Left Behind: When America Surrendered WW2

Grim Reality: POW Life Inside Corregidor’s 92nd Garage

Two days after Corregidor fell, more than 11,000 American and Filipino POWs were marched to a beachy cove known as the Army 92nd Garage.
 
Here they stayed, cramped, hungry, and thirty for nearly 3 weeks – baking in the tortuous Philippine sun because there was no protection from elements.
 
Among these men was my great-grandfather Alma Salm, who would endure 33 months of torturous POW life – experiences that would follow him home and color the remainer of his life.
 
Here are links to other episodes I mentioned in this episode:
#40 – Describes the relentless week of bombings on Corregidor, leading up to the Japanese invasion.
#44 – Details the Marines’ final fight to defend Corregidor
#39 – The experiences of Alma Salm’s wife and daughter in Honolulu while Pearl Harbor was being attacked
#32 – Life at Camp O’Donnell, where the Bataan Death March survivors were imprisoned after the march
 
You’ll find images and maps about the 92nd Garage and Alma Salm’s story at:
Left Behind Website (includes sources)
Instagram: @leftbehindpodcast 
Left Behind Facebook page

Preserving the 26th Cavalry’s Profound Impact

The 26th Cavalry were among the first to engage the Japanese invasion army in December 1942. Their critical role on the road to Bataan enabled the Allies’ successful withdrawal. Then they enacted the last horse-mounted cavalry charge in US history.
Victor Verano – a historical reenactor and leader in The Philippine Scout Heritage Society – has spent 15 years working with 26th Cavalry veterans to preserve the history of their remarkable feats during WW2.
Today he’s sharing:
The movie he made in honor of the 26th Cavalry.
Stories of the veterans’ he’s been honored to work with.
The unmatched impact of that cavalry regiment and the other Philippine Scout regiments.
 
Wanna know why the Philippine Scouts were called “The Backbone of Bataan”? Check out their remarkable stories in these “Left Behind” episodes:
Dan Figuracion (episode 6) – 26th Cavalry PS – May have been the first to fire a Garand rifle during WW2.
Ed Ramsey (episode 11) – 26th Cavalry PS – Ordered the last cavalry charge.
Felipe Fernandez (episode 26) – 26th Cavalry PS – Led a last-minute escape from Bataan.
Alexander Nininger (episode 16) – 57th Infantry PS – the first person to receive the Medal of Honor during WW2.
Ira Cheney (episode 17) – 57th Infantry PS – Declassified documents revealed a cover up regarding what actually happened to him on Bataan.
Jose Calugas (episode 19) -- 88th Field Artillery PS – the only Filipino to win the Congressional Medal in WW2.
Wilibald Bianchi (episode 20) -- 45th Infantry PS – the third and final man on Bataan to receive the Medal of Honor
Jim Daly (episode 38) – 45th Infantry PS – Bianchi’s best friend, who was severely injured in the Field Hospital at Bataan surrender.
Chet Britt (episode 34) – 92nd Coast Artillery PS – A Bataan Death March and Oryoku Maru survivor whose wartime past could never leave him alone.
Vicente and Marcos Mocorro (episode 35) – 91st Coast Artillery PS – A father and son who served side by side on the heavy artillery defending Corregidor Island.
 
You’ll find images and maps about Victory Verano and his work with the Philippine Scouts at:
- Left Behind Website (includes sources)
- Instagram: @leftbehindpodcast 
- Left Behind Facebook page

Incredible Escape: 2,100 Miles, 30 Days, and an Open Boat

While The Philippine Islands fell to enemy forces on May 6, 1942, a small, open boat with 18 passengers quietly sailed out of Manila Bay under cover of darkness.
 
It was a last, desperate attempt to escape capture and make their way 2,100 miles to Australia.
 
And guess what? They made it.
 
This is an adventure story you don’t want to miss!
 
Here are links to the Battle of the Points episodes I mention in this episode:
#13 – Frank Bridget’s Rag-Tag Infantry
#14 – Henry Goodall’s Audacious War-Time Plans
 
You’ll find images and maps about this incredible escape story at:
- Left Behind Website (includes sources)
- Instagram: @leftbehindpodcast  
- Left Behind Facebook 

From Capture to Liberation: Exploring POW Stories

A behind-the-scenes look at the best, go-to resources used to the find the details of the POW war-time experiences I highlight on Left Behind.
And, if you have a POW you’d like to know more about, download the “Finding Prisoners of Japan” guide that I made just for you.

Surrender: Corregidor's Final, Frantic Message

In the early morning hours of May 6, 1942, a 22-year-old Signal Corps man telegraphed a frantic, play-by-play of the fighting and bombardment on Corregidor Island as Japanese forces moved ever closer to Malinta Tunnel.
 
Then the white flag was raised, and the US flag burned.
 
And the young man transmitted it to the world, as a nation wept.
 
I mentioned these POWs in the episode, here are links to their stories:
Henry Goodall's audacious war-time strategies (Episode #14)
Nurse Clara Bickford - abandoned on Bataan (Episode #25)
Final transfers of Hall, Hutchison, & McManus (Episode #12)
Felipe Fernandez: A daring Bataan escape (Episode #26)
Frank Pyzick's first days (Episode #1)
Louis Sontag & Brooks Miller's attempted escapes (Episode #5)
Alan Manning at Cabanatuan (Episode #10)
Father and son Vicente & Marcos Mocorro (Episode #35)
Curtis Beecher defends Corregidor (Episode #36)
The last photo of Kuykendall, Pressman, Wernher, Hough, & Wing (Episode #41)
George Hamilton & Edwin Franklin meet the invading Japanese (Episode #44)
 
You’ll find images and maps about this young Signal Corps man and the final surrender at:
Left Behind Website (includes sources): 
Instagram: @leftbehindpodcast
Left Behind Facebook

The Few and the Proud: Remembering the 4th Marines

Throughout the past year, it’s been my privilege to research and tell the stories of several men of the 4th Marines. This week I’m revisiting the riveting accounts of 5 Marines and their pivotal role in the Philippines during World War II.
 
From the initial defense of the islands to the harrowing Battle of Corregidor, this episode showcases the unwavering courage and indomitable spirit of the Marines as they faced overwhelming odds in the Pacific Theater.
 
Discover the full story of these Marines contributions in The Philippines:
Frank Pyzick: “The Marine Who Announced WW2” (#1)
Alan Manning and finance Francis Long: “Stranded in Manila” (#10) 
Brooks Miller & Louis Sontag: “Heartbreaking Escapes” (#5)
Curtis Beecher: “Defending the Rock” (#36)
Battle of Corregidor: “Last Line of Defense” (#44)
 
You’ll find images about the 4th Marines in The Philippines at:
- Left Behind Website (includes transcript and sources)
- Instagram: @leftbehindpodcast 
- Left Behind Facebook: 

Last Line of Defense: US Marines and the Battle for Corregidor

On the night of May 5-6, 1942, Japanese forces landed an invasion on Corregidor Island, the last remaining US fortress in The Philippines.
 
Waiting on the island’s beaches were the US Marines.
 
And they weren’t about to let the island go without the fiercest battle of their lives.
 
I mentioned these “Left Behind” episodes in this episode. Here are the links to check them out.
Episode 36: Defending the Rock (Curtis Beecher)
Episode 42: Last escape submarine from Corregidor
Episode 40: Nurses evacuated by plane
Episode 16: WW2’s First Medal of Honor: Alexander Nininger
Episode 13: Naval Battalion Saves Bataan
Episode 1: Frank Pyzick: The Marine Who Announced WW2 
 
For more information on the Corregidor Marines, check out these free sources:
J. Michael Miller, "From Shanghai to Corregidor: Marines in the Defense of The Philippines”
Louis Morton, “The War in the Pacific: The Fall of the Philippines”
 
You’ll find images and maps about the Marine’s defense of Corregidor at:
- Left Behind Website (includes transcript & sources) 
- Instagram: @leftbehindpodcast
- Left Behind Facebook

Left Behind's First Anniversary

The night of January 30-31, 2024, is the 79th anniversary of the liberation of the Cabanatuan POW Camp in 1945. It's also marks the first anniversary of the “Left Behind” podcast.
In This Left Behind the Scenes episode, we'll take a look at what we’ve accomplished in the past year (it's pretty remarkable) and get a glimpse at what’s coming in the second year!
And I truly, humbly, thank you for your support of this important project.
 
- Left Behind Website
- Instagram: @leftbehindpodcast 
- Left Behind Facebook

“Where’s Dan?” A WW2 Flight Nurse’s Front-Lines Search

“Where’s Dan?”
 
A 24-year-old WW2 flight nurse asked this question every time she touched down on a new Pacific Island.
 
A veteran of the Bataan campaign, she had escaped Corregidor Island 2 days before it fell.
 
Once home, she joined flight nurse training and soon was hopping from one island’s front lines to another’s, sometimes under enemy fire.
 
What kept her going? She was looking for someone.
 
 
You’ll find images and maps about this flight nurse’s story at:
- Left Behind Website (includes sources)
- Instagram: @leftbehindpodcast
- Left Behind Facebook
 
Here are links to the previous Left Behind episodes I mentioned in this episode:
Episode 29: Bound by Blood, Forged by War – Bobby and Jack Aldrich
Episode 25: Abandoned on Bataan – Clara Bickford
Episode 40: Escape into Enemy Hands – Rosemary Hogan
Episode 15: The Unique WW2 Journey of Nurse Eunice Hatchitt

The Real Story behind Corregidor’s Final Photo

In the days leading up to the surrender of Corregidor Island, Army Major Paul Wing snapped a picture of 16 exhausted Army men in the Malinta Tunnel.
That photo would be one of the last photos smuggled off the island just before the Fall of The Philippines.
But that wasn’t the end of the story…
All 16 men would soon become prisoners of war and endure hell ships, forced labor, and worse.
This is their story.
 
You’ll find images and maps about the men in the last Finance Department photograph at:
Left Behind Website (includes sources)
Instagram: @leftbehindpodcast
Left Behind Facebook Page