Chapter 1
Luzon December 8th, 1941
For the men of the 26th, war was the farthest from their minds. They were engaged in a Polo match against the Manila Polo Club. It was a much-anticipated match between the two. The 26th were mere soldiers, while the polo players had an international competitive status. The polo men arrived with their families in sleek sedans at the 26th’s home base, Fort Stotsenburg, in central Luzon. The game was set: four troopers against four polo players. The men cheered from the stands. Upon the umpire’s whistle, The match went as well as expected. The cavalry fell early and gave a spirited chase towards the end, but ultimately, they lost the game. Once everyone had left the field, two players from the Army stayed behind to tend to their horses.
“Hell of a game,” said Walter. Captain Walter Gifford, a Montanan dressed in his best uniform for the game. His brown collared jacket was ironed, and his officer’s hat covered his head full of Tuscany red hair. Paired with soft sapphire eyes and a fair complexion, he looked like one of those recruit boys down Main Street asking men to enlist. Regardless of his boyish features, he was a soldier. His horse, Thunder, let out a soft snort of irritation.
He leaned his head forward, brushing her golden mne
“Easy girl, you did good,” he whispered. Thunder was a young mare with a Mustang heritage, fresh out of Oklahoma, just like him. Unlike most fellow officers, he deeply loved and respected horses. That, of course, got him the unofficial name of “Horse Whisperer” back in training. He jokes about it with the others, but it’s true; he knows my horses. Walter grew up on a ranch in Montana specializing in horses bred for the military or sports. Most of the horses in the Kentucky Derby came from his family’s farm. Walter took pride in caring for all the mares and thoroughbreds who entered their doors.
“Hell of a game he says. More like a one-sided game, if you mean,” groaned Aexl. Aexl Berrocal was another trooper playing for the 26th. Unlike his friend, Aexl dressed in his vaquero attire, a family heirloom that had been passed down through the generations. It included a high-crowned, broad-brimmed sombrero, bolero jacket, and sashes. His leather leggings were wrapped to the knee, and troweled spurs were attached to his boots. Many viewed Aexl as a hothead, but to Walter, he was his best friend. He came from Arizona and was of mixed Mexican heritage. In addition, he was quite the lady’s man. His skin was a peach color, and his accent, while not thick, was present. When he entered the academy, he had shoulder-length hair, but it was shaved off. While Walter did not care about his background, the same could not be said for instructors, cadets, and the locals. He was almost expelled from the academy occasionally due to his temper. Thankfully, he was reassigned to Walters unit. At first, the interactions were few in between, but things changed at the firing range.
Out of the entire class, Aexl was the best and fastest shot. He could fire from horseback accurately and precisely, earning him the nickname “Quick Shot.” Soon, no one wanted to mess with Aexl, and the pair soon became friends after Walter saved Aexl from a beating from other cadets.
“Come on, did you think we would beat them? They do this for a living,” stated Walter.
“So do we,” spat Aexl.
“No, my friend. We protect a nation. That is our job,” Walter corrected. Aexl shook his head in defeat.
“I know better than to argue with you. Come on, let’s go meet the others for the party.”
Later that day, the Polo team invited the 26th for a night of fun and drinks. At the party, Commander Wainwright and the others complimented the officers on their excellent play against stiff competitors. While the rest of the 26th got drunk stupidly, Aexl and Walter were at the far end of the bar, joined by their dates.
“So, how was the match today, Walter?” asked Jolene, a Red Cross nurse on base. Of Quaker descent, Jolene was the first in her family to join the service, much to her parents’ dismay. Many on base said she resembled the actress Elizabeth Taylor because of her violet eyes, white skin, and raven hair. She was also a spitfire with words and a good drinking buddy when she was not working.
“It was good,” said Walter.
“Good? We got our ass handed to us,” chirped Aexl.
“It could not have been that bad?” inquired Jolene.
“No, it was bad Jolene. I should know I say the whole thing,” said Mable. Mable was the camp’s secretary and a fine one at that. She knew everything and everyone. It was both cute and terrifying, much like her features. Her fiery red hair and piercing brown eyes gave the allure of innocence, but she was like a jungle cat ready to pounce. A true calico
“Weren’t you supposed to be at work?” asked Jolene.
“I was. I was recording vital information,” she smiled, sipping her drink.
“She was the scorekeeper,” mused Walter. As the men continued drinking, Walter noticed Colonel Pierce enter the room. Pierce was the commander in charge of the 26th, and judging from his grim expression, something seemed off about him. The festivities ended abruptly when Colonel Pierce turned off the music.
“What the hell, Colonel?” cried the men. Many were drunk and confused by this, but before they could ask further, Pierce brought up a radio and turned a few dials to get the right signal. After a few tries, he intercepted a call from the capital, Washington. The message was static and messy, but four words were clear to the 26th: Pearl Harbor was attacked. The room was filled with gasps and the sound of broken glass shattering the floor. Pierce spoke to his men.
“I received word from Hawaii. The Empire of Japan conducted the attack on Pearl Harbor. Boys, I don’t need to tell you what this means. You all know what comes next,” he said to them. As he left, the men, still half drunk, rushed to grab their gear and horses. Walter, Aexl, and the two women were still in disbelief. Jolene took another sip of his gin.
“Pearl was bombed?” she said to herself. She threw the rest of the gin away and pulled out a cigarette to calm her nerves. She paced back and forth.
“Jolene had a lot of friends there. I still can’t believe it. Why would they do this?”
“To take us out of the fight, plain and simple. After all, the US Navy is stationed primarily in Pearl. You take out Pearl, and you take out the US,” stated Aexl.
“That also means we were the last bastion of American forces in the Pacific. You know what that means,” said Walter.
“An invasion,” whispered Mable.
By the next day, all hell had broken loose. Unbeknownst to the American forces on Luzon, Japan pursued a rigid, systematic approach to its conquest of the Philippines. Initially, they targeted the air resources and established a landing field for close air support. Then, they followed with an all-out air, sea, and land blitz to take the islands on a set schedule. Without too much trouble, Japan crushed America’s makeshift defense for several weeks in a vain attempt to hold them back. By late December, the only remaining force that could stop them was the 26th Infantry Division. Initially, they had the advantage. Luzon’s terrain was not conducive to mechanized warfare: thick steaming jungles, steep mountains, and roads that were principally dirt with little to no gravel. Seven hundred men with horses, swords, rifles, and a few homemade bombs were the land’s only hope, and Walter and Aexl were in the thick of it all. Walter, atop Thunder, slashed and ran the Japanese down on horseback while Aexl, mounting Peroza, gunned them down with pinpoint precision like a cowboy from the Old West. They were unbeatable
For almost a month, they and the rest of the 26th hurled themselves and their mounts against machine guns and tanks, supported only by personnel carriers with thin armor and light machine guns; Pierce’s men slowed Japan’s onrushing divisions. Mounted on horses or riding in, they continually and aggressively counter-attacked the Japanese tanks. They sacrificed their lives to protect the Filipino and American troops as they fell back to the other islands. It was only a matter of time.
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Battan January 16, 1942
“How was reconnaissance?” asked Walter.
“What do you think?” replied Aexl. Aexl took a slump into his makeshift bed made of bamboo and straw. It was uncomfortable, but it was better than sleeping in the mud. After nearly a month of fighting, the 26th retreated to Battan to a small base. Many of the men were tired and running low on rations, not only for them but also for their horses. Command even ordered the men to shoot their horses to feed the Army north. Many protested while some went through with it, except for Aexl and Walter. While his friend took a nap, Walter was busy sharpening his sword. As he shared the tip, he thought back to a time back home when he would imagine himself a knight in the court of King Arthur and how he missed his childhood innocence. With a final polish, he put on his sword and turned his attention to his guns. He did an ammo count for his pistol and machine gun. Ammunition was scarce; thus, Pierce ordered his men to check their ammunition routinely. They had to conserve as much as they could.
“Only three clips for my Colt 1911 and two magazines for the Thompson. Not a lot to go on,” he said to himself. As he put his guns away, he turned and saw Colonel Pierce outside his tent.
“Sir,” he said aloud. He kicked Aexl to wake him up from his slumber.
“The hell, man,” yawed Aexl. The sleepy soldier turned his head and saw Pierce outside. He quickly scrambled out of bed and stood to attention. Pierce chuckled.
“At ease, men,” he said to them. May I come in?” Walter nodded his head yes. Making his way inside, Colonel Peirce informed his two officers of their latest assignment.
“Gentlemen, I had just received word from from General Wainright. We are being sent to Morong,” said Pierce.
“The small village with the church, sir,” asked Aexl. Pierce nodded yes. Morong was a small village with a few huts on a slice of land between the Batalan River and the swamp.
“Command wants us to set up a defensive perimeter and hold off General Homma’s 14th Army. They could flank the American and Filipino forces fronting the South China Sea. We leave in five. Grab your gear,” he ordered them. Leaving the tent, Aexl and Walter grabbed their gear and joined the rest of the riders, all twenty-seven of them. The trip to Morong was quick and easy, only a half-day ride. However, as they near the outline of the village, a bullet whizzed past Walter and then another.
“Incoming!” shouted Pierce. Within minutes, a unit of Japanese soldiers fired upon the cavalryman. Some of the officers dismounted and fired back at the Japanese. Walter and Aexl were the only ones still on horseback. They returned fire as well, firing their pistols and submachine guns.
“Aexl. Walter. Take a squad of riders and charge at those bastards!” ordered Pierce. Walter unsheathed his sword and called over five men to form a line. As the riders from a line in front of the others, He looked at his friend one last time. They knew this battle would be a suicide mission, but they did not care. They would make their final stand here. With a smile, he pointed his sword at the enemy and yelled at the top of his lungs.
“Charge!”
