FAME VP Bob Hudson has submitted these scans that document all Filipino nurses on Bataan and Corregidor in World War 2.
He says, “This is an important find. Something I have been looking for, for over three years. Thank you Marie Vallejo and the PVAO.”
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- Filipino Nurse List – 1
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- Filipino Nurse List – 2
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- Filipino Nurse List – 3
Were there Filipino doctors attached to PA/USAFFE units during the period of the fighting prior to the surrender by Wainwright and were there Filipino doctors POWs at Camp O’Donnell/Capas Concentration Camp, or were there only American doctors treating the Filipino soldiers?
Had to do a little research, here’s what I learned from Professor Rico Jose. History professor at Diliman University. Top war history expert in the Philippines:
There were quite a number of Filipino doctors in Bataan. Each division had a medical unit headed by a doctor. The Philippine Army Air Corps and Offshore Patrol and Coast Artillery regiments also had doctors. The Philippine Army itself had a Medical Corps, headed by Col. Victoriano Luna, killed when the Japanese bombed Hospital no. 1. V. Luna medical center is named after him. His Exec o was Col. Manuel Olympia, who was also in Bataan, later executed by the Japanese because of his guerrilla activities. I knew some of the doctors. One wrote a booK, Doctor in Bataan. The author of Doctor in Bataan is de Veyra. The PA also had a Dental Corps with dentists assigned to units. And there were Filipino nurses too. Unfortunately no book length memoir. They do deserve more attention. I knew a couple of doctors.
Hope that helps! Merry Christmas – Steve Gibson
Hi, I just read found your post. My grandfather was Dr. Vicente P. Gallardo. He was a Filipino doctor from Aparri. He was a captain in the medical corp with the USAFFE. He was in the Bataan death march and imprisoned for a while at Camp O’Donnell. He was released, later, we think in 1942. That’s about all we know about his service in the army. We do know he was forced to march and did not ride in a truck. How would I go about finding more about his time in the army, both pre-war, during the war and after the fall of Bataan? I’ve been reading a couple of books by doctors who survived the march, Barbed Wire Surgeon, by Alfred Weinstein and Parade of the Dead by John Bumgarner. I’ve ordered the book Doctor in Bataan by deVeyra.
Thanks
Vicente, if I had found this earlier, I could have asked my father. He knew everything. He was there in all these events. He was an Intelligence Officer and also with USAFE. He was the only one who escaped from being beheaded. Sadly, he just joined our Lord last week. His mind was still very sharp and remembered EVERYTHING at his tender age of 103. I can privately email you what I have from him. I have his email addressed to James Litton regarding this matter. ninareyesluna@yahoo.com
Hello, my name is Chris Pamesa. I am a Fil-Am writer and filmmaker based in New York. Right now, I am doing a story covering Filipino Nurses and the current COVID-19 pandemic. At this moment, I am specifically looking for stories about Filipino Medical personnel during WW2. If interested in sharing your stories, please contact me at chris@sleepersounder.com. Thank you.
Hello Chris,
my grandmother was a nurse educated by the Maryknoll sisters during WW2. She passed away in August 25,2022 and aside from her nursing school photo and the book she received in 1941 we haven’t been able to find more Information. Pls contact me to see if you may have leads I can research. Thank you.
I am an author doing research about nurses during WW II.
What happened to the Filipina nurses in Manila during WW II. Were any sent to Bataan or Corregidor?
Were any sent to internment camps like Santo Tomas or Los Banos?
These women are so left out of history when they were valuable nurses to the war effort.