Kilala natin si Gen. Gregorio del Pilar na binansagang 'Boy-General'. Pero alam ba ninyo na nuong WW2 naman ay may isang 13-taong Marindukenya na nagpanggap bilang lalaki, sumama sa mga gerilya sa loob ng tatlong taon at nakapatay pa ng limang Hapones?
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| The London Edition of Stars and Stripes, August 13, 1945 where the news item titled 'Army 'Discharges' Girl Who Fought As a Boy Guerilla' appeared. |
Girl who fought as a Boy Guerilla!
Ipinanganak siya sa Marinduque, ang ama niya ay isang Amerikano, ang ina ay Filipina.
Ang kanyang nabalong ina ay isa sa mga binihag ng mga Hapon at ikinulong sa UST Interment Camp nang pumutok ang digmaan.
Nagdamit-lalaki ang 13-taong gulang na babae at sumama sa guerilla medical unit sa ilalim ng US 32nd Infantry Division. Kasama siya sa labanan sa Northern Luzon at nakapatay pa ng limang Hapones.
Ang kanyang nabalong ina ay isa sa mga binihag ng mga Hapon at ikinulong sa UST Interment Camp nang pumutok ang digmaan.
Nagdamit-lalaki ang 13-taong gulang na babae at sumama sa guerilla medical unit sa ilalim ng US 32nd Infantry Division. Kasama siya sa labanan sa Northern Luzon at nakapatay pa ng limang Hapones.
Siya si Virginia Weems. Binigyan siya ni Maj. Gen. William H. Gill, pinuno ng 32nd division ng honorable discharge noong August 12, 1945.
Nang araw na iyon ay nakasuot pa rin siya ng khaki uniform dahil hindi siya nakakuha ng kanyang damit sa isang kumbento sa Cagayan Valley kung saan nag-aaral siya noon para maging isang concert pianist.
Naibalita ang tungkol sa kanyang karanasan sa London Stars and Stripes, August 13, 1945.
Ang English text ng artikulo tungkol kay Weems ay unang nabasa ng blogger sa UlongBeach.
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Santo Tomas Internment Camp, also known as the Manila Internment Camp, was the largest of several camps in the Philippines in which the Japanese interned enemy civilians, mostly Americans, in World War II. The campus of the University of Santo Tomas was utilized for the camp, which housed more than 3,000 internees from January 1942 until February 1945. (Wikipedia)
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| (Above) Copy of the actual news item about Virginia Weeds, born in Marinduque, from ApolloHosting |
From London Stars & Stripes August 13, 1945:
Army 'Discharges' Girl Who Fought as a Boy Guerilla
MANILA; Aug. 12 Maj. Gen. William H. Gill, commanding the 32nd Infantry Division, gave an honorable discharge yesterday to 13-year-old Virginia Weems, who posed as a boy and served three years with Filipino guerrillas.
Virginia, whose father was an American, and mother a Filipino, was born on Marinduque Island, near Mindoro.
Her widowed mother was interned at Santo Tomas by the Japanese when the war broke out. Virginia donned boy's clothes and joined a guerrilla medical unit attached to the 32nd division.
Virginia served through fighting in Northern Luzon and was credited with killing five Japs.
She still wears a khaki uniform because she has been unable to get a dress at the convent in Cayagayen Valley, where she is studying to be a concert pianist.
