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CHRONICLES OF HEROIC ARIZONA CHINESE- AMERICAN SERVICEMEN OF WORLD WAR II (8)
THE FINAL VICTORY The last two major campaigns of the Pacific war-Luzon and Okinawa were long fights on larger land masses with entire armies in sustained combat over the course of several months. Japanese defenders on Luzon numbers 262,000 under LL Den Tomoyuki Yamashita, perhaps the best field commander in the Japanese Army. He refused an open battle, knowing that superior firepower and command of the air would favor the Americans. Instead, he prepared defensive positions where his forces could deny the Americans strategic points like roads and airfields. On Oct 1944, D Day (H Hour) in Leyte, Philippines, PFC Don Woo helped shoot down Jap Zeros. He was awarded the Bronze Star for his action. MacArthur's Sixth Army under Lt. Gen. Walter Krueger landed on Luzon on 9 January 1945 and began the Army's longest land campaign in the Pacific. MacArthur's forces fought for almost seven months and took nearly 40,000 casualties before finally subduing the enemy. Lt Edward Ong served as a pilot with the 55th Troop Carrier Squadron, 375ch Troop Carrier Group. 26 May 1945, on a flight from the Philippines to Pelilu Island with 4 crewmen failed to arrive at their destination. Their aircraft was never found and presumed to have went down into the Pacific Ocean. They were listed missing-in-action.
Staff Sgt. Frank Y. C. Ong was with the 419th Field Artillery Group during the liberation of the Philippines in the invasion of Leyte and Luzon Islands. Staff Sgt. Quinn S. Fung was attached to the Army unit stationed in Manila, Philippines. Tech 4 Yow C. Sem participated in the liberation of the Philippines. Tech Sgt. Harry Wong served with the service battery of the 143rd Field Artillery in the battles and campaigns of Bismarck, Southern Philippines, and Luzon. Cpl Foo Kee Tom was with the 1521st Army Air Corps unit in the Central Pacific. On 17 July 1945, Sgt Jack Hom Cpl Don C. Tang off on his flight to Okinawa flying from Palawan to Manila. Flying in rainy weather, their C-46 crashed into mountains in Mindoro Island killing Don and all the crew just one month before the end of the war. T/4 Soon Ong participated in the liberation of Southern Philippines.
The largest landings of Pacific drive were carried out on Okiura, only 300 miles from Japan, on 1 April 1945. Before the fight was over three months later, the entire Tenth Army infantry divisions and two Marine divisions-had been deployed there. Like his Counterpart on Luzon, the Japanese commander on Okinawa, Lt. Gen. Misuru Ushijima,refused to fight on the beaches and instead withdraw into rocky hill to force the defensive battle. Staff Sgt. Frank Y. C. Ong’s group landed on Kaise Shimas an island 5 miles from Okinawa. Again the strategy worked. U.S. casualties were staggering. the largest of the Pacific war. Over 12,000 American soldiers, sailors and marines died during the struggle. At Okinawa, the Japanese launched the greatest Kamikaze raids of war, the results were, 26 ships sunk and 168 damaged. Almost 40 percent of the American dead were sailors lost to Kamikaze attacks. 1 November 1945, Kyshu would furnish air and naval bases to intensify the air bombardment and strengthen the naval blockade around Honshu, the main island of Japan. A massive invasion in the Tokyo area was scheduled for 1 Mar 1946, if Japanese resistance continued. In fact, Japan was already beaten. It was defenseless on the seas, its air force was gone, and its cities were being burned out by Incendiary bombs. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 95 August and the Sovie declaration of war 8 August forced the leaders of Japan to recognize the inevitable. On 15 August 1945, Empar Hirohito announced Japan's surrender to the Japanese people and ordered Japanese forces to lay down they arms. V-J Day-2 September 1945-the greatest in human history came to an end. The surrender ceremonies in Tokyo Bay aboard Admiral Nimitz's flagship, the U.S.S. Missouri, General MacArthur stand at the surrender table, awaiting the Japanese delegation grouped stiffly before him. Behind MacArthur are signers for the victorious nine nations and dominions, lined up at his left are a score of Allied Admirals and Generals and other officers and enlisted men. Seaman Tom Bon Yee was one of those aboard to witness the surrender. The occupation of Germany and Japan followed the surrender. Tech 5 Francis Wong went to Frankfurt, Germany with the U.S. military occupational force. Staff Sgt. Joe Quan was with the 8th Cavalry Regiment of the 1st Cr Cavalry Division in the occupation of Japan. Staff Sgt. Quin Fung went to Kobe, Japan with the occupation force. Warrant Officer Benjamin Joe, Jr. was with the 95th Infantry Division during the occupation of Japan. Tech 4 Jimmy C. Tang was with the 65th Engineer Combat Battalion. at Kanoaka, Osaka, Japan during the occupation, Tech 14 Jack Sang Lee was with the 252nd Medical Corps at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, when he was about to be shipped out, when the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan and the war ended.
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