Description
Object description
American aircraft mechanic served with United States Army Air Force in New Guinea and Philippines, 1943-1944; served as historical writer with United States Army in Philippines and Japan, 1944-1946; civilian member of Communist Party of the Philippines in Philippines, 1946-1950; insurgent with Hukbalahap Movement in Philippines, 1950-1952; political prisoner in Philippines, 1952-1962
Content description
REEL 1 Background in United States, 1916-1941: family; education; reasons for joining Young Communist League of Communist Party of United States of America, 1938. Aspects of period as aircraft mechanic with United States Air Force in New Guinea and Philippines, 1943-1944: prior recollection of treatment of Communists in United States Army, 1942; work as 'casual' in New Guinea; loss of his personal records during Japanese attack. Aspects of period as historical writer with United States Army in Philippines, 1944-1945: background to obtaining work as historical writer; sources of information; attitude of American troops towards war and Japanese; question of refusal to take Japanese prisoners; comparison between United States Army and Imperial Japanese Army; prior contacts with civilians in New Guinea.
REEL 2 Continues: first contact with Filipino civilians; attitude of Filipinos to Americans; sufferings of Filipinos under Japanese occupation; behaviour of United States Army personnel in Philippines; his contact with left wing Filipinos; apprehension of American troops towards Hukbalahap Movement; American crack down on Hukbalahap Movement; geographical areas of strength of Hukbalahap Movement; strength and attitudes of anti-Communist Filipino forces during Second World War; question of collaboration with Japanese; attitude of Muslims towards Japanese.
REEL 3 Continues: decision to return to Philippines after war. Aspects of period as historical writer with United States Army in Japan, 1945-1946: reaction to atomic bombs being dropped on Japan, 8/1945; obedience of people to surrender order; devastation of Tokyo; sight of released Japanese Communists, 1945. Recollections of period as civilian member of Communist Party of the Philppines in Philippines, 1946-1950: his return to Philippines, 1946; political situation at Independence, 1946; tactics employed by Communist Party of the Philppines; launching of anti-Hukbalahap Movement campaign in central Luzon, 1946; his arrival back in Philippines, 1/1947; contact with Communist Party of the Philppines leadership.
REEL 4 Continues: lack of suspicion of him as possible American agent; Hukbalahap methods of mobilising support; absence of landlords; his marriage to Filipino, 1948; problems obtaining a living; his educational propaganda work for Communist Party of the Philppines; reasons for upsurge in armed struggle in Philippines, 1949. Aspects of period as insurgent with Hukbalahap Movement in Philippines, 1950-1952: his assignment to guerrilla work, 1950; American support for anti-insurgent operations; reasons why he was assigned to guerrilla movement.
REEL 5 Continues: attitude of indigenous peoples towards insurgents; question of harsh behaviour of insurgents; living conditions in jungle; access to food; threat of air power; dangers from defectors; reasons for failure of armed struggle; lack of outside aid for insurgents; question of diversity of civilian population. Aspects of period as political prisoner in the Philippines, 1952-1962: his capture and trial, 4/1952; his imprisonment in National Prison; take over of prison by prison gangs during riot; transfer of political prisoners away from National Prison; release, 1962.
REEL 6 Continues: Aspects of period as insurgent with Hukbalahap Movement in Philippines, 1950-1952: punishment within movement for internal misdeameanours; degree of danger from informers; his estimate of Maoist guerrilla movement in Philippines, 1988; his estimate of Muslim guerrilla movement in Philippines; question of his treatment as an American by Filipinos.