(Feature) Late Major Pedro M. Quezon cited by PVAO as unsung hero of WWII

From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 16): (Feature) Late Major Pedro M. Quezon cited by PVAO as unsung hero of WWII

At the outbreak of World War II in 1941, Pedro M. Quezon, 21, a fresh graduate of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) with the rank of second lieutenant, joined the guerrilla forces to fight the invading Japanese forces.

At PMA, the young Quezon was always top of his class in hand-to-hand fighting. He was a bayonet expert, and excelled in boxing and wrestling champion.

Quezon reinforced his extraordinary skills as he was a sharpshooter in both rifle and pistol.

His expertise in various fields of warfare enabled him to organize a guerrilla fighting unit to fight the mighty Imperial Japanese Forces in Luzon, particularly after Bataan fell on April 9, 1942.

Quezon led many ambuscades of Japanese troops that wandered into the forests of Bataan, Zambales, Tarlac, Pampanga, and other nearby provinces with great success.

One of the biggest victories scored by Quezon and his guerrilla unit was the capture of the strategic Aglaloma Cave in Central Luzon where the superior Japanese forces were badly beaten.

Records at the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) disclosed that it was a bloody fighting that earned Quezon a “Medal of Valor – On the Spot” award.

For his bravery in battle, Quezon was promoted to major.

In no time, the Quezon guerrilla unit became a byword of the Japanese forces that he was number one in the wanted list – dead or alive.

Retired Brig. Gen. Resty Aguilar, chief of the Veterans Memorial and Historical Division of PVAO, said that Lt. Quezon’s aggressiveness “was a serious menace to the enemy, (the Japanese), who, at gunpoint, threatened to kill his (Quezon’s) pregnant wife – Buenaventurada unless she tells his (Quezon’s) whereabouts.”

For three years, from 1941 to 1944, Quezon led his guerrilla forces – using hit-and-run tactics in harassing Japanese troops that the latter pressed for his manhunt.

But fate had caught up with Maj. Quezon when he was kidnapped by the Japanese troops who tortured and killed him when he refused to reveal the whereabouts of other guerrillas, including his brothers-in-law who had joined the guerrilla forces.

For his heroism, Maj. Quezon also earned various awards such as the American Defense Second Medal (USA), Asia-Pacific Theater Award (USA), and the Presidential Unit Citation Award.
Maj. Quezon was born in Mabatang, Abucay, Bataan in 1920. His parents were Ramon Quezon and Dominga Mercado.

Quezon was the first son of Mabatang and probably the first of Bataan to graduate from the Philippine Military Academy.

In 1996, the Mabatang United Citizens recognized Quezon's heroism and patriotism.

PVAO, under retired Lt. Gen. Ernesto G. Carolina, has been chronicling the heroism of Filipino fighting men, who fought during the Second World War and the Korean War, and the humanitarian and civic action efforts by the Philippine Civic Action Group (PHILCAG) during the Vietnam War to perpetuate the bravery of the Filipino soldiers in the defense of freedom and democracy.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=10&sid=&nid=10&rid=931748