World War II Honoree

Manuel Gomez

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Manila, Philippine Islands

Honored By

Commodore Ramon A. Alcaraz (Ret.)

Relationship

Comrade

AS EXECUTIVE OFFICER, Q-112 ONE OF THE THREE BRITISH-MADE MOTOR TORPEDO BOATS OF 1ST Q-BOAT SQUADRON, PHILIPPINE ARMY INDUCTED INTO THE U.S. ARMY FORCES IN THE FAR EAST UNDER GENERAL MACARTHUR. HE SAW GALLANT ACTION IN THE EPIC DEFENSE OF BATAAN DURING EARLY WWII. Q-112 TRANSPORTED GENERAL MACARTHUR AND STAFF FROM CORREGIDOR TO BATAAN TO INSPECT THE FRONT LINES THE WHOLE DAY OF JANUARY 10, 1942 AND TOOK THEM BACK TO CORREGIDOR LATE THAT DAY. ON JANUARY 17, 1942, DURING AN AIR SEA BATTLE BETWEEN Q-112 AND Q-111 VERSUS NINE JAPANESE PLANES OFF EAST BATAAN, Q-112 WAS CREDITED WITH SHOOTING DOWN THREE JAPANESE ZEROS THAT EARNED A SILVER STAR FOR GOMEZ FOR GALLANTRY. WHEN BATAAN SURRENDERED APRIL 9, 1942, HE BECAME A POW, CONCENTRATED AT CAPAS POW CAMP, BUT RELEASED AS A SICK POW FIVE MONTHS LATER. AFTER HE RECOVERED FROM ILLNESS, HE JOINED THE GUERILLAS AND FOUGHT THE JAPANESE UNTIL 1945 WHEN THE PHILIPPINES WAS LIBERATED.