General Douglas MacArthur wades ashore on Luzon in 1944
Despite their encounters with the ECLGA, one must keep in mind the the goal of the Huks was to eradicate the Japanese and bring back the Americans. They assumed that their promised independence would soon follow. Accordingly they met the Marines at the beach and stayed with them all the way inland. Using their connections across the countryside, the Huks helped find and eradicate any Japanese resistance.
But while the Huks were alongside the Americans, the corrupt Constabulary had defected from the Japanese into the arms of the ECLGA. This force, longtime enemy of the people and friend to the rich and powerful, symbolized all that the guerrillas were fighting against. Now they were with the Americans. When questioned, one farmer had this to say about the bizarre turn of events:
"Why did the USAFFE accept the PC? The PC had fought for the Japanese. And why did they continue to oppose us when we were against the Japanese? They encouraged the PC, now their companions, to fight us as the war ended so they could take credit for what we had done to resist the Japanese."
Guerrillas aid the Americans
Little did the Huks know, but plans were in place to establish the old pre-war order they had fought so hard against. U.S. commanders had been ordered to "utilize those guerrillas which can be profitably employed" and subsequently to "disarm them as their areas come within our sphere of control." Some Huks had entertained hopes of being inducted into the Army, maybe even recognized for their courage. Instead, when they arrived to turn in the weapons many of their leaders were arrested by U.S. CounterIntelligence for crimes of "kidnapping, murder, subversion and communism" and held for years. Those found still armed were fair game for the P.C., 109 Huks were disarmed and shot in cold blood just outside of their own village.
Having destroyed any resistance potential, the landlords were restored on the plain. In the government, those officials who had a month earlier been with the Japanese were retained in power. The people were back to where they had started just before the war, farming was tough and interest rates were 200%. It was at this point in 1946 when the movement became actually communist. The U.S. had knowingly turned on their allies in order to continue a half century's worth of dominance and exploitation.
This exhibit was researched and designed by [Andrew David Freeman].
This exhibit and museum were created during an introductory seminar on the Asia-Pacific War, taught at Wake Forest University during the spring semester 2002.
The material and opinions are those of their respective authors and do not represent the views of the University or the Department of History.