DAUNTLESS: The 1st and 2nd Filipino Infantry Regiment United States Army during World War II Philippines
29 February 2024
Escaler Hall, Science Education Complex, Ateneo de Manila University
3:30-5:00 PM
About the Speaker
Marie Silva Vallejo has a degree in Education and pursued graduate studies in Psychology. Her corporate life was in Data Security and Internal Audit at Intel Corporation in Santa Clara, California. She authored The Battle of Ising, a WWII battle for the liberation of Mindanao, Philippines. She was on the Board of the American Historical Collection in Manila. She has managed the Museum Volunteers of the Philippines (MVP)'s WWII History course modules and given talks on WWII subjects. She spearheaded the scanning of the Guerrilla Recognition Program files in the Philippine Archives Collection at the U.S. National Records and Administration (NARA) that began the Philippine Veterans Administration Office's (PVAO) mission to scan the entire Collection and make it available online to show the Filipinos' contribution to WWII history.
About the Lecture
DAUNTLESS tells the unknown story of the 1st and 2nd Filipino Regiments, US Army, who fought in the Philippines and the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion that arrived in secret submarine missions to the various islands two and a half years before Gen MacArthur returned on his way to Japan. President Roosevelt created the unique Filipino unit to fight in the islands. Only MacArthur and certain people on his staff knew of the top-secret missions. The mission men brought weapons and supplies to keep the guerrillas' morale high to continue the resistance. Through unimaginable dangers, radio messages were sent to Australia on the enemy's disposition for a successful return that saved Filipino and American lives.