Location
Lat 15° 28' 60N Long 120° 58' 0E  Cabanatuan in Tagalog means "Sack of Happiness" in reference to the fertile rice fields and plentiful harvests.

Cabanatuan was occupied by the Japanese on December 29, 1941. Located four miles from the Cabanatuan POW Camp outside town.

American Missions Against Cabanatuan
January 8, 1945 - April 27, 1945

Maniquis Airfield
Prewar airfield.

Cabanatuan POW Camp
Located 4 miles to the SW of Cabanatuan town. Built built as a contentment site for the 91st Division, Philippine Army, USAFFE. was mobilized on November 14, 1941. After the Japanese occupation, it was converted to a POW camp by the Japanese in 1942. This camp held thousands of American POWs who had survived the Bataan Death March and temporary internment at Camp O'Donnel.  The POWs included officers and enlisted men from the US Army, US Navy, USMC and some civilians, including one British and one Norwegian citizen.

Liberation
A secret raid by 121 hand picked US Army 6th Ranger Battalion "Alamo Scouts" commanded by Henry Mucci, and guerrillas commanded by Juan Pajota and Eduardo Joson attacked the camp and liberated the POWs. The forces assembled at Dagupan the proceeded to Calasio and Gimbu, before marching by foot to Cabanatuan, to begin the raid on the night of the January 30, 1945. Their efforts successfully liberated 513 POWs.

Cabanatuan Camp Remains
The only physical remains of the original camp are six concrete foundation blocks from its water tower. These remain today as reminders to the camp that once stood at this location. All the buried remains were disinterred after the war and buried in the Manila American War Cemetery or sent to the United States following family wishes.

Cabanatuan Memorial
An impressive memorial was dedicated in 1982 with funds raised by the Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor Foundation.  This large wall has inscribed the names all those who died in Cabanatuan during the war, including foreign nationals.

US Army Ranger Memorial
Outside the main camp memorial, is another memorial dedicated in 2003, to the US Army troops who successfully liberated the camp on the night of January 30, 1945.

Cabu Bridge (Cabu River)
Pronouned 'Ca-boo'. During the January 28, 1945 US Army ranger raid on Cabanatuan POW camp, Filipino guerrillas commanded by Juan Pajota and Eduardo Joson held the Cabu bridge and prevented Japanese reinforcements from crossing the river. Today, the modern bridge over the Gabu River was built in 1950, at the same location as the wartime span.

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Last Updated
October 1, 2009