WW2 Chapter 32 - Landing on Leyte (A-Day)


On the morning of October 20, 1944, U.S. amphibious forces hit the beaches of Leyte after four hours of heavy naval and air bombardment.
 

U.S. Landing Craft, October 20, 1944 (from military archives)

Beginning at 8:00, the men of Franklin's 7th Infantry Division climbed down the cargo nets from their transport ships into landing craft for their race to the shore. Their boats were accompanied by rocket ships and amphibian tanks, which were used to knock out mortar and small-arms fire coming from enemy positions along the shoreline.
 

A-Day Invasion of Leyte

The landing was conducted by the U.S. 10th and 24th Corps. The 24th Corps was composed of the 7th and 96th Infantry Divisions, and was later joined by the 77th Infantry Division. Franklin's 7th Division was led by Major General Archibald Arnold. [note: Franklin's units are indicated here in italics]
 

Beach Landings on A-Day

The 24th Corps established a beachhead between the village of San Jose and the Daguitan River, while the 10th Corps established itself further to the north. As part of the 7th Division, Franklin's 184th Regiment was to land on the "yellow" beaches around the village of Dulag. Although the Japanese had placed their strongest defenses in this area, the naval bombardment earlier that morning had been largely effective in driving them away from the landing beaches.

On that first day, Franklin's 7th Division was to recapture the village of Dulag and its airfield, secure the bridge over the Daguitan River at the nearby village of Dao, and secure another crossing over the Talisay River.
 

General MacArthur, October 20, 1944

Once the beachheads and surrounding areas had been secured, General Douglas MacArthur made his entrance through the surf and announced, “People of the Philippines, I have returned.” Franklin would later mention that the troops resented MacArthur for taking all the credit throughout the war, while they were the ones doing the fighting and getting killed.

By the end of A-Day, the American forces had successfully established themselves on shore. However, the Battle of Leyte would turn out to be much longer and more costly than anyone had anticipated.

WW2 Chapter 33 - First Day and Night on Leyte




Waterbury Newspaper, October 20, 1944



By noon on the first day, Franklin’s 7^th Infantry Division was able to capture the village of Dulag with little resistance. They then pushed inland along a road that paralleled the Daguitan River, encountering a dense concentration of enemy defenses.

The 7^th Division was composed of two infantry units, the 32^nd Regiment and Franklin’s 184^th Regiment, and were later joined by the 17th Regiment. One of their first objectives was to capture four airfields that the Japanese had built or improved between the villages of Dulag and Burauen.

The first night ashore was reported to be very difficult. According to one of the men from the nearby 96th Division, “Of course, no one slept that first night. Off our left flank we heard a lot of shooting and noise. We heard that Japs had made a banzai charge in the 7th Division area. One of our guys, whom I knew very well, got out of his foxhole and crawled toward the company CP [command post]. Someone shot him in the head. We had been told over and over not to get out of our foxholes at night.”

Throughout that first night, the Japanese launched six separate attacks against the 7^th Division. The men of Franklin’s Rifle Company G filled in the gap between the two regiments, using their rifles, machine guns, bazookas, rifle grenades, artillery, and mortars to repel the attacks. Although two men of the 7^th Division were killed, they counted more than 35 dead Japanese the following morning.

WW2 Chapter 34 - First Missions of 7th Division

 

Initial Movements of the 17th, 32nd, and 184th Regiments

The next day, October 21, Franklin’s 184^th Regiment made slow progress due to extreme heat and difficulty maintaining communication in high grass. However they were able to secure the Dulag airfield by 9 am without much difficulty. To the north, the 32^nd Regiment encountered fierce resistance from the Japanese hidden in an elaborate series of trenches and machine gun bunkers.

For the next three days, the 7^th Division made their way through difficult terrain and intense heat while fighting enemy forces. At times the men had to travel through hip deep swamps, often crawling on their hands and knees to avoid being pulled down into the muck. Along with their weapons, each man carried a pack with a change of clothes, a gas mask, two canteens for water, one day of D-ration meals, and two days of emergency rations. During this effort, however, they reportedly threw aside everything except their weapons, food, and water.

 

Beginning on October 23, Franklin's 2nd Battalion of the 184th Regiment was temporarily attached to the 17th Regiment. During that day they moved west along the Dulag-Burauen Road, rapidly passing through the villages of Julita and San Pablo to secure the San Pablo airfield.

Japanese spider hole

On October 24, the 17th Regiment reached the village of Burauen, where they encountered enemy troops hidden in spider holes beneath the buildings. A spider hole was a shoulder-deep hole covered with a camouflaged lid. In addition to their rifles, the Japanese were armed with satchel charges, small torpedoes, and anti-tank mines. As the American tanks moved through, some of the Japanese reportedly jumped out and held explosive charges against the tanks at the cost of their own lives.

  

The 17th Regiment flushing out enemy troops in Burauen

Although the fight for the village and airfield was reported to be bloody, flying wedges of American tanks (in v-shaped formations) were eventually able to help the infantrymen take control.

WW2 Chapter 35 - Conditions on Leyte

According to the infantrymen, the climate and other conditions on Leyte were often as much of a challenge as fighting the Japanese.

On the first day, according to one of the men, “It was 10:00 a.m. when we hit the beach and 98 degrees Fahrenheit. I found one of our guys passed out from heat exhaustion.”

According to another, “We dug foxholes by nightfall but because of the water table, they filled up with water. Because we could not leave the foxholes, we remained in water up to our necks all night. In the morning, our entire bodies, hands, etc. were wrinkled from being soaked.”

Three typhoons in quick succession hit the island. Rain was nearly constant and mud seemed to be everywhere. During a 40 day period they received 35 inches of rain. Their heavy equipment, including tanks, self-propelled guns, and other essential support weapons, were often mired in the mud, making their progress very difficult.

All of the airfields on Leyte, except those at Tacloban to the north, were not usable during the rainy season. Therefore only limited air support was available to assist the men, and the Allies were not able to prevent constant reinforcements of troops and supplies by the enemy.

A number of tropical diseases were also a constant threat, including malaria, dengue fever, fungal infections (jungle rot), and dysentery.

Crossing a Leyte Swamp

The terrain was especially difficult to traverse, consisting of swamps, rice paddies, dense jungles, and rugged mountain ridges up to 4,000 feet high.

Lastly, their maps of the island were not very accurate. Many important features were misplaced by as much as a mile while others were found to be missing altogether.

WW2 Chapter 36 - Newspaper Reports (October 23-24, 1944)

 

AP News Article (underlined by his parents)

Franklin’s family must have anxiously waited for delivery of the newspaper each day for any information about the 7^th Infantry Division.

Al Dopking, a correspondent with the Associated Press, bravely accompanied the 7th during some of their operations. However, what little information was released to the public was probably heavily censored by the military.

AP Report, Oct. 23, 1944:  “Correspondent Al Dopking, on the southern front, reported that Yank Seventh Infantry troops, led by tanks, were moving up the open valley inland from Dulag where one of the first American Beachheads was established.”

AP Report, Oct. 24:   “Doughboys of the Seventh division struggled through dense undergrowth under a broiling sun to take the San Pablo field. Their circuitous march of 12 miles represented an advance of seven miles. They were paced by medium tanks which knocked out light enemy opposition, leaving only rearguard snipers to be wiped out by the infantry.” 

WW2 Chapter 37 - Battle of Leyte Gulf (October 23-26, 1944)

While Franklin’s 7th Division was occupied in the jungles of Leyte, the largest naval and aircraft battle in history was taking place to their east.

Between October 23 and 26, the Japanese navy attacked the Allies in four major engagements known as the Battle of Leyte Gulf. A total of 282 warships from both sides were engaged in the battle, including massive battleships, destroyers, aircraft carriers, cruisers, and support crafts.

American Cruiser, Battle of Leyte Gulf

The Japanese military leaders knew it was critical for them to hold onto the Philippines if they were to defeat the Allies in the war. If the Japanese were successful with this naval battle, they could isolate the American land forces on the island while maintaining their own critical supply lines from Southeast Asia.

 

The enemy therefore sent nearly all of their remaining warships to the area of the gulf to destroy the Allied invasion fleet. After using decoy ships to lure much of the Allied naval forces to the north, two powerful Japanese battleship forces converged on the Allied fleet.

 

By this time in the war, the enemy was becoming increasingly desperate and began using kamikazes for the first time. During a kamikaze attack, Japanese pilots intentionally crashed their planes into Allied ships, causing severe damage and loss of life.

 

Although the 7th Division was located many miles from this naval battle, they must have heard the massive firepower and explosions during the three days of battle, not fully knowing what was going on. The noise must have been considerable as the ships fired huge guns up to 18 inches in diameter, along with the sounds of diving aircraft and large explosions as ships were blown up by missiles and torpedoes.

 

Despite heavy losses, the Allies were able to destroy most of Japan’s remaining fleet, including 26 of their large warships. In doing so, the Allies were able to defend the landing forces on Leyte and prevent the Japanese from cutting off supplies of food and ammunition to the troops. Also, by recapturing this area of the Pacific, the Allies were able to further cut off the enemy's fuel supplies from Southeast Asia, thereby stranding most of their remaining ships for the remainder of the war.

Nonetheless, in the coming weeks, due to a lack of Allied air support, the Japanese were able to land thousands of additional troops onto the island from the west, presenting further difficulties for the 7th Division.

WW2 Chapter 38 - On to Dagami (and More Newspaper Reports)

After securing the village of Burauen on October 24, the men of the 17th Regiment (with Franklin’s 2nd Battalion temporarily attached) were able to rest for one hour. They then headed north along a roadway towards their next objectives, the villages of Buri and Dagami.

For the next seven days, the infantrymen slowly fought their way northward, encountering fierce resistance from Japanese in spider holes and pillboxes hidden in the thick vegetation and along the overlying ridges.


Japanese Pillboxes (after being destroyed)

Pillboxes were small, concealed fortifications constructed out of logs and other materials from which the enemy fired machine guns and mortars at the advancing troops. At night, the men had to fight off repeated attacks from the enemy trying to break through their defenses.

On October 25, one of the other units (the 3rd Battalion) encountered enemy fire while passing through an overgrown cemetery. They discovered that the Japanese had removed the bodies from some of the crypts and were using them as spider holes. Eventually the men had to burn them out using flame throwers.

During this time, the Associated Press continued to provide brief reports on the actions of the 7th Division for those back home:

AP Report, Oct. 26: “Armored units and forward patrols of the 7th Division are fanning out from the San Pablo-Burauen area toward Dagami, another important road junction near the highway’s center.”

Buri Airfield (1946 photo)

AP Report, Oct. 27: “Buri, previously bypassed because of its strong defenses was captured after severe fighting by 7th Division forces punching up the valley’s north-south highway. They previously took the Buri airfield and advanced several miles along the highway from the captured road junction of Burauen. Their main immediate goal evidently is Dagami, a communications town near the center of the roadway."

WW2 Chapter 39 - The Japanese 16th Division




U.S. infantrymen moving toward a Japanese machine gun position
(from military archives)

AP Report, Oct. 28: “Elements of Maj. Gen. Archibald V. Arnold’s Seventh and Maj. Gen. James L. Bradley’s 96th divisions struck north above captured Burauen to within two miles of Dagami, main supply and troop concentration center for the Nipponese 16th.”

The Japanese 16th Division was one of the enemy’s most experienced fighting units. The 16th was known to be well trained and strongly motivated, and they were willing to fight to the death rather than surrender.

Earlier in the war, the Japanese 16th had been responsible for two major atrocities. In 1937 and 1938, they had killed over 200,000 Chinese civilians in the "Nanking Massacre," and in 1942, they had subjected American and Filipino prisoners to the infamous "Bataan Death March" in the northern Philippines.

Of the approximately 13,000 men in the Japanese 16th, only 620 would eventually survive Leyte.  Its commander would afterwards commit suicide.

WW2 Chapter 40 - Capture of Dagami

AP Report, Oct. 30: “Forward units of the 7th division entered Dagami, after battling through fierce Japanese resistance. Leif Erickson, Associated Press war correspondent, said battling yesterday was a mile south of the town where the Japanese had a system of pillboxes.”

The Japanese had established an elaborate system of defenses to the south of the village of Dagami. As the American troops made their way through rice paddies, the enemy delivered intense rifle, machine gun, and mortar fire on the advancing troops.

By November 1, the 7th Division was finally able to capture Dagami. Most of the unit was then dedicated to further securing the area around Dagami and Burauen from the remaining enemy fighters.

By that time, the 7th had accomplished their initial objective of securing the southern portion of Leyte Valley along with its vital network of roads and airfields. Their next objective was to be the recapture of Ormoc Valley on the western side of the island, where the Japanese had concentrated the bulk of their remaining forces.

WW2 Chapter 41 - Franklin's First Letter from Combat (November 4, 1944)

Letter Home, November 4, 1944

11/4/44

Dear Mother and Dad,

     Except for stating that I’m now in the Philippines, I can write nothing of my actions these last several months. Concerning the “main events”, the newspapers have probably given a more complete account than I could anyway.

     It is quite hot, here -- and almost every day it rains one or more times. Unfortunately the flies, ants, mosquitoes and such are in great abundance.

     Yesterday, we went to a small stream to bathe and wash our clothes -- it felt most wonderful. The natives have a system of beating their clothes against the rocks – which I attempted to imitate – and with some success.

     Have enclosed an “equator certificate” (there’s quite a story behind its presentation); and some Japanese money that was printed for use in the Philippines.

Much love,
Franklin

WW2 Chapter 42 - On to Ormoc

After securing the village of Dagami in the central portion of the island, the 7th Division's next mission was to push across the mountains from Abuyog to the village of Baybay on the western coast. From Baybay, they were to advance northward toward the important village of Ormoc.

Because the Allies were unable to use most of the airfields during the rainy season, they were unable to prevent the enemy from landing constant reinforcements of troops and supplies through Ormoc. Initially the Japanese had about 432,000 troops on Leyte, but were eventually able to land another 45,000 troops and 10,000 tons of supplies, despite having 80 percent of their vessels sunk en route to and from the island.

The village of Ormoc was located in Ormoc Valley, which was the last key area of the island still held by the Japanese. To clear this area, the U.S. forces initiated a "pincer operation," with elements of the X Corps pushing southward through the mountains from the northern part of the island and Franklin's 7th Division pushing northward from Baybay. During this operation the 7th would be required to advance 30 miles through mountainous terrain where the Japanese had established much of their remaining defenses.

WW2 Chapter 43 - Baybay and the West Coast

When elements of Franklin's 7th Infantry Division reached the village of Baybay on November 3 they found it unoccupied by the Japanese. By that time, the U.S had cut the island in half, with most of the remaining enemy forces confined to the west coast between Baybay and Carigara to the north. The 7th then pushed northward towards the village of Ormoc.

AP Report, Nov. 3: “Below Ormoc on the west coast, the Seventh Division of Maj. Gen. Archibald V. Arnold, which has been teamed with the 96th Division, was disclosed today to have cut all the way across from Abuyog and reached Baybay.”

AP Report, Nov. 4: “The Seventh was disclosed yesterday by Gen. Douglas MacArthur to have crossed central Leyte to Baybay, 26 miles down the west coast from Ormoc.”

AP Report, Nov. 5: “The Seventh Infantry Division advanced (northward) to 12 miles south of Ormoc.”

AP Report, Nov. 6: “The 7th Division’s advance from Baybay tightened the squeeze on Ormoc, likely locale of the Japanese last-ditch fight for Leyte. Infantrymen who reached Baybay after slicing across the island from Abuyog also pushed southward of that coastal town."

This November 6 news report would be the last that anyone would hear of the 7th Division for many days.

WW2 Chapter 44 - Contact is Lost (November 7, 1944)

On November 7, all communication with the 7^th Infantry Division was lost. Although they were known to be on the western side of the island, somewhere south of Ormoc, no one knew what had happened to them.

During this time, those back home must have scoured newspaper articles and radio broadcasts for any possible news. National updates on the war were being broadcast three times each day, along with two newspaper editions.

 

AP News Report, Nov. 11, 1944 (underlined by Franklin's parents)

AP Report, Nov. 11: “A mystery of great importance is the whereabouts of the Seventh Infantry division of Maj. Gen. Archibald V. Arnold. Several days ago, it was disclosed to be 12 miles south of Ormoc after emerging on the west coast at Baybay. Nothing has been reported about it since."

AP Report, Nov. 12: “The Seventh division, last reported moving north on Ormoc after crossing Leyte from east to west far south of the main battle lines, was still unmentioned today, as for [the] past several days.”

AP Report, Nov. 14: “The communiqué continued a week’s silence concerning movements of the Seventh Division, approaching Ormoc from the south along a coastal road.”
 

WW2 Chapter 45 - Contact is Resumed

After nine days, finally some news…

AP Report, Nov. 15: “The American Seventh Division at Damulaan on the west Leyte coast, near the mouth of Ormoc Bay, repulsed a small enemy force attempting to land from barges, Gen. MacArthur reported. This was the first news of the Seventh in more than a week.”

AP Report, Nov. 16: “Far to the south, the veteran Seventh Division, seldom mentioned in recent communications, was disclosed to have advanced four miles to the west coast town of Balogo, only 10 miles from Ormoc.”

AP Report, Nov. 16: “The U.S. Seventh Division ‘bloodily’ repulsed a Japanese counter-attack near Balogo, 10 miles south of Ormoc on the coastal road. This means the Seventh has advanced four miles northward in its drive to apply the southern lever of the American squeeze against Ormoc, Japan’s last port on the island. These Yank forces smashed a Japanese landing attempt Tuesday at Damulaan, 14 miles south of Ormoc."

AP Report, Nov. 18:  "The American Seventh division repulsed an enemy attack at Tabgas, 11 miles south of Ormoc, the final goal of the current Yank squeeze. This is the third assault smashed by the Seventh on the coastal road leading to Ormoc, including the repulsion of a landing attempt.”

AP Report, Nov. 22: “The Seventh division, on the south end of the American line, which draws a huge semi-circle around the town, repulsed another enemy counterattack, the fourth within about 10 days.”

WW2 Chapter 46 - Nancy Receives a Letter

Franklin's Sister in 1944


Wednesday Night (~11/22/44)

Dear Mother,

     I haven’t time to write anything tonight as it is very late and I have been working every minute since 8:00 when my first class began until eleven tonight only taking off ten minutes for meals. Am I tired too. I just finished my awful research paper which I have in first period tomorrow. I certainly worked hard on that paper and if I don’t get a good mark I’ll be furious. I won’t hear the results until after Xmas vacation.

     But I didn’t write to tell you all this. I got a letter from Franklin so I have enclosed it. Thought you might like to read it. Show it to Daddy too. I was so excited to hear from him I didn’t know what to do. It came through so quickly but it certainly takes a long time for him to hear from me. Hope his letters keep coming regularly.
~~~
All my love,
Nancy

Nancy's Letter

11/14/44

Dear Nancy,

     Have just been reading your letter of the 30th of September. Probably by now you have had your week-end --- and perhaps been to Harvard.

     In case you haven’t yet heard from the folks, am now in the Philippines.

     Recently returned from a patrol to a nearby town. Although there are not many shacks, the population is evidently quite large – and making it one of the more “important” communities (was at first amazed to find a dozen and a half or so people living in one small shack).

     Have been developing a taste for coconuts – both the meat and milk. The natives are most obliging – and will often supply us with same upon request (biscuits or candy may “perhaps” be included with the deal).

     The Japanese are supposed to have excellent oil. Have been using some on my rifle – but it doesn’t seem to prevent it from rusting. Spent considerable time on it yesterday – don’t know what I’d do without a tooth brush and shaving brush to clean it with.

     Naturally all our food has been G.I. rations – K, C, B, D ---. Although the letters suggest different menus they are approximately all the same.

With love, 
Franklin

Enclosed Japanese Postcards (muddy)

WW2 Chapter 47 - A Letter to his Father (November 18, 1944)

Letter of November 18, 1944

11/18/44

Dear Dad,

     Have received, in the last several days, your letters of Sept. 29th, Oct. 16th, 23rd, and 27th.

     The other day, one of the guerillas [native fighters] showed me a rifle that he had made -- from a pipe. The firing pin was controlled by an elastic. It was made for standard 12 gauge ammo.

     The dress of the Filipino is steadily improving. The G.I.’s are responsible for much of this -- thru various trade agreements. Their clothing consisted largely of goods made from a type of burlap. Thru Japanese arrangements, a dress or shirt could be had for 500 pesos ($250). Their pay was 1 peso per day (50c). They wear no shoes; -- and the little boys wear no pants -- just a “shirt” -- but their modesty seems to be a thing of the past, anyway.

     Am now in possession of a Filipino bolo knife -- traded it for a suit of underwear, and C-ration biscuit. Haven’t yet tried to shave with it. They are used mainly for cutting coconut, bamboo, and such -- and for disposing of Japanese.

     Have unfortunately lost my engineer’s knife (combination screw driver, can opener, punch, bottle opener, etc.). It had been extremely useful many times.

     We have had no packages for many months -- since we were in Hawaii -- so naturally the knife you sent hasn’t been received.

     Was issued another new pair of shoes -- those others certainly didn’t last long.

     The natives have been supplying us with a reasonable amount of bananas. They are much smaller, and not so tasty as those on the outside -- but they’re good.
~~~~~
Much love,

Franklin

Poem by Franklin's Mother

Interestingly, during the war, Franklin's father reportedly had a small ice skating shack moved from Lake Elise to a large field across from their house on South Street. After working at the Bristol Company during the day, he would often spend nights there keeping watch for possible German warplanes flying overhead. Remnants of the concrete supports from the original structure, probably put there by his Uncle Will, can still be seen along the northwest side of Lake Elise.

WW2 Chapter 48 - The Advance Toward Ormoc

The Japanese leaders were determined to hold onto the Philippines at any cost, and they were now committing most of their remaining forces on Leyte to the western side of the island. They also continued to send in reinforcements through the western port of Ormoc, often under the cover of darkness to avoid Allied attacks. During the month of November, despite heavy losses, the enemy was able to land another 10,000 troops onto the island.

The 7th Division's next objective was to advance northward along the western side of the island to recapture Ormoc. This part of the island was especially rugged, with mountainous terrain and thick jungle vegetation.

On the evening of November 8, a major typhoon hit the island. For two days, the high winds caused flying trees and debris. Torrential rains lasted for several days afterwards, turning roadways to mud and disrupting supply lines. As a result, the 7th Division's mission was delayed and their progress became very difficult.

The Japanese were skillful defenders and took advantage of these difficult conditions. They were able to position their forces in strategic locations on ridges to allow well-planned counter-attacks on the approaching American troops.

WW2 Chapter 49 - Battle of Shoestring Ridge

Newspaper from December 6
(underlined by Franklin's parents)

AP News Report, Nov. 29: “Thirteen miles to the south, Correspondent Spencer Davis reported, Japanese troops have been counterattacking American Seventh division outposts for a week in costly, but well planned night sorties. About 600 Japanese and 100 Doughboys have been killed in this Nipponese probing for a spot to make a general break-through.”

AP Report, Dec. 6: “Correspondent Al Dopking with the Seventh Division advancing toward Ormoc from the south described some of the bloodiest fighting these veterans of Attu and Kwajelein have ever seen. One small ridge – Shoe String hill it is called, because that is all we held at first – was the scene of a five-day battle [actually six days]. It was seized by the Yanks only after the slopes were littered with more than 1,000 enemy dead. The Seventh is fighting the Japanese 26th Division, seasoned veterans of Manchuria who outnumbered the Americans five to one at the start of the ridge battle.” “Today’s communiqué indicated a definite renewal of the Leyte ground fighting, stalemated by weeks of torrential rain.”

For the next few weeks, the 7th Infantry Division advanced northward toward their objective of Ormoc on the western side of the island. During this time, they had to pass through several difficult mountain ridges. The steep terrain and dense vegetation allowed the entrenched Japanese forces to put up fierce resistance.

Late in the day on November 23, elements of the 7th Division encountered strong enemy defenses on what became known as “Shoestring Ridge." The battle was reportedly fought by the 32nd Regiment reinforced by Franklin’s 184th Regiment.

The soldiers named the battle “Shoestring Ridge” due to their reliance on a precarious supply of ammunition and very little food and sleep. While fighting for the ridge, the Japanese launched fierce counter-attacks using up to 50 machine gun emplacements and repeatedly hitting the American positions with mortars and grenade launchers. At times the troops had to engage in hand-to-hand combat to keep the enemy from breaking through their lines.

During these efforts, any interruption in their supply of ammunition, particularly artillery and mortars, would have left the Americans defenseless. Therefore, after spending the night fighting off Japanese attacks, the men often had to spend the next day without sleep bringing up more supplies, resulting in additional casualties from fatigue and illness.

After six days of heavy casualties on both sides, the Americans were able to take the ridge on November 29.

WW2 Chapter 50 - Belt Buckle Story

Chelsea with Grandpa Frank from Chapter 1 
(with belt buckle on side)

My father probably told this story for the first time in July 2013, when he was 88 years old and in his last year. He had almost never talked about his experiences during the war. I was helping him get dressed after a doctor’s appointment and was kidding him about how he had always worn his belt buckle off to his left side. He had done so ever since any of us could remember.

He replied that he had put his buckle that way to remember a friend who had been killed on Leyte. He could not recall his friend's name, but said that he did not have any family back home and they had looked out for each other in the jungle. His friend had saved his life by shooting a Japanese soldier before the soldier could shoot him. That evening his friend had helped him shave his face in their foxhole. The next day while crossing a ridge Franklin found that his friend had been captured by the enemy, and then tortured, killed, and cannibalized.

WW2 Chapter 51 - Infantry Conditions



American Troops, Leyte

During this time, the persistent rain and the lack of roads and usable airfields hampered the transport of food and medical supplies to the infantrymen. Ammunition was also in short supply, especially hand grenades which were the weapon of choice in the jungle. Due to the wet conditions, their socks and boots would rot away. At night the troops were exposed to the cold, especially when sleeping in wet foxholes. Men would describe how they had wrapped themselves in ponchos in an attempt to let their own body heat dry them out.

WW2 Chapter 52 - Franklin Becomes Lost



Franklin's compass from the war

On several occasions over the years, Franklin mentioned that he had somehow gotten separated from his unit in the jungles of Leyte and described it as a very frightening experience. Although he was apparently lost for multiple days, he unfortunately provided very few details.

WW2 Chapter 53 - Reinforcements from 77th Division

On December 7, Franklin's 7th Division received much needed reinforcements from infantry units of the 77th Division. After U.S. naval and air bombardment of the coast and surrounding area, the 77th made an amphibious landing near the village of Ipil, located to the north of the 7th's positions along the western coast. 

Although they encountered Kamikaze attacks, the landing was mostly unopposed by the enemy. The 77th had previously helped the Allies recapture the island of Guam from the Japanese in August 1944. The reinforcements enabled the American forces to resume their push northward toward Ormoc.

WW2 Chapter 54 - Capture of Bologo and Albuera

During the second week of December, Franklin's 7th Division continued their advance northward toward the recent reinforcements of the 77th, while successfully capturing the villages of Bologo and Albuera from the Japanese.



News Report, December 10
(underlined by Franklin's parents)

AP Report, Dec. 9: “Five miles south of the 77th beachhead, the north-bound Seventh Division swept beyond Palanas to seize Bologo and inland high ground north of the Tabgas river. Atop a hill in the Seventh’s sector, Al Dopking, Associated Press war correspondent, saw trapped Japanese run first toward the 77th beachhead, recoil under fire back toward the Seventh which also blasted them and sent many scurrying into wild mountain country.”

AP Report, Dec. 9: “At the same time the Seventh division to the south pushed up the coast to narrow the gap between it and the 77th to five miles, and MacArthur reported “substantial enemy forces” caught in the squeeze play were facing annihilation.”

AP Report, Dec. 10: “On the south side of the pocket, the seventh U.S. division drove forward three miles, capturing Albuera, terminus of a road crossing Leyte island from east to west.”

NYT Report, Dec. 10: “Despite torrential tropical rainstorms, accompanied by crashing thunder, the Seventh Division captured Albuera, seven miles south of Ormoc on the coast, closing the western end of the mountain track from the eastern side of the island. Thus another large group of Japanese was trapped in the hills.”
 

WW2 Chapter 55 - Trapping the Enemy Forces



News Report, December 12
(underlined by Franklin's parents)

Over the next several days, the 7th and 77th Divisions continued to converge along the western coast, while destroying much of the remaining Japanese 26th.

AP Report, Dec. 11: “There have been no recent estimates of the Japanese forces, but Gen. Douglas MacArthur described the force trapped between the 7th and 77th Divisions as ‘many thousands strong.’ Three forces were converging on the trapped Japanese. The 77th was pushing southward and expected momentarily to join with the 7th moving relentlessly northward. A third force had already joined with the 7th after breaking through to the coast from the eastern side of the island.” “In the ever-narrowing corridor between these forces were thousands of Japanese facing a deadly squeeze play.”

AP Report, Dec. 12: “Doughboys of the 77th and Seventh Infantry Divisions effected a junction just south of Ormoc Monday and eradicated the 26th Nipponese division, hopelessly caught in a nutcracker-like vise fashioned after strategic Yank landing on the coast below Ormoc Thursday.” “Correspondent Al Dopking, who was with the Seventh Division in its strenuous advance over 90 miles of swamps and mountains to reach the west coast of Leyte, wrote that the Japanese abandoned ammunition dumps and supplies as they retreated under the knockout attack launched Saturday.” “Dopking said the Japanese in the trap between his division and 77th were ‘some of the Japanese imperial army’s best – not garrison troops encountered in central Pacific atolls.”

AP Report, Dec. 13: “American ground forces, still battling the elements as well as the Japanese, are moving ahead slowly below Limon in the northern part of Ormoc corridor while at the southern end troops of the 7th and 77th divisions are cleaning up isolated enemy pockets missed when they closed their trap, snuffing out thousands of some of Japan’s finest soldiers.”

AP Report, Dec. 17: " MacArthur said that the Japanese caught by the juncture of the Seventh and 77th divisions were suffering ‘extraordinarily heavy losses in their desperate effort to escape over mountain trails.’”

AP Report, Dec. 18: “The 7th division continues to reduce trapped elements of the Japanese 26th division around Ormoc.”

WW2 Chapter 56 - Franklin's Second Letter from Combat (December 21, 1944)



Letter of December 21

11/21/44 (actually 12/21/44)

Dear Mother and Dad,

     No rain for the last couple of days – understand that there was 23 inches of it in November.

     We have been having difficulty obtaining stationary – and incidentally, this is Japanese paper.

     About two weeks ago, I was left behind overnight to guard a small ammo and supply dump. During that time, my outfit had pushed on ahead quite a distance – and had liberated one town quite early that morning. When I passed thru the town just after noon, many of the natives were returning from the mountains (all the natives take off to the mountains to escape the Japanese); so I was about the first U.S. soldier they had seen. One boy offered me bananas – and quite a number of them wanted to know if it was now safe and permissible for them to return to their homes. One girl came up to me and asked if I weren’t Gary Cooper.

     Received those pictures you took from the airplane Dad – they were certainly excellent – and most interesting. Your letter giving the details hasn’t yet arrived.

     Seems that another Christmas is about here – a Merry Christmas to you all ---

Much love,

Franklin

WW2 Chapter 57 - A Christmas V-Card

V-Mail Card, December 1944

WW2 Chapter 58 - Mopping Up

News Report, December 26

Once the village of Ormoc had been secured, units of the 77th Division made another amphibious landing at Palompon to the north, successfully capturing the enemy's last important stronghold on the island.

AP Report, Dec. 26: “A Christmas morning surprise for Japan in the form of an amphibious invasion of Palompon harbor brought the bloody 67-day Leyte-Samar campaign to an end except for mopping-up operations, and Gen. Douglas MacArthur today hailed ‘perhaps the greatest defeat in the military annals of the Japanese army.’ Some of Nippon’s best troops were committed to the defense of Leyte, which Tokyo considered ‘the decisive battle for our homeland.’”

Despite this announcement, General MacArthur was often known for announcing victories well before they had actually been achieved, either out of military strategy or ego. At that time, the term "mopping up" could be very discouraging to the troops who were still involved in one of the most difficult and dangerous phases of the battle, and the troops resented MacArthur for using this term.

After the capture of Ormoc and Palompon, Franklin's 7th Division was charged with mopping up enemy soldiers in the surrounding areas. The remaining Japanese, however, continued to put up fierce resistance, often from well hidden, fortified positions.

Most Japanese soldiers would fight to the death rather than surrender, knowing that if they surrendered for any reason, they would never be allowed to return home. During this time, there were reports of Japanese soldiers dressing in U.S. uniforms or dressing as women, hoping to get close enough to kill American troops before being killed themselves.

As late as January 22, there were still reports of large bands of Japanese soldiers in northern Leyte, and the mopping up operations had to be continued into early February.
 

WW2 Chapter 59 - Franklin's Third Letter from Combat (December 30, 1944)



Front side of letter
(recycled from envelopes)



Back side of letter

12/30/44

Dear Dad,

    In one of Mother’s letters, there was enclosed a most excellent photograph of you and Dave.

    Have been hearing about the shortage of cigarettes on the outside. We have been getting just about all we need. If conditions were such – I’d send you a few cartons.

    During the first few weeks, here, wherever we stopped, the natives swarmed about – with all their trading goods. At one place, there was a girl – Norberta – who cooked for me some sweet potatoes – cooked them right where I was at. Another one – Natividad – did my laundry, -- pressed my fatigues – and even sewed some buttons on my underwear. She was very nice – and with the aid of the American women’s unmentionables and such, would be quite pretty. She spoke excellent English – said that Americans are hard to understand because they slur their words. Almost forgot – she also brought me a small roasted turkey.

    Made out to you two days ago, a money order for $50.

    When this is over, I’m going to get a good Model A Ford – have wanted one ever since attending Middlebury School.

    More sewing experience – tore my pants on a barbed wire. Got the needle from a Japanese who no longer has use for it.

Much love,

Franklin