be with him.
My comment: Mr. David Mason's greatest achievement was finding the exact site of the crash, took some evidence like small parts of the airplane, and writing this story on Pacific Wreck website for everyone to read.
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Major McGuire's Airplane
Just to give you an idea of the P-38s, here's a photo from Wikipedia. It says that:
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinctive twin-boom design with a central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament. Along with its use as a general fighter, the P-38 was used in various aerial combat roles, including as a highly effective fighter-bomber, a night fighter, and a long-range escort fighter when equipped with drop tanks. The P-38 was also used as a bomber-pathfinder, guiding streams of medium and heavy bombers, or even other P-38s equipped with bombs, to their targets.
Source: Wikipedia.
The same Wikipedia article mentioned that the P-38s are equipped with "turbosuperchargers" that muffled the exhaust making the P-38s mission relatively quiet.
(Wikipedia - Public Domain)
Disclaimer: Touristang Pobre does not own these photos. They belong to their rightful owners who are duly acknowledged at the bottom of this page.
Copyright Infringement Not Intended.
This is Major Thomas B. McGuire's airplane - P-38L Pudgy (V), 1944. (Wikipedia) His spouse is Marilyn (Pudgy) Giesler.My comment:
If you remember the Hiroshima Bombing, the airplane that was used to bomb Hiroshima was named "Enola Gay" in honor of the pilot's mother Enola Gay Tibbets. The pilot was Paul Tibbets, and the bombing of Hiroshima occurred on August 6, 1945, that ended World War II.
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Now, back to our collection of pictures from the crash site.
Back view of the memorial stone.
Roy Balila, the man with black tee shirt, told me that Mr. David Mason, a former Pilot initiated the making of this Memorial Marker. Mr. Mason is also a writer for Pacific Wrecks.
A GRATEFUL FILIPINO NATION SOLEMNLY MARKS THIS SPOT WHERE AMERICAN P-38 FIGHTER PILOT
MAJOR THOMAS B. McGUIRE, JR.
WAS KILLED ON 7 JANUARY 1945
IT IS ETERNALLY ENSHRINED THAT WHEREVER A MAN HAS LOST HIS BLOOD FOR LIBERTY, JUSTICE, PEACE, AND FREEDOM THERE IS SACRED GROUND.
THE SUN CAN NOT BLEACH, THE WIND CAN NOT BLOW, THE RAIN CAN NOT WASH THAT SANCTITY AWAY
FROM GROUND LIKE THIS SPRINGS THAT WHICH
FOREVER MAKES MANKIND GREAT
Source: www.uswarmemorials.org or American War Memorial Overseas, Inc. website. Thank you.
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At this time, I will enumerate the information about Major McGuire.
Major Thomas Buchanan McGuire
Source: Wikipedia.
1. He was born on August 1, 1920, at Ridgewood, New Jersey. (It's 21 miles away from where I used to live, in Edison, New Jersey.)
2. He joined the United States Army Air Forces and was active from 1941-1945.
3. On January 7, 1945, McGuire took off from Dulag Airfield on Leyte and led a group of four P-38s – himself, Major Jack Rittmayer (who was visiting the area from the Thirteenth Air Force), Captain Edwin Weaver, and Lieutenant Douglas Thropp – on a fighter sweep over northern Negros Island in the central Philippines. Their aim was to gain victories. (Wikipedia)
4. On this date, January 7, 1945, McGuire experienced a "dog fight" with two Japanese Pilots Warrant Officer Akira Sugimoto, and Technical Sergeant Mizunori Fukuda. Sugimoto chased McGuire and the latter crashed on that slopy area on Barangay Luna. He instantly died.
5. On the other hand, Sugimoto crashed in the forest and was killed by Filipino Guerillas. TS Mizunori Fukuda was able to return to Airfield Carolina and survived the war. In fact, he became one of the reliable informants about this dog fight in Negros Occidental. He shared his story with Pacific Wrecks.
***For a detailed information, please click the link below. Thank you.
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What happened to McGuire's body after the crash?
In an article published by David Mason on Pacific Wrecks (the link is provided hereunder), he mentioned that a man named Vicente Bedoria narrated to him how the local residents helped in securing McGuire's body to safety. Then, they buried him under a tree and covered the spot with new grass to hide it from view of the Japanese. This is January 7, 1945, after the crash.
In 1947, Bedoria contacted the U.S. Army Troops and guided them to the burial site. In short, McGuire's body was exhumed and brought to the United States after a thorough process of identification. You can read in succeeding discussion that Major McGuire was buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, U.S.A.
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Pacific Wrecks (pacificwrecks.com) reported and I quote:
"During the dogfight with the Oscar, McGuire crashed. On the ground, Filipinos saw a P-38 flying upside down before hitting trees and crashing east of a ravine and exploded on impact. McGuire was killed in the crash and listed as Missing In Action (MIA)."
How does the Japanese airplane look like?
This is a model of KI 43 Oscar, the Japanese plane piloted by W.O. Sugimoto.
Photo Source: www.bing.com and David Hart/capturedfromthehart.com
Disclaimer: Touristang Pobre does not own this picture, it belongs to the rightful owner, David Hart.
Copyright Infringement not intended.
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Who witnessed the crash?
According to the Tricycle Driver, Ricky Sanchez, there were old people in Barangay Luna who told stories about the crash. The website of Pacific Wrecks on the other hand reported that there were "Filipinos on the ground who saw the plane flying upside down before it hits the trees and crashed on the ravine and exploded on impact."
The Pacific Wrecks further reported that "his remains were recovered in 1947 and were transported to the United States for permanent burial."
Wikipedia on the other hand reported that Major McGuire's remains were buried in a plot at Arlington Cemetery, Virginia. Shown hereunder is his grave site.
Grave of Major Thomas B. McGuire
Arlington Cemetery, Virginia, U.S.A.
U.S. Army photo by Elizabeth Fraser, Arlington National Cemetery/Released
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The Author is shown here visiting the gravesite of President John F. Kennedy at the Arlington National Cemetery.
Joining JFK on this gravesite is brother Robert F. Kennedy and Jacqueline K. Onassis.
The next time, he will be in Virginia, U.S.A. the Author will exert effort to visit the gravesite of Major McGuire.
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Tips on reaching the Crash Site Memorial?
1. Let's agree that you are on Bangga Valderrama. This road is along the national highway to Cadiz City. It is part of Barangay Luna. So, your landmark to get here is - the Old Barangay Hall which is now converted into a school. Remember, the old Barangay Hall on the corner of the national highway to Cadiz and Valderrama.
2. You can tell the Ceres Bus Driver or "Konduktor" that you will disembark on Bangga Valderrama. This road shown hereunder.
3. From Ceres Terminal in Barangay Bata, Bacolod City, the fare is around P145.00 for aircon bus and for "airlaps" bus, it is P100.00. By the way, this is non-aircon bus because it is just "airlaps", meaning, "air lapus-lapus"....haha.... joke lang.
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Below is the photo of Bangga Valderrama where you can find this road and the Old Barangay Hall of Barangay Luna on the right side of this picture but on the left side of the road when you are standing near the highway.
The background is the national highway and the foreground (where I am standing to take this photo) is the pathway that leads to the crash site.
This one -
All photos by Henry, Touristang Pobre.
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My Comments:
1. It is good to go there in the morning because most of the time in the afternoon, it is raining. Please carry an umbrella which I did.
2. I used cell phone and Fujifilm Finepix S4400 camera which I already charged before I left Bacolod.
3. You can also carry candies, crackers, and water. It is good to have these handy just in case you get hungry.
4. There are sari-sari stores and coffee shops on Bangga Valderrama and the nearby OLD Barangay Hall.
5. Have a nice discovery on this forgotten part of our province's history during the second world war.
6. I hope that the local government of Cadiz City and Barangay Luna shall exert effort to beautify the place and provide contact persons for tourists to interact.
7. A small Fact Sheet about the history of the crash and the aim of protecting the local Negrenses in the area during the second world war......would be highly appreciated.
That's all.
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Wait, wait.
Before we wind up this, there are two spots that I plan to visit next time.
The first is the Hacienda House of Vladimir Terrogoff, the Russian who allegedly owned a farm few kilometers (inland) from the corner of national highway and Bangga Valderrama.
The second is the Airfield Carolina or Hacienda Luisita in Manapla. Allegedly, this Airfield was the base of the Japanese Imperial Forces on the northern part of Negros Island. I would like to investigate the old structures of the airfield and other remnants of World War II thereat.
Third, I want to know the story of those locals in the hacienda house in Barangay Luna who helped Major Thomas McGuire after the crash.
And many more.
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The author at Fort Nuestra Senora de la Soledad, Umatac Bay, Guam.
This is where the ships of Ferdinand Magellan docked and rested on their way to the Philippines, March 6, 1521.
The Fort of Santa Agueda, downtown Guam, U.S.A.
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References:
1. Pacific Wreck Website - Mr. David Mason's article on finding the crash site.
2. Wikipedia - Major Thomas B. McGuire, P-38L airplane, and other information
3. Bing Dot Com and David Hart Photo of KI 43 Oscar Airplane or David Hart/capturedfromthehart.com
4. Ace Pilots Dot Com or acepilots.com - regarding Major McGuire as one of the Ace Pilots of the U.S. Army Air Forces
5. U.S. War Memorial Dot Org or uswarmemorials.org - regarding Major McGuire memorials.
6. Informal talks with the local residents and guides - Roy Balila (local contact of Mr. David Mason), Valderrama, Barangay Luna; Ricky Sanchez, Tricycle Driver and Michael Surban of Barangay Luna.
Thank you very much.
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About Touristang Pobre
*TP was organized on April 9, 2013, at Philadelphia, U.S.A. It is 11 years ago.
*TP is aka Henry.
Thank you for visiting this Blog Site. Have a nice day. Ciao'.
xx
Reviewed by Touristang Pobre
on
2:21:00 AM
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I encourage you to visit this memorial-site. Ciao'....
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