The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-10-25

THIS is MY STORY
By GENERAL JONATHAN M
WAINWRIGHT
downright, 1915, King Features
syndicate, Inc, Reproduction II
whole or in part strictly pronlDlt
ed.)
The moment I was told by MaJo1
Gen. George F. Moore that tne
Japs were at long last landing or
Corregidor 1 went directly to- his
command. post in the Tunnel anc
for the rest of that dreadful night
of May Sc. 1912, I alternated be,
tween that post and the command
post of 1t. Col. Beecher, U. S. M.
C., just inside the eastern entrance
of the Tunnel. Col. Beecher was
in command Of the eastern sector
of the beach defense.
The enemy hit the extreme
northeast end of pollywog-shapedi
Corregidor, down near the END OF
the islands tail.
The first wave of Japs came IN
landing boats and armed motor
boats. They were heavily engaged
by our men and we're being mauled
back to the shoreline when the
second Jap wave struck the
beaches with tanks and artillery.
Thus strengthened, the enemy
quickly pushed past the beaches,
light and heavy-gunless defenders
and cut Corregidor's tail in two.
Then on a solid front, the Japs
turned and began their march
westward toward Malinta Tunnel,
hub of our last resistance.
Gen. Moore stripped some OF our
remaining heavy batteries OF their
personnel to bolster defensive IN
fantry line we hastily strung
across Corregidor between Mallnta
Hill and the approaching Japs. 1t
was most difficult to &c: our men
into their positions, for Jap batteries
on Bataan and Cavite were pro-
tecting the Jap landings, by plast-
j ering the entire unoccupied sec
. ton of The Rock with the heaviest
kind of bombardment.
But despite this hellish fire our
heroic harbor defense troops and
Marines made the advancing Japs
pay for every foot they gained.
At 4 a. m. on May 6, with the
Japs slowly approaching Denver
Hill, a rise that girdles the islanc
between their landing point anc
Malinta Tunnel, I received a flna
message from President Roosevelt
Official message blanks were sc
completely exhausted that the
operator decided the message or
rough ruled paper, which I still
treasure and which some day Will
be suitably framed and passed or
10 my son. 1t read:
During recent weeks we
have been following with grow
ing admiration the day-by-day
accounts of your heroic stand
against the mounting intensity
of bombardment by enemy
planes and heavy siege guns
''In spite of all the handicaps
of complete isolation, lack OF
food and ammunition you have
given the world shining ex-
ample of patriotic fortitude
and self-sacrifice.
"The American people ask
no finer example of tenacity
resourcefulness, and steadfast
courage. The calm determine
ton of your personal leader
ship in a desperate situation
sets a standard of duty for
our soldiers throughout the
world.
GIN every camp and on
every naval vessel soldiers,
sailors and marines are in
spired by the gallant struggle
of their comrades in the Phil
ippines. The workmen in our
shipya and munitions
plants redouble their efforts
because of your example.
"You and your devoted fol-
lowers have become the living
symbols of our war aims and
the guarantee of victory.
FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT"
Could Not Eat
At daylight my orderly, Sgt.
Hubert Carroll, brought some food
and coffee to Moore's headquarters
in the Tunnel. I could not eat. The
Japs were on Denver Hill. thei1
forward elements within 500 yards
of the Tunnels east entrance.
Col. Beecher ordered a reserve
platoon of Marines out to the line,
but they ran right into severe
artillery barrage and were wiped
out in front of our eyes.
Still. our men held doggedly.
But at 10 a. M, in the midst of
and ear-splitting Smelling, word
came up from Col. Sam Howard,
Marine commander, that the Japs
were landing more tanks and NOV
ing them toward us.
/ had to make up my mind
a mind then Keeling with the task
of trying to find ways and means
of ave1ting the inevitable. l went
over our position in my mind:
shaken troops, beach defenses lit
orally pulverized, assault-boat bar
riers wrecked, concrete machine
gun nests reduced to powder, the
great majority of seacoast guns
as well as fire control instruments
destroyed; 46 of the 48 beach-de-
enrea IL MN. guns knocked out.