A Division At War — Part II
to finish the Japanese off . In an action reminiscent of Washington ’ s army digging trenches towards Cornwallis at Yorktown during the Revolutionary War , an entire battalion of the 128 th IR dug trenches to within a few feet of the caves . Caves were blasted and sealed . 20 This action was typical of the entire campaign : prolonged attacks against single positions . Hill 505 , one hill , took a month to secure . That hill exacted enough of a toll that the 128 th had to be pulled off the line for a rest . The 126 th remained in the fight , the 127 th would soon return . Torrential rains then added more misery to the infantryman ’ s daily life .
The 127 th returned seemingly , according to the Regiment ’ s AAR , ready to fight and with high morale . That was the 18 th of April . By the 21 st , three days later , reality sunk in once again . Many criticized Japanese doctrine because of their defensive mindset ; it is far easier to destroy an enemy in the open . Yet , a returning member of the 127 th noted : “… that whenever we take up position now , the Japanese have a better one . They are emplaced on all the really strategic high hills and mountains . It is impossible to locate their artillery , mortar or machine gun emplacements . They are masters of camouflage .” 21 Psycho-neurotic cases rose , exhaustion was everywhere . To get to Salacsac Pass # 1 , Hill 508 , one half of the Pass ’ anchor , had to be taken . Phase 2 of the campaign began .
The 127 th IR continually attacked Hill 508 and as with other battles accomplished little . Hill 508 was not the only problem . Neighboring Hill 507 also poured fire onto the 127 th . That occurred continuously along the Villa Verde Trail , Japanese fire from neighboring hills harassing American troops while attacking one specific hill . Hill 507 had 65 Japanese caves that were sealed but other Japanese positions continued to harass other American units on that hill and Hill 508 . Nothing ever seemed to be truly secure . Until the end of May the 127 th would seal off the incredible number of 500 caves on these hills . Each cave required an assault team and hard , dangerous work . The 127 th was finished as a combat unit by the end of this fight . 22
Hill 526 , the other anchor of Salacsac Pass # 1 , was the new mission for the returning 128 th IR . It would take until 10 May to finally secure it . Yamashita Ridge became the objective ; its heights dominated the entire area . Several different hills had to be taken first and a crude supply trail , frequently cut by the Japanese , was far from reliable . The 128 th , with help from the 126 th , took the rest of the month to secure Salacsac Pass # 1 . Mercifully , the 32 nd ID was finally pulled off the line on 31 May .
Luzon and the Villa Verde Trail took a frightful toll on an already tired infantry division . 916 killed , 2,500 wounded , and 5,00 non-battle casualties ( just the ones reported , the number is probably far higher ). 23 They accomplished their mission but at what longterm cost ? Psychological and non-battle casualties were not a prominent issue in this era of the U . S . military . It certainly existed ; it just was not acknowledged . The term Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ( PTSD ) at that time didn ’ t even exist . The Division records
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