Iliff David Richardson Iliff David " Rich " Richardson ( April 9 , 1918 , Denver , Colorado - October 10 , 2001 , Houston Texas ) was simultaneously a US Navy Ensign and a US Army Major whilst fighting with the Philippine resistance during World War II . He recounted his exploits to author Ira Wolfert , who published them in the book " American Guerrilla in the Philippines " in 1945 . A character based on Richardson was played by Tyrone Power in the 1950 film of the same name . Biography . Early life . Richardson was the only surviving child of Methodist Minister Royal Richardson , who died when Iliff was three years old . His mother Velma Weston Richardson taught Latin and music and raised Iliff in a variety of Colorado towns and her father ' s Nebraska ranch . After his death , the Richardsons went to live in Los Angeles . Iliff studied at Compton Junior College , then travelled through Europe , the Near and Middle East , returning to the US after the fall of France in World War II . Wartime career . In 1940 he was commissioned an Ensign in the US Navy and was posted to the USS " Bittern " , a minesweeper in the Philippines . He later transferred to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three , commanded by John D . Bulkeley . Richardson was the executive officer of " PT 34 " . After it was sunk by the Japanese , Richardson served with the US Army , setting off demolition charges in Cebu City . Richardson and a dozen Americans attempted to sail a native outrigger to Australia , but the boat was sunk in a storm . Richardson swam for 24 hours to the island of Mindanao , where he was chased by the Japanese . The men eventually joined the Philippine guerrilla forces . Richardson , a former ham radio operator , set up a radio network to keep the various bands in touch with each other and Allied forces in Australia . For his work , Richardson was made a US Army Intelligence major by General Douglas MacArthur , holding commissions in the army and navy simultaneously . He is the only person to receive consecutive medals in both the Army and the Navy . Memoirs . After the liberation of the Philippines , Richardson transcribed his memoirs to Pulitzer Prize - winning war correspondent and author Ira Wolfert of the North American Newspaper Alliance . Wolfert turned it into a book , " An American Guerrilla in the Philippines " , which became both a Book - of - the - Month Club selection and a condensed book in the March 1945 " Readers Digest " . Darryl F . Zanuck of 20th Century Fox bought the film rights and had Lamar Trotti write a screenplay by August 1945 . The end of the war led Zanuck to shelve all films with a World War II theme . It was eventually made five years after the end of the war . The name of the central character was changed to " Chuck Palmer " and he was given a fictional love - interest for dramatic purposes . Post - war career . Following the war , Richardson married Coma Noel and lived in Houston , Texas , where he worked as a business executive , life insurance salesman and a consultant , as well as acting as technical advisor for several Hollywood films . Richardson also attempted to manufacture and sell a single shot slamfire " Philippine Guerrilla Gun " shotgun through his Richardson Industries in New Haven , Connecticut , that he set up in 1946 . With a wide variety of shotguns brought back from Europe and American manufactured weapons , it did not sell very well . Thomas F . Swearingen noted in his book " World ' s Fighting Shotguns " , " The American market would not tolerate such a primitive firearm , even as a curio . " Many years later , Richardson told a meeting of Eagle Scouts that he learned how to live as a guerrilla through his days in Los Angeles Boy Scout Troop 92 .