Filipino Australian World War 2 veteran laid to rest

By  Marilie Bomediano
Photos: Marilie Bomediano
Blacktown-NSW Australia
November 7, 2016



SYMBOLLIC American flag with red poppies draped the coffin casket of the departed Filipino-Australian Master Sergeant Emilio Desierto Nacua Sr, a 100 years old war veteran from the US Army HQ 43 Infantry Philippines Division on Thursday Nov 3, 2016 at the Saint Johns XXIII Catholic Church at Stanhope Gardens.

The City of Blacktown RSL Sub-branch lead by Major Tom Baena Jr (Sub branch President,   Lieutenant. John O’brien (Sub branch Secretary) and David Blackman, conducted an solemn RSL funeral service.  They were joined by the US Army’s American Legion Post Commander David Raymond .

“It was a wonderful service for a wonderful man that I have known for over 30 years. He was with a very unique unit , the very highly respected Philippine Scouts, and he was in the Fall of Bataan Battle for three months, US Army’s post commander David Raymond said during the tribute.

“When they surrendered, Emilio Nacua Jr. didn’t . He left with several others and they fought for three years as guerrillas in the Northern Philippines, post commander Raymond added.

Master Seargent Nacua Sr saw service in the province of Cebu, Philippines where he served under Lieutenant Enrique Pio Campos company, which was eventually disbanded upon the arrival of the superior Japanese Imperial Army that occupied Cebu. 

In as much as there was total domination and invasion by the Japanese Imperial Army of the entire Philippines, the Filipinos engaged in guerrilla warfare.  Master Sergeant Nacua, reported to the nearest Filipino American commander in the name of Captain Marcellino N. Navalta.   

On one occasion Master Sergeant  Nacua, lead a group of soldiers’ to conduct harassment and disruption to the Japanese operations by sniper activities design to demoralize the enemy.

During the mass and funeral rites, Post Commander David Raymond, stated that  the war hero’s enlistment in December 13, 1941 as an infantry soldier and military police as a master seargent that was later discharged in February 7, 1946.

Master  Seargeant  Nacua Sr.’s honours and awards namely:

USA 1941-1945 Atlantic Pacific Medal,
USA 1941-1945 Bronze Star,
USA 1941-1945 Freedom Medal and
USA 1941-1945 Philippine Liberty Medal and 1941-1945 Philippine Appreciation Medal

Major Tom Baena,  Royal Australian Corps of Military Police (RACMP) recited The Ode, which was an extract from a poem written as a famous farewell ode Lest we forget:  Binyon's Ode of Remembrance during the mass, alongside Lt. John O’brien of the Royal Australian Regiment (RAR), a regular soldier 6RAR  while David Blackman served in the Royal Australian Armoured Corps (RAAC) in the tank regiment, and a passionate painter paid their respects to the US bannered coffin.

The ode that was recited by Major Tom Baena.

“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

“At the going down of the sun and the morning…we will remember them. 

–Laurence Binyon (1869-1943)

END WAR:  Legislate Peace Campaign : Please click www.peacelaw.org

(In YouTube): LEST WE FORGET: US Flag laid on Filo-Aussie War Hero Emilio  Desierto Nacua Sr (video by: Marilie Bomediano  aka  Maria Eftekharhashtroudi)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoKwNqzIqME  

---

Read more: ² https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bataan

The Battle of Bataan (7 January – 9 April 1942) was a battle that represented the most intense phase of Imperial Japan's invasion of the Philippines during World War II. In January 1942, forces of the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy invaded Luzon along with several islands in the Philippine Archipelago after the bombing of the American naval base at Pearl Harbor. The commander-in-chief of all Filipino and American forces in the islands, General Douglas MacArthur, consolidated all of his Luzon-based units on the Bataan Peninsula to fight against the Japanese invaders.²
By this time, the Japanese controlled nearly all of Southeast Asia. The Bataan peninsula and the island of Corregidor were the only remaining Allied strongholds in the region. Despite a lack of supplies, Filipino (many were U.S. Nationals) and American forces managed to fight the Japanese for three months, engaging them initially in a fighting retreat southward. As the combined Filipino and American forces made a last stand, the delay cost the Japanese valuable time and prevented immediate victory across the Pacific.
The surrender at Bataan, with 140,000 soldiers surrendering in the Philippines altogether,^[1] was the largest in American and Filipino military histories, and was the largest United States surrender since the American Civil War's Battle of Harper's Ferry.^[2] Soon afterwards, Filipino and American (including Filipino-American and Chinese-Filipino) prisoners of war were forced into the Bataan Death March.