Evening star., 1945-10-25
Gen. Woinwrieht's Own Story:
Surrender Offer Sent to Jops When Wainwright
Sees Landing Forces Cutting His Men to Pieces
Nineteenth of a Series. J
BY GEN. JONATHAN M.
WAINWRIGHT

Gen. George F. Moore that the JapS
were at long last landing on Core
gidor, I went directly to his COM
mand post in the Tunnel and for
the rest of that dreadful night of
May 5-6, 1912, I alternated between
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 COM
mand of the eastern sector of the
beach defense.
The enemy hit the extreme north
east end of pollywog shaped Core
gidor, down near the end of the
islands tail.
The first wave of Japs came in
4 landing boats and armed motor
boats. They were heavily engaged
by our men and were being mauied
back to the shore line when the sec
ond 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 solid front, the Japs
turned and began their march west
ward toward Malinta Tunnel, hub
of our last resistance.
Gen. Moore stripped some of our
remaining heavy batteries of their
personnel to bolster a defensive in
fantry line we hastily strung across
Corregidor between Malinta Hill and
the approaching Japs. 1t was most
difficult to get our men into their
positions, for Jap batteries on Ba-
taan and Cavite were protecting the
landings, by plaStering the entire
unoccupied section of The Rock with
the heaviest kind of bombardment.
Paid for Every Foot.
But despite this hellish fire, our
heroic harbor defense troops and
Marines made the advancing Japs
pay for every foot they gained.
At pm, May 6, with the Japs
slowly approaching Denver HILL a
rise that girdles the island between
their landing point and Malinta
Tunnel, received final message
from President Roosevelt. Official
message blanks were so completely
exhausted that the operator decod-
ed the message on rough ruled pa
per, which I still treasure and which
some day will be suitably framed
and passed on to my son. 1t read ::
During recent weeks we have
been following with growing ad-
miration the day-by-day accounts
of your heroic stand against the
mounting intensity of lombard
ment 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 a shining example of pa
triotic fortitude and self-sacrifice.
The American people ask no
finer example of tenacity, resource
fulness and steadtast courage. The
calm determination of your per-
sonal leadership in a desperate stu
alton sets standard of duty for
our soldiers throughout the world
In every camp and on every
naval vessel soldiers, sailors and
Marines are inspired by the gal
liant struggle of their comrades in
the Philippines. The workmen in
our Shipyards and munitions plants
redouble their efforts because OF
your example
You and your devoted follow
ers have become the living SYM
bolS of our war aims and the
guarantee of victory.
"FRANKLIN D, ROOSEVELT"
At daylight my orderly, Sergt
Hubert Carroll, brought some food
and coffee to Moore's headquarters
in the Tunnel. I could not eat. The
Japs were on Denver Hill, their
forward elements within 500 yards
OF the Tunnels east entrance.
Marine Platoon Destroyed.
Col. Beecher ordered a reserve
platoon of Marines out to the line
but they ran into a severe artillery
barrage and were wiped out in front
of our eyes.
Still, our men held doggedly. But
at 10 am, in the midst of an ear.
splitting shelling, word came ur
from Col. Sam Howard, Marine
commander, that the JapS were
landing more tanks and moving
them toward us.
had to make up my mind a
mind then reeling with the task OF
trying to find ways and means OF
averting the inevitable. I went over
our position in my mind; shaken
troops, beach defenses literally pull
verized, assault-boat barriers wreck
ed, concrete machine-gun nests re-
duced to powder, the great majority
of SeacoaSt guns as well as fire con-
troll instruments destroyed; IS OF
the 48 beach-defense 75-mm. gun;
knocked out, communications gene
movement of troops all but impos-
sible because of the continued she'll
ing, new and uncontested land
ingS :.
But it was the terror that is
vested in a tank that was the de-
Gliding factor. I thought of the
havoc that even one of these could
wreck if it nosed into the Tunnel
where lay our helpless wounded end
their brave nurses.
I walked up and down in the
Tunnel, heavy with all thes
thoughts. And then my head came
up and I entered my own head
quarters. called Gen. Moore and
Brig Gen. Lewis Beebe. I hao
come to a decision which I have
never regretted.
Can't Hold Out.
1--WE can't hold out very much
longer" I told the two haggared
generals. Maybe we could last
through this day, but the end GER
tainly must come tonight. 1t would
be better to clear up the situation
now, in daylight"
1t was 10:15 am, on the black
day of May 6, 1912.
I then ordered Gen. Beebe to get
out previously prepared surrender
broadcast-prepared in the event
I lost my life and could not be pre-
sent when the broadcast eventually
had to be made-and told him to
insert therein that we would cease