Battle in Phillipines? (1980's?)

[KingOfNegus]

Hi everyone! My dad is a Marine retired 21 years '77-'98. Now, to be in for 21 years it's hard to imagine he was never in combat. He didn't fight in the Gulf War because he went to I&I duty (or however it's written). He was also supposed to go to Grenada in '83 but someone screwed up and other people went. He said they were all ready to go and everything. Fog of war I suppose.

I've asked him numerous times if he's been in combat or anything of the sort and only once, which was just a few months ago, he said he was. He said he called in artillery and other gunfire in the Phillipines in the 80's I believe.

Now there are 4 things to this story:
1. I'm pretty sure he said the 80's.
2. I may have misunderstood and it might've been training which I highly doubt. (I'll explain my reasons later).
3. He told me the name of the island but it sounded alien to me so I forgot. It started with the letter "M".
4. I looked everywhere on the internet for it but can't find it anywhere, perhaps it was top secret, or the public didn't care. Who knows.

Here's my thoughts. I'm pretty sure this stuff actually happened considering he just mentioned it recently and never spoke of it again, it was only a one time/day thing. He's always speaking of his training and more so of his buddies though.

Some more info: He was in ANGLICO at the time I believe and he also did some work with recon. And he did comms for 21 years.

If there are any Marines that can bring truth to this I would be more than delighted. Also, please give me some info on what happened there, website links, pictures, articles, personal accounts (including you), articles, etc., anything would be fantastic.

And if you want to know, no I can't ask him again. I have and he just ignores me. It took me years just to find out that he was actually in combat.

-Thank You:)

[KingOfNegus]

Also his name is Joseph Green, he retired as a GySgt

[RaeMac12]

My Dad was in the USMC too, and i know that he was stationed over in the Philippines too... He was also in Grenada, and Beiruit. and just like your dad i could NEVER get him to talk about combat at all or the bombing of marine headquarters there. all he ever said was that is was hell on earth... I wish he would tell me more, but if the subject is even brought up he gets really upset. SO i know how you feel.

[Apache]

Typical for a combat vet to not discuss such things
I wouldn't push it ,if he wants to talk he will

[chulaivet1966]

He told me the name of the island but it sounded alien to me so I forgot. It started with the letter "M".


I don't know of any Philippine conflict in the 80's.

Maybe the island of 'Mindoro' solves your 'M' enigma.

Good luck...

[FoxtrotOscar]

Having been in and around the Philippines during that time.. NO, I don't recall any contact or conflict's.. Marine's would run security patrol's to augment those that were stationed there..

Not every Marine was in combat..

They should just be happy to be a Marine...

[03Mike]

I'll try to perhaps shed a little light on the subject. I spent some time in the Philippines in the late 1980s and had some friends who were there in the mid-1980s.

First, the "M" island is probably Mindinao - which has been a hotbed of insurgencies and guerilla violence for decades. In the 80s it was primarly communist guerillas, but in recent years the Muslim guerillas have been active.

A general survey of Philippine history during this time may help. There were multiple coups and coup attempts. Ferdinand Marcos - the long time dictator and U.S. "ally" was active in the Filipino government since the end of U.S. occupation after World War II and rose to the position of President in the late 1960s. In 1983 he was implicated in the assassination of his primary political opponent Benigno Aquino - which lead to what is known as "the peoples' revolution". Marcos was deposed in 1986 and replaced by Corazon Aquino - Benigno's widow. In the following three or four years, there were several attempted coups against the Aquino government, mostly restricted to the neighborhoods around the presidential palace in Manilla.

During this time of upheaval, several different entities vied for power in the Philippines - to include the NPA or "New People's Army" - a communist group. Marines stationed at the Naval Base at Subic Bay were involved in activities to curtail NPA incursions onto the base - the NPA was mainly looking to infiltrate in order to steal weapons, ammunition, and supplies -- not necessarily to mix it up with U.S. forces.

The U.S. supported the Aquino government and lent military support to quashing some of the coup attempts. Working solely off memory, I seem to recall that we did lend air support to put down one of the coup attempts in the 1987-88 timeframe. I also seem to recall that the U.S. suppported Filipino actions on Mindinao to suppress NPA bases and operations -- again, I don't believe that it involved ground troops other than liaison and coordination, so it is entirely possible that ANGLICO was involved.

Personally, I was involved in revising security and reinforcement contingency plans for several of the bases in Northern Luzon - primarily from NPA infiltration or "destructiive" raid activiites as well as heavy patrolling activities. I also recall being placed on "alert" during one of the coup attempts against Aquino.

Congress would never refer to what your dad did as "combat" - too many political reasons, regardless of what actually occured on the ground. So chances are extremely thin that anything your dad did there woud qualify for any kind of combat recognition.

Can't say for sure what your father was involved in or not involved in during the mid-to-late 1980s in the Philippines. But there were occasions when rounds were sent down range in support of the Aquino government, and from my somewhat spotty memory, it would seem logical that someone like ANGLICO would be involved moreso than straight leg infantry.

Hope that helps. If nothing else, it can give you a base from which to start your own research.

[MOS4429]

Joseph, I have not read other responses to your post, but let me say this. I read through what you have posted, and I am somewhat bewildered by it.

You dad served in the Marine Corps for 21 years, and it seems to me that you just have to find come he!! or high water whether he served in combat or not, because for whatever reason, honorably serving in the Marine Corps for 21 years is just NOT enough for you.

So over the years you pester your dad about some sort, any sort, one tidbit of combat action and he continues to defer and not give you an answer. Maybe he just doesn't want to give you an answer. Maybe he doesn't want to talk about it.

My dad served in the 101st Airborne during the Korean War. As a teenager, I asked him once if he went to Korea and saw action. He just looked at me and would not answer. Good enough. Years and years later he was intoxicated one night, and he brought it up and talked about some of what took place when they dropped in. I understood why he didn't want to talk about it. He never, ever brought it up again. And you know what? I took him at his word. I did not launch into an investigation to find out if what my dad was telling me was a lie.

Whether to satisfy you, whether to just get you to stop asking him, your dad finally reveals to you that he called in a mission in the Philippines. And what do you do?

You doubt your dad's very own word. He didn't want to talk about it; you stayed at him; he tells you; and then you want to verify if he is telling you the truth.

You say, "I'm pretty sure this stuff actually happened considering he just mentioned it recently and never spoke of it again, it was only a one time/day thing. He's always speaking of his training and more so of his buddies though."

I never say any action whatsoever from '78 to '87. But from talking to Marines who did, they do not want to talk about it. Instead, they would much rather talk about the good times. In fact, I have found over the years those who were in the military who want to talk about their combat experiences all the time, either never saw action, or it was so minimal that they have to exaggerate it.

"If there are any Marines that can bring truth to this I would be more than delighted."

What if nobdy can bring truth to it? What if all you ever find out is your dad's word? Will you then not be delighted?

"And if you want to know, no I can't ask him again. I have and he just ignores me. It took me years just to find out that he was actually in combat."

I am not trying to rip you a new one, but you really need to respect him for being a Marine for 21 years, for his military service, and accept it for what it is. He ignores you because he does not want to talk about it. Respect that. You learned he "was actually in combat." Let that satisfy your need to know and move on.

[chulaivet1966]

In fact, I have found over the years those who were in the military who want to talk about their combat experiences all the time, either never saw action, or it was so minimal that they have to exaggerate it.

MOS4429: some good points I hadn't considered...

It is my experience that those that boast the most have done the least.
I busted a boaster (poser) when I was working at H.P. in 1970.
I believe half of what I see and none of what I hear....until proven otherwise.

OP....I'd suggest you respect your fathers' USMC history (whatever it entailed) and his desire not to give you details.
Not every Marine sees combat as you perceive it.
You're trying to verify what you 'believe' he has experienced based on the quite limited info your father has provided.

That's my take.....carry on....

[KingOfNegus]

I suppose I should've chosen my words more carefully. When I said "combat" I wasn't talking about infantry. He was calling in artillery and I think recievieng it (perhaps mortars). And when I said if anyone could bring truth to it I didn't mean I didn't believe him. I just wanted more information and find out why he never talks about it. Thank you for setting me straight everyone and giving me some much appreciated info of the Phillipines. Perhaps, next time I should think before I speak.

[vets rep]

Hey ya'll. I just read all of your posts. This is an interesting discussion. I did some basic google research on this topic and I did not find anything specific about United States military operations in the philipines during the 1980s. However, I did find a lot of general information stating that the US was involved helping the philipine government deal with various militia type uprising during the 1980s.

I am currently doing research on this topic and I've hit a brick wall in terms of finding any resources on this topic. Do any of you know of any books, articles, or anything (movies, documentaries) on specific military operations conducted in the philipines in the 1980s....obviously, there was something going on...its just not documented well.

Thanks in advance.

[vets rep]

Here's an update. I've been doing some heavy research on this topic.
But in 1985-1986 on the Island of Mindanao,(southern philipines) the NPA (New People's Army -- a communist group) conducted what was called Operation Kampanyang Ahos. The NPA committed humanitarian atrocities. The Operation was conducted to "purge" its own ranks of suspected spies. They tortured and executed hundreds. However, because of this operation, the NPA lost a lot of popular support and the operation was later condemned by its own leaders and called a "grave" error.

I know that this doesn't seem related to USMC, but the reason why I am doing this research is because I am trying to verify the story of some Marines who served in the philipines during that time frame. They mentioned that they witnessed some atrocities on villagers.

Also...jumping to more modern times...Currently, there have been roughly 500-600 U.S. military personnel deployed to Mindanao as a purely "support" role to aid the philipine government deal with various faction groups and muslim terrorist militia groups. However, after I researched this modern conflict, I found that many news reports coming out of the philipines complaining that, unofficially, US Military personnel are sending rounds down range, even though they are not supposed to get involved.

Of course, the US military denies this, but there are many reports given by philipine military officials that say US military sometimes engage in small skirmishes with the various guerillas in the jungles of minandao.

[VistaKay]

I know Marines that were deployed to places the United States has never openly admitted to being...that is kind of the nature of covert military action. I do know Marines that spoke of being in the Philippines in the 1980's. As others have said, some Vets simply choose to not to discuss what they were involved in, went through. I respect that. Most of us can't even imagine what some went through-

[Old Marine]

He prolly was calling arty in on the ****e river when he had cinderalla liberty so he could make it across the bridge and through the gate before 2400. Just my take on it.

[1stRadBn]

In the mid 1970's,the USMC participated in a yearly exercise
with the Phillipine Marines that was called Operation Fortress
Lightening. In 1977, the year I was involved, there was
something close to 30 deaths due to accidents during the
planned 2 week exercise. This large-scale "dog and pony
show" was aborted about the 13th day due to the high
accidental casualty rate.
The most infamous was a chopper full of marines that was
yanked back into the side of a mountain by the water trailer which was slung underneath it as it swung back toward the LZ after takeoff. There were no survivors.
I received this information from a Navy Corpsman who was standing, freshly shaved, pale skinned and in a starched uniform in a clearing which I had wandered into
in order to escape the constant attacks from insects in the
jungle. His appearance gave away that he hadn't been in
a triple canopy jungle for two weeks and may know who
had won the last 2 football games back stateside. That was
how you found out in the age before personal electronics.
He briefed me on the latest scores, gave me a quick
account of some of the other deaths and then told me of
how they were going to cut short this very infamous
Marine Corps exercise.
If your Dad was in this or some of the other like-named
exercises, he may have known some of the dead as friends. Operation Fortress Lightening did not last more than 4 or 5 yearly exercises before it was canceled. In
addition to the hazards of any large scale operation in
very difficult terrain, there was always the danger of
making contact with the rebels. Any of these conditions
could make it difficult to speak about.

[29palms]

The "M" everyone seems to be talking about is probably for MINDANAO. It is the Islamist/Christian island where conflict between religions have been going on for centuries. Mindoro is the island just south of LUZON island. Nothing in as far as Muslims on that island. Puerto Galera is the resort most noted on Mindoro. Mindanao is a continual war zone. Filipino military is constantly patrolling the island, many times being ambushed. Many Filipinos from all over Philippines go to Mindanao on military duty and never return. U.S. conducts exercises there all the time. I'd say its a great place to get your feet wet if you're looking for combat action.

[29palms]

I know Marines that were deployed to places the United States has never openly admitted to being...that is kind of the nature of covert military action. I do know Marines that spoke of being in the Philippines in the 1980's. As others have said, some Vets simply choose to not to discuss what they were involved in, went through. I respect that. Most of us can't even imagine what some went through-

After Pinatubo blew up in Philippines, messed up Clark AFB, we pulled out. Government wouldn't clean up and we didn't think it worth it to remove all ashes and everything. World was changing, missions were changing, therefore, we pulled out of Philippines. I am familiar with Philippines, I go there often, wife comes from Philippines and her family is all there in Quezon City. We go to Clark for shopping sometimes. You can tell it was once a military base. Just like all U.S. bases. There are some retirees living about Angeles City and they have a great American Legion/VFW there.
Yes, there was military there in the 1980's but if they got involved in any kind of conflict, it was mostly in the bars of Subic Bay (Navy base) and where there were Navy bases, there are usually Marines.
They have on going exercises in Mindanao to help out Filipino Army fighting Muslim extremist in that southern part of the Philippines. Support for training and giving aid. It's possible there were some firefights here and there, probably mostly later on during Global war on Terrorism. Mostly after 9/11 when going after Abu Sayif extremist.

[FoxtrotOscar]

977 Mindoro Crash On October 21, 1977 a CH-53 crashed on the Philippine island of Mindoro, killing 24 of the 37 onboard. Our battalion, BLT 3/9 had just finished Operation Fortress Lightning and we were being transported by helos back to Subic Bay, where we would later board the ships and head back to Okinawa. This CH-53, with it’s crew of four was carrying 31 Marines and two Navy Corpsmen with all of their gear. It also had a water bull hooked to the lift under it. If my knowledge and memory serves me correctly, there was some type of problem with the tail rotor which caused it to go into a spin shortly after take off. It struck the side of a mountain, rolling down the mountain and eventually bursting into flames. I believe, or at least was always told that all of the 13 survivors were either thrown out during the spin or fell out as it rolled down the mountain. I do know that at least a couple of them were found in tree tops.

A few of these guys went through ITS in Camp Pendleton with me and we all went as a group to Okinawa in 1976 for a one year assignment with 3/9. At the time of this crash, we had less than 2 months until we returned to the states.

Unfortunately, news of this helicopter crash was then, and remains today overshadowed by the news of a plane crash in Mississippi a couple of hours earlier that killed members of the band Lynard Skynard.

Rest in Peace, Brothers. You are not forgotten.



Capt. J. L. Crapse
Capt. G. M. Gebhardt
Sgt. D. G. Smith
Sgt. C. W. Anderson
Sgt. W. E. Casey
Cpl. O. Hallam
Cpl. R. N. Bennett
Cpl. L. H. Ernsberger Jr.
LCpl. F. R. Aguirre
LCpl. A. R. Baker
LCpl. A. R. Dicag
LCpl. A. Suda Jr.
LCpl. S. R. Bowman
LCpl. M. L. Fitzpatrick
LCpl. H. J. Layne
LCpl. M. L. Quiane
LCpl. J. L. West
PFC J. P. Bauer
PFC K. M. Brinkley
PFC B. I. Jones
PFC M. A. Lafferre
PFC K. K. Schwartz
PFC D. A. Wright
HA S. R. Dolan (USN)

[29palms]

I was in Pohan Korea in 1989 having a beer in my room on my ship, (the MV William R. Button), I shared with a Staff Sgt while downloading equipment with the MPS program when he told me about a helicopter crash that killed a lot of Marines. In fact, here is the article from a New York Times article.

2 Marines Are Killed in Crash Of U.S. Helicopter in South Korea
By DAVID E. SANGER, Special to the New York Times
Published: March 20, 1989


[*=left]EMAIL
[*=left]PRINT (http://www.nytimes.com/1989/03/20/world/22-marines-are-killed-in-crash-of-us-helicopter-in-south-korea.html?pagewanted=print)
[*=center]http://graphics8.nytimes.com/adx/images/ADS/37/50/ad.375076/Calvary_NYT120x60.gif (http://www.nytimes.com/adx/bin/adx_click.html?type=goto&opzn&page=www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day&pos=Frame4A&sn2=72270860/53be7632&sn1=9c3ff18e/aa558d57&camp=FoxSearchlight_AT2014-1911126&ad=0601.Calvary_NYT120x60.gif&goto=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efoxsearchlight%2Ecom%2Fcal vary%2F)





A United States Marine Corps helicopter participating in a major joint military exercise in South Korea crashed this morning, killing 22 marines and injuring 15, American officials said today.
The crash took place a little before 7 A.M. in a mountainous region 35 miles south of Pohang, a steel-producing city on the southeastern coast.
A spokesman for United States forces in Seoul, the South Korean capital, said that the cause of the crash was not yet known, but that there was no immediate evidence of sabotage or an attack on the CH-53D Sea Stallion helicopter.
A week ago, North Korea had protested the start of the annual exercises, code-named Team Spirit. But the site of the crash was far from the border with the Communist North.

[29palms]

If you go to this web site called VT or Virtual Tourist, I have posted a lot of pictures. This particular page has a picture I took of a FILIPINO MARINE walking just outside their base in Manila called FORT BONIFACIO. This particular fort suffered some ammo explosion recently. It's on Youtube. It was supposedly under investigation. Carelessness? Sabotage?

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/c5c38/

[29palms]

So other true BATTLE IN THE PHILIPPINES

THRILLA IN MANILA. I actually saw the Aerena in Quezon City (Years later of course. Filipinos still talk about that one.)

[FoxtrotOscar]

Not a "Battle" in the PI, it was an accident...!!!

[29palms]

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[29palms]

Sorry for above article I tried copying and pasting on my scanned documents I have saved. This is pertaining to our vessel that was hit in Manila Bay in 1995