1 Preface

I dedicate this piece of story Firstly, to my Family, Secondly, to my Friends, and Thirdly, to all the Filipino heroes who sacrificed and risked their lives for the liberation of the Philippines from foreign powers. 8th of December(December 7, American time) and 9th of April are days to be remembered by the families of USAFFE Veterans from the Philippines, the United States of America, and other nations who served in the Pacific Theater. Philippine history is a fascinating topic to be discussed, to be read nor to be heard as it has a brilliant past all the way from the Spanish era. In ancient times, the Philippines was part of the Majapahit Empire, the most powerful Empire in South East Asia, it was based in Java, Indonesia existed from 1293 to circa 1500. On March 16, 1521, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan was ordered by King Philip II of Spain to conquer the Philippines. That was the beginning of the Spanish Philippine conquest but only succeeded in 1565 with the Expedition of Miguel Lopez de Legaspi. Despite the failed mission to conquer the Philippine Islands, Ruy López de Villalobos during his expedition in 1542 named the archipelago Las Islas Filipinas, to honor Philip of Austria, at the time, who later became King Philip II of Spain as the country was composed of thousands of Islets and Islands. It took five expeditions before the Spanish began to conquer the Philippines. In 1565, the fifth Spanish expedition to the Philippines was sent, led by Miguel Lopez de Legaspi who later became the Governor-General of the Spanish East Indies which included the Philippines and other Pacific archipelagos. On February 22, 1565, the expedition reached the island of Samar and made a blood compact with Datu Urrao. The Spaniards then proceeded to Limasawa and were received by Datu Bankaw, then to Bohol, where they befriended Datu Sikatuna and Rajah Sigala. On March 16, Legazpi made a blood compact with Datu Sikatuna. On April 27, 1565, the expedition returned to Cebu and landed there. Rajah Tupas challenged the Spaniards but were overpowered by them. The Spaniards established a colony, naming the settlements "Villa del Santisimo Nombre de Jesús" (Town of the Most Holy Name of Jesus) after an image of Sto. Niño on one of the native houses.

The Philippines was occupied by the Spaniards for three hundred thirty-three years. Finally, on June 12, 1898, the Philippines was liberated by the brave Filipino Katipuneros and later the first Philippine Government was established in Kawit, Cavite. General Emilio Aguinaldo became the first President of the Philippines. After the Spanish era, the Philippines was invaded by the Americans for thirty-three years and was only granted independence by the United States in 1946. After almost three decades, the third Philippine invasion occurred during the Second World War by the Empire of Japan. The Japanese colonization era in the Pacific was only one of the bloody battles that occurred in Asia, where men had to fight for their Motherland. One of my greatest achievements in college which was a very memorable thing for me was when I conducted my speech about Philippine Liberation in front of my professor and classmates. I could feel from that very moment that I made them amazed and able to make them feel something special when they heard my speech. I was glad when I saw their reactions while I was reporting, and I was glad to take them back to the time when a soldier must die for his country. The story of my grandfather is fascinating and colorful. His life can be brought to the big screen, to portray his braveness, perfectionist personality, and patriotism. I remember the very first time when my mother told me the story of my grandfather during the Second World War. As a kid, I was totally amazed when I heard his story. Before I started writing his story, I based my research on some references I gathered from journals he left behind and some stories from my mother. She told me in great detail the extraordinary struggles, danger, and horrific actions my grandfather had to face, to save and liberate our motherland from the Japanese invaders. Sadly we never met each other, my grandfather died on October 16, 1989, three years before my birth.

Detailed pieces of information with accurate historical scenes in the first months of the war are gathered from the book The Fall of the Philippines. I'd like to express my warm gratitude to the Author Mr. Louis Morton for his Masterpiece. I published this work of literature for educational purposes only and at the same time, to share the story of my grandfather all the way from his early life. This is the story of my grandfather Corporal Teodorico Victorio David and the Japanese colonization era in the Philippines. I hope you'd like this story and will learn something from it.

"There can be no tyrants where there are no slaves."

-Jose P. Rizal (Philippine National Hero)

"What we have done for ourselves alone, dies with us. But what we have done for others, and the world remains, and is immortal."

-Albert Pike (Lawyer, Soldier, Writer, and Freemason)