Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to Flipzi's.

You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you have a limited access. You can read the 'Announcements' and 'Society' sections but you need to register in order to view the rest. This is for security reasons. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free anyway. Register now instead. Thank you.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
2nd Lieutenant Jose Bandong Jr; legend of the soldier who said: 'Fire on my location'
Topic Started: Sat Feb 14, 2015 11:06 pm (211 Views)
Flipzi
Member Avatar
R.A.T.S.
[ *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Posted Image

2nd Lieutenant Jose Bandong Jr

The legend of the soldier who said: 'Fire on my location'


It happened in the Mountain Province, where an Army lieutenant ordered to be fired at to save his retreating men.

Fire on location? It sounds like a war movie, but a number of military officers swear it happened in the Mountain Province in the '90s.

"It happened in the North. Overwhelming ang kalaban so he ordered 'fire on my position.' It's a very extreme measure. It's suicidal," Brigadier General Carlito Galvez told Rappler.

Galvez was referring to the legend surrounding the late 2nd Lieutenant Jose Bandong Jr, the platoon leader of the 24th Infantry Battalion who died saving his men from certain death on April 10, 1992, in the boundaries of Sagada and Bontoc.

Bandong's platoon was overwhelmed by the communist New People's Army (NPA) – particularly the unit called Chadli Molintas Command-Regional Unit Guerrilla. He ordered his men to withdraw while he stayed in the battlefield and engaged the enemy up to his last bullet. He continuously fired at them to allow his men to get away.

Based on the accounts of the officers, Bandong later called his troops manning the artillery and gave his final orders: "Fire on my location."

He died along with the communist rebels. But his men managed to withdraw and survive.

Bandong posthumously received the Medal of Valor for heroism in the battlefield. His photo is displayed in the lobby of the Armed Forces headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, along with other recipients of the military's highest combat honor.

Long and last battle

Only a 2nd Lieutenant during the encounter, Bandong had only been in the service for a few years.

The last battle of his life was a long one. It started with a 6-hour firefight, where Bandong and about 35 soldiers overwhelmed an estimated 20 communist guerrillas and forced them to withdraw. It didn't end there, however.

As the platoon prepared for evacuation, one team that was supposed to secure the route was ambushed by about 30 rebels. A firefight dragged for 3 hours, and the soldiers called for reinforcement.

Bandong led the other team to link up with his beleaguered men when another group of communist rebels showed up and attacked them from the rear. The soldiers fought back in yet another intense firefight that hit Bandong on the left shoulder. Seeing that they were outnumbered, Bandong ordered his men to withdraw.

On the wall in Camp Aguinaldo, the citation for Bandong reads: "By this display of heroism Second Lieutenant Jose Bandong Jr upheld the highest virtue of military leadership and professionalism, thus earning distinct credit for himself and the Armed Forces of the Philippines." (Read the complete citation here.)

His citation doesn't talk about the suicidal order, but 3 other military officers aside from Galvez confirmed to Rappler the story that has been repeatedly told by soldiers.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/83753-jose-bandong-valor-military?utm_content=buffer565c7&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer




Alfred Alexander L. Marasigan
Manila, Philippines
getflipzi@yahoo.com

http://z6.invisionfree.com/flipzi

" Sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them!"

" People don't care what we know until they know we care."
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
« Previous Topic · Heroes and their stories · Next Topic »
Add Reply