Fading voices, enduring courage at Lingayen Gulf
LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN—The historic Lingayen Gulf lay calm, its waves frothy yet steady, as the province commemorated the 81st anniversary of the Lingayen Gulf Landings and the 19th Veterans Memorial Day last week.
On Jan. 9, 1945, the United States Army and 68,000 Allied Forces landed on its shores, fulfilling Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s promise: “I shall return.”
Five of the only 10 surviving World War II veterans from Pangasinan attended the rites, recalling the hardships of youth hardened by war. Valentino Untalan, 109, remembered being a point man in Bataan and getting lost in the forests. Hospicio Mallari, 103, recounted the brutal Death March with meager rations of boiled sweet potatoes and corn, while prisoners risked their lives for water.
The veterans were barely adults when the war interrupted their dreams. Mallari had just graduated high school and worked in Manila while studying engineering when he joined the military. Alongside Mallari and Untalan, Serapio Placido, 104, Adriano Herrera, 100 and Constantino Palos, 99, attended the commemoration. Eduardo Gaerlan, 101, died just days before the event, while others could not attend due to health reasons.
Beyond soldiers, Filipino guerrillas played a critical role, disrupting Japanese communications, gathering intelligence and guiding Allied Forces while protecting civilians. Army Maj. Gen. Pablo Lorenzo noted their importance as “force multipliers” in the resistance.
Gov. Ramon Guico III said the day honors the “commitment, courage, sacrifice and patriotism” of veterans, while Vice Gov. Mark Lambino described the Lingayen Gulf Landings as “not merely a chapter in history books, but a living reminder of the price of liberty.”
