WWII DIARY OF

COMMODORE RAMON A. ALCARAZ

JULY 1942

July 11,1942. Today is a happy-sad day for me. After going around Camp O'Donnell the past three days, I finally found PMA classmates Bart Cabangbang, Tom Tirona I used to chat with in Corregidor and Dodong Caballero, Joe and Rey Mendoza of the Bataan group that made me happy. However, I learned from them that my dear friend and former roommate (and soulmate), Washington Sagun had died last May 16. This made me so sad as we bonded like brothers when we were roommates and I want the whole world to know the great legacies he left at PMA. A talented artist, during the early days of our plebe year, he was tasked into designing the original PMA cadet uniforms, insignias, diplomas, class rings, and other graphics like that of the "Corps" and "Sword". He was one of the two starmen of our class for four straight years and graduated No. 2 but I still believe he should have been No 1. He left his belongings (class ring, cash, effects) to our classmate, H B Tuazon after he died.

As CO of a unit of the 31st Engineers, he dynamited Calumpit bridge after the last USAFFE unit from the south had crossed it last Jan 1. He saw gallant action in Bataan front lines with the 31st Div. Our nation lost an outstanding officer with great potential when he died. I consider it a great privilege to have been his roommate at PMA for two years.

According to Cavs Tirona and Cabangbang, it was also reported two other classmates, Alberto Aranzaso and Damian Pavon have died even earlier than Sagun. Before the surrender of Corregidor, Aranzaso and Pavon tried to convince them to escape from Corregidor to Cavite by small boat. They took separate boats that later capsized and sunk. Cav Aranzaso was a heroic P-26 pilot that challenged the Jap Zeros with Capt Jesus Villamor last Dec 10 and together, were the first recipients of Silver Stars personally awarded by Gen MacArthur. Cav Pavon was a 3-year starman qualified to be with the CE but chose to be with PAAC. He is another officer with great potential lost at a very young age 26. Aranzaso was 25 and Sagun 27 when they passed away. A sad day for me, indeed.

July 14,1942. Despite previous announcements that all sick POWs in Capas would be released, as in fact many were released already, there are still many sick POWs in Camp that the daily death is still about 100. This may be a big reduction to the 500 daily deaths when my roommate Sagun died last May 16 but the living conditions - facilities, food, sanitation, flies - are still sub-human compared to Malolos POW Camp. I was just talking with a comrade from Bayombong yesterday who was pale but not bedridden. He died last night. The same with another comrade from Tayabas in our building who died the other day. Today, I discovered that those released sick POWs came from provinces whose peace and order condition are rated by the Jap Adm as having returned to normal. And so those sick POWs remaining in Capas are from provinces still considered not peaceful or not returned to normal

Capt Eugenio G Lara '38 my former PMA uppie visited his classmate with us, Lt E Baltazar '38 this afternoon. He shared with us stories of the horrors, brutalities and experiences he had during the death march. He was Ateneo ROTC Comdt when WW II broke out and proud to tell us the gallant actions of his Ateneo ROTC boys that became a part of his Bataan Anti-Tank Co. He introduced a young Atenean with him, Sgt Alfred X Burgos. I will not forget the fascinating story of Lara about his CO, Maj E Cepeda USMA '32, our former PMA Comdt. Sometime last May when 500 POWs were dying per day, he suggested to Cepeda that they escape. According to Lara, Cepeda bawled him out that he felt so small and ashamed. However, two days later, Lara discovered Cepeda gone - he escaped. An hour after Capt Lara and Sgt Burgos left, my Mistah Job Mayo came to visit me and we had a long chat. I gave him four tablets of sulfa.

July 17,1942. Yesterday morning, Cav. Maning Gomez '41, my irrepressible ExO, after coming from our Bulletin Board excitedly exclaimed, "Eureka, we will be liberated from Capas tomorrow." I went to the BB and saw a long list of officers alerted for transfer to Camp Dau, Pampanga. All from our Malolos Group are included in the list.

And so at 0800 today, we assembled with our belongings at the Camp's main gate where we boarded trucks for Capas Railway Station. This is a big group, all officers who all seem healthy the way they marched. We boarded the southbound 1100 H train and debarked at Mabalacat, Pampanga RR Stn, thence transported a short distance to nearby huge former FA Training Camp Dau where we saw several cattle grazing that whetted our appetite for steak dinner. We were systematically assigned to our respective barracks with spacious living quarters, running water and toilet facilities that made us feel like human beings again. The food is better than Capas and we, POWs from Malolos, are very thankful we only stayed eight days in Capas.

The entire day is devoted to setting us up in our new place - organization and familiarization. I learned that our group is about 1,400 not so sick POWs and the main purpose of our being here is to undergo "Rejuvination Training" starting tomorrow. I am suspicious what this rejuvination is all about and what will happen after. However, I am happy to see many classmates and officers I know personally with this group I had no time to locate during my short eight days in that big sprawling and frightening Capas POW Camp.