The 145th Infantry at Mount Pacawagan (with maps!)

On April 15, 1945, the 145th Infantry was relieved of its mission of policing Manila. The 145th RCT was detached from the 37th Division and was subsequently attached to the 6th Division. The 6th Division had been engaged in the Lake Novaliches-Mount Mataba sector of the Mariquina Watershed area of Luzon. The 145th replaced the 20th Infantry on the Division's left flank. The 145th was directed by the 6th Division to attack and seize Mt. Pacawagan, a key terrain feature on the Japanese Shimbu Line. If the mountain was captured, it would jeopardize the enemy holdings in eastern Luzon, the watershed would be secured and the water supply to Manila would be insured.

Here is an account from Triumph in the Philippines at HyperWar:

This engagement by the 145th drew my interest because of some hand-drawn maps I found in a file at the Eisenhower Presidential Library last February. I was checking the unit files of the 145th for a Forum friend when I came across a folder marked K Company, 145th Infantry. I almost passed it by as I was interested more in E Company. Fortunately, I noticed an unusually colorful corner on one of the pages. Here are photos of the documents I found. (Please note that given the limitations on how the documents could be handled, some portions of the photos are out of focus.)

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The following map was so long I had to photograph it in two parts.

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This is a regular topographical map with the plan of attack for 21 April 1945. It was also found in the K Company folder.

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Dedicated to the memory of 1st Sgt. James Underwood.


Edit: Fixed position of attachments.

 

Fantastic information, Tommy. Thanks, Mr. Underwood's family will be most interested in this information. It is good that we honor the memory of these great men from the war in life, and after they have passed.

 

Thanks, Rick. I got a laugh when looking at the names they gave the features on the 2nd map (i.e. Dinah Draw, Clara Ridge, Pat Draw, Edith #1 Ridge, Edith #2 Top of Mt.). I imagine a bunch of guys standing around the cartographer shouting out their girlfriends names hoping to get them immortalized on a mountain.

 

Hello,
Thank you for posting these hand drawn maps. My uncle, PFC Richard L. O'Brien, was KIA on Mt Pacawagan. I took my father, Richard's younger brother, to the site in 2005. I may take my son, Richard's namesake, there later this year. The maps will add greatly to the experience.
Sincerely, Gregory O'Brien

 

You are welcome, Gregory. If you do make the trip, It would be interesting if you could get photos to correspond with the drawings and post them here. That would make a nice addition to the thread.

Here is your uncle's memorial on Findagrave.com: PFC Richard L O'Brien. I put in a photo request for his grave marker, but that can take quite a while sometimes. Also, here is his page on the ABMC website.

 

Hi Tom,

I've attached a picture of my Dad and I at my Uncle Richard's grave in the American Cemetery at Fort Bonofaciao, Manila. It was taken in Feb 2005. I buried my Dad 13 months later on St. Patricks Day 2006.

I have some shots taken of Mt Pacawagan on the same trip. I'll resize and post those.

Gregory

 

Mt Pacawagan in 2005, viewed from the west, as the American's soldiers would have seen during their approach from Manila.

 

Mt Pacawagan, from the northwest, close to the foot of the mountain, on the road to Wawa Dam

 

Wonderful photographs, Gregory. I especially like the photo of you and your father at Richard's grave. That must have meant quite a bit for him to be able to make that trip.

 

Thanks Tom, It was a great and memorable trip with my dad, very emotional. He spent almost three months with me here in Singapore on the same visit. In additional to the cemetery and trip to Mt. Pacawagan, we toured Manila battle sites, and we walked around Intramuros trying to find where the US artillery had breached the walls. The memories of that trip are why I want to take my son there. Regards, Gregory

 

Hi, I'm Nick. I've hiked Mt Parawagan (Pacawagan) and am very interested in the battle history. Nothing seems visible today. I read that thousands of Japanese troops died there and on other peaks including Mt Mataba. And that Us losses were bad too. Locals told me that unexploded bombs and shells are found quite often. I talked to a Filipino truck driver and his mum lives in the valley still today age 89. She knew a Mr McKee US Army soldier who was killed by Japanese forces in the war. I found out a McGee was killed but not McKee. 6 Division on Mt Mataba. The mountains are very nice but the battle there must have been crazy.