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 U.S. Army June 6, 1945  Philippine Star 2020 |
Location Lat 10° 48' 1N Long 122° 58' 35E Silay is located at an elevation of 36' / 10m above sea level in Negros Occidental Province on the northwest coast of Negros Island in the Western Visayas (Region VI) in the Visayas (Visayas Islands) in the central Philippines. To the south roughly 10km away is Bocolod (Bacolod City). Toay also known as Silay City. To the south is Talisay. Wartime History Occupied by the Japanese. Prior to American liberation, the Japanese destroy part of the city and withdrew to the northeast, leaving the city relativity undefeated aside from small delaying groups. Starting in the middle of December 1944 targeted by American bombers and fighters until early February 1945. On March 30, 1945 liberated by the U.S. Army. American missions against Silay December 17, 1944–February 7, 1945 Casa A. Gamboa 5 Rizal Street Silay. Built in 1938 in the American colonial style as a chalet owned by Aguinaldo Severino Gamboa a sugar haciendero. During the Japanese occupation of Negros, used as the personal residence of a Japanese Army officer. On June 6, 1945 while touring Negros, General Douglas MacArthur stayed at the house and was photographed walking down the entrance staircase with Major General Rapp Brush, C.O. 40th Division. Silay Airfield (Bacolod-Silay International Airport) Wartime airfield used by Japanese bombers and fighters, today known as Bocolod Airport (new airport). References The Philippine Star "Casa A. Gamboa: The Negros ancestral house with a culinary pedigree" June 13, 2020 Our Jungle Road To Tokyo by Robert Eichelburger "The Boise sailed that night, and during the next two days we visited Cebu, Negros, and Panay. On two of the islands the fighting was virtually at an end... The next morning we were at Negros. Rapp Brush carried our party of staff officers and correspondents from Bacolod to the mountains east of Silay in captured Japanese motorcars. We made the last lap of the journey by jeep and spent a half-hour at an operations post on an eminence from which we had a view of most of the mile-high battlefield. Fighting was still going on against prepared positions. Because of infiltration, all American and Filipino units there encircled themselves nightly with a complete necklace of barbed wire. It paid off at Negros because the Japanese were inquisitive and brave and committed to murderous enterprise. They were quite willing to accept a cut throat to cut an American throat. The wire made this kind of equalization more difficult. General MacArthur praised Brush's 40th Division troops and decorated three sergeants of the 503rd Parachute Regiment for gallantry." Dear Miss Em: General Eichelberger's War in the Pacific, 1942-1945 "June 7, 1945 That big cruiser [USS Boise (CL-47)] lay way off Iloilo because it was afraid of the water around Bacolod. Then we went hell bent by PT boat to Bacolod 40 miles... [Major General Rapp Brush] Rapp met us at the little pier... We three rode in the Packard and I never had a smoother trip — only about 2 miles by jeep. We went up to 3000 feet to an observation post where the Big Chief could see what had gone on. When Filipinos recognized the Big Chief [MacArthur] they went wild. The Chief enjoyed seeing where the fighting took place and he complimented Rapp very highly. Rapp is crushed with the knowledge that he will come back under Palsy on 1 July." Contribute
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