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Filipino Civilians Cried When American Soldiers Risked Their Lives To Rescue Them From Hell | Letters Never Sent | YouTubeToText
YouTube Transcript: Filipino Civilians Cried When American Soldiers Risked Their Lives To Rescue Them From Hell
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Core Theme
The Battle of Manila in 1945 was a brutal urban conflict where American forces, despite facing intense Japanese resistance and tactical complications, prioritized the rescue and protection of Filipino civilians, demonstrating a profound commitment to human dignity amidst the chaos of war.
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February 9th, 1945 1435 hours Paco district Manila Philippines
Staff sergeant Thomas Murphy of the 1st Cavalry Division
pressed himself against a shell pocked wall as machine gun fire tore through the air
three feet above his head brick fragments showered down from the impacts
behind him his squad waited for the firing to stop
and beyond them trapped in a burning apartment building
were the screams not soldiers screaming civilians women and children
who'd been sheltering in that building for days maybe weeks
while the battle of Manila consumed the city around them now
the building was on fire from Japanese incendiary rounds
and the people inside were dying Sarge we can't get to them
Corporal James Rodriguez shouted over the gunfire that Nambu has the whole street covered
Murphy looked at the burning building at the windows where desperate faces appeared
and disappeared through the smoke at the machine gun position
that commanded the approaches the tactical decision was obvious
bypass the building continue the advance let the fire take whoever was inside
you couldn't save everyone this was war but
Murphy was looking at children's faces in those windows
and the tactical decision became impossible to make
Wilson Henderson get that bazooka up here Murphy ordered Rodriguez you're on smoke grenades
we're taking out that Nambu and then we're getting those people out
three minutes later the machine gun position was a smoking crater
smoke grenades obscured the street and Murphy was running through fire
toward a burning building while eight American
soldiers followed him into hell because there were civilians who needed saving
more than they needed to survive the next 10 minutes tactically
they kicked down the apartment building's door and found 47 Filipino civilians
huddled in a ground floor room filling with smoke mothers clutching babies
elderly who could barely walk children who'd stopped crying
because they'd used up all their tears days ago the civilians stared at the American soldiers
with expressions that mixed terror with desperate hope
not sure whether these armed men were liberators or just different killers
we're Americans Murphy shouted though he had no idea if
any of them spoke English we're getting you out follow us now
they didn't need translation within seconds American soldiers
were carrying children supporting elderly
guiding families through the smoke filled hallway while the building groaned and
cracked from the fire consuming its upper floors
they made three trips soldiers running into a burning building
again and again because there
were more people who needed carrying more children who couldn't walk fast enough
more elderly who'd collapse without support on the final trip out
as Murphy was helping an old woman who could barely breathe through the smoke
part of the ceiling collapsed behind them the woman looked at Murphy
this American soldier who'd just risked his life to save hers
and began crying so hard she couldn't walk Murphy picked her up carried her outside
and set her down gently on the sidewalk where medics were already treating the evacuees
the woman grabbed Murphy's hand with surprising strength and
spoke rapidly in Tagalog words he couldn't understand
but whose meaning was unmistakable she was thanking him for her life
for her family's lives for remembering that they were human beings
worth saving even though saving them meant running into burning buildings
under fire the city became hell Manila in early February 1945
had transformed from the Pearl of the Orient into an urban battlefield
where Japanese forces had decided to make their final stand
despite General Yamashita's orders to abandon the city
Rear Admiral Sanji Iwabuchi commanding approximately
16,000 Japanese naval troops chose to defend Manila to the death
turning the city into fortress where every building became a defensive position
and every street a killing ground the decision to fight in Manila
guaranteed civilian catastrophe the city held approximately 700,000 civilians
who had nowhere to evacuate as battle lines formed around them
Japanese forces commandeered buildings for defensive positions
often with civilians still inside American forces advancing to liberate the city
had to fight through urban terrain where every assault risked civilian casualties
where artillery and air support would inevitably kill innocents
alongside enemy soldiers the scale of urban warfare that developed
exceeded anything American forces had experienced in the Pacific
the fighting in Manila from February 3rd to March 3rd, 1945
involved house to house combat through a modern city
where approximately 100,000 Filipino civilians would die
more civilian deaths than American forces would suffer
in combat casualties during the entire Philippine campaign
approximately 16,000 civilians were killed deliberately
by Japanese forces through massacres and atrocities
another 84,000 died from artillery fire collapsing buildings starvation
disease and the general
catastrophe of having a major city become a battlefield by battle's end
80% of Manila's buildings were damaged or destroyed
leaving hundreds of thousands homeless even after liberation
the Americans advancing into Manila in early February
understood they were fighting not just to defeat Japanese forces
but to save whatever civilian population could survive the battle the dual mission
destroy enemy forces while minimizing civilian casualties
and rescuing trapped populations created tactical complications
that slowed American advance and increased American casualties
but reflected values that insisted civilians were worth protecting
even at military cost the advance through fire American forces pushing into Manila
district by district encountered tactical nightmare
where Japanese defenses were deliberately positioned
to maximize civilian casualties Japanese forces fortified hospitals
schools churches and residential buildings ensuring that American forces
couldn't assault positions without risking civilians
booby traps were placed in areas where civilians might seek shelter
artillery was directed at refugee columns attempting to escape combat zones
the American response was to advance more slowly
and carefully than tactical efficiency would dictate
accepting increased risk to American forces in exchange for reduced civilian casualties
Infantry assaulted fortified buildings using small arms and grenades
rather than calling in artillery that would collapse structures
with civilians inside armor supported infantry advances
but held fire when civilians were visible the systematic prioritization of civilian safety
over tactical speed meant the battle of Manila took nearly a month
when aggressive use of firepower might have ended it in days
private First Class Eugene Henderson advancing through Ermita District
with the 37th Infantry Division described the tactical complications
every building could have Japanese soldiers civilians or both
we'd approach a position expecting to fight find civilians inside have to secure them
while still under fire from other positions sometimes Japanese would fire from buildings
with civilians in them forcing us to assault with extreme caution
we took casualties because we couldn't just blow up every building
that might have enemies we had to clear them carefully
because there might be families hiding inside the systematic care taken to
avoid civilian casualties stood in stark contrast to Japanese conduct
Japanese forces throughout the
battle used civilians as human Shields positioned defensive positions deliberately
to maximize civilian exposure to American fire and conducted
massacres of civilians in occupied districts the contrast
between American efforts to minimize civilian deaths
and Japanese willingness to maximize them couldn't have been starker
the rescue operations begin as American forces secured districts
they immediately encountered thousands of civilians
who'd been trapped without food water or medical care for days or weeks
the civilians were in desperate condition starving
dehydrated wounded from shelling and building collapses
traumatized by weeks of terror the immediate humanitarian
crisis demanded response that military units weren't structured to provide
but that American personnel improvised immediately
combat soldiers became rescue workers carrying civilians from danger zones
to relative safety behind American lines
medics treated civilian casualties alongside military wounded
often prioritizing civilians whose injuries were more severe
field kitchens fed civilian populations using rations intended for troops
the humanitarian operations happened without formal orders
or established procedures individual soldiers and
units made decisions to help because the need was overwhelming
and the alternative was letting civilians die the physical condition of rescued civilians
shocked American personnel who'd fought across the Pacific
but hadn't seen civilian populations subjected to prolonged urban warfare
many civilians showed signs of severe malnutrition
from weeks without adequate food dehydration was universal
water supplies had been cut off or contaminated wounds from shrapnel
building collapses and burns were common and often infected from lack of medical care
children were particularly affected showing the hollow eyed appearance of prolonged
starvation and trauma Corporal James Rodriguez
who participated in rescuing civilians from Paco District documented the conditions
they were living in cellars and ruins surviving on whatever they could find
some hadn't eaten in three or four days children were so weak they couldn't walk
elderly were dying from dehydration and neglect when we brought them out and
gave them water and food many just broke down crying
some couldn't believe we were helping them they'd been abandoned so long
they'd stopped expecting rescue the hospital massacres
the liberation of Manila's hospitals revealed the full extent of Japanese atrocities
against civilian populations Japanese forces occupying hospitals
had systematically murdered patients staff and civilians seeking shelter
the massacres at Red Cross headquarters
Philippine General Hospital and other medical facilities
documented deliberate targeting of helpless civilians
that violated every standard of warfare at Philippine General Hospital
which American forces liberated on February 10th they found evidence of mass killings
approximately 400 500 patients doctors nurses
and civilians who'd sought shelter there had been murdered by Japanese forces
before American arrival the hospital buildings
showed signs of deliberate arson bodies were found with bayonet wounds
evidence of execution style killings and signs of atrocities
that went beyond military necessity into pure massacre
the discoveries hardened American resolve to rescue remaining civilian populations
before Japanese forces could murder them the hospital massacres demonstrated
that Japanese forces weren't simply fighting a defensive battle
they were conducting systematic atrocities against helpless civilians
the urgency of rescue operations increased as American forces realized
that time was measured not just in military terms
but in how many civilians could be saved before Japanese forces killed them
captain Robert Morrison whose company helped secure
Philippine General Hospital described the scene
we'd seen combat casualties throughout the war but this wasn't combat this was murder
patients in hospital beds who'd been bayoneted nurses who'd been killed
while trying to protect their patients civilians who'd thought a hospital would be safe
and were slaughtered there the systematic cruelty was shocking
even to men who'd fought for two years in the Pacific
it made us even more determined to reach civilians
before Japanese forces could murder them the Intramuros siege
the battle for Intramuros Manila's historic walled city
represented the most intense period of civilian rescue operations
under fire Japanese forces had fortified Intramuros's thick
Spanish colonial walls and historic buildings turning the district into fortress
approximately 4,000 civilians were trapped inside with the defending forces
unable to escape through the walls that had been built centuries earlier
to protect the city but now served as prison American forces faced impossible tactical choice
assault Intramuros aggressively and risk massive civilian casualties
or approach cautiously and extend the battle while trapped civilians died from starvation
shelling and Japanese atrocities the decision was to use massive firepower
to breach walls and suppress Japanese defenses then send infantry to fight through the interior
while trying to locate and rescue civilians the assault on Intramuros beginning February 17th
was the most intense urban combat of the Manila battle
artillery pounded the walls for days creating breaches for infantry assault
the bombardment was necessary to reduce Japanese defenses
but inevitably killed civilians trapped inside American forces then fought building to building
through Intramuros's narrow streets searching for civilians while
engaging Japanese forces determined to fight to the death
the civilian toll in Intramuros was catastrophic of approximately 4,000 civilians trapped inside
when the assault began perhaps 3,000 died during the nine day battle
from artillery building collapses Japanese massacres and
the general chaos of combat the survivors rescued by American forces
were traumatized starving and wounded many had watched family members die
all had experienced horrors that exceeded human capacity to process
private Eugene Henderson participated in clearing Intramuros and rescuing survivors
we'd clear a building find Japanese soldiers dead or fighting
and then hear crying from a cellar or hidden room we'd find families who'd been hiding for days
while battle raged above them some thought we were Japanese coming to kill them
and would try to hide others rushed out desperate for rescue every building we cleared
might have people needing saving so we had to search carefully
even when doing so exposed us to fire from positions we hadn't cleared yet
the medical crisis the medical challenges
of treating tens of thousands of civilian casualties
exceeded anything American medical personnel had encountered
the casualties weren't primarily combat wounds they were starvation dehydration
disease crush injuries from building collapses burns from fires and trauma
related conditions that required different treatment
than battlefield injuries the medical conditions were extensive
and life threatening by mid February 1945 American medical personnel
treating rescued civilians found that approximately 40 to 50%
showed signs of severe malnutrition not just hunger but dangerous weight loss
that required careful refeeding protocols dehydration was nearly universal
among civilians who'd been without clean water for days or weeks
with approximately 60 to 70% requiring intravenous fluids
dysentery and other waterborne diseases affected an estimated 30 to
40% of rescued civilians due to contaminated water sources
and unsanitary conditions during the siege
respiratory infections were epidemic affecting perhaps 50% of the civilian population
from smoke inhalation dust from collapsed buildings
and crowded sheltering conditions burns from fires were
common with approximately 15 20% of rescued civilians showing burn injuries
ranging from minor to life threatening wounds from shrapnel building collapses
and other trauma affected an estimated 25 to 30% many with infections from delayed treatment
American medical personnel established field hospitals
that treated civilians alongside military casualties
often prioritizing civilian cases when they were more severe
the medical care provided to Filipino civilians used the same resources
techniques and standards applied to American wounded
blood plasma antibiotics surgical interventions
all were made available to civilians despite resource constraints
captain Sarah Chen an army nurse working in a field hospital
treating both military and civilian casualties documented the medical challenges
we'd treat combat wounds on American soldiers then turn to treating malnourished children
then back to military casualties the civilian cases were often more heartbreaking
because they'd suffered for so long before we could reach them
children dying from starvation elderly
dying from treatable wounds that had become infected
women who'd been traumatized beyond what we could address
with the resources available we saved many but we lost many too
people who would have survived if we'd reached them days or weeks earlier
the liberations cost by early March 1945
when organized Japanese resistance in Manila ended
the city lay in ruins and approximately 100,000
Filipino civilians were dead but American
and Filipino forces had rescued tens of thousands who would have died without intervention
providing food water medical care
and Protection that meant survival instead of death
the rescue operations came at significant cost American forces suffered
approximately 1010 killed and 5,565 wounded during the month long battle
casualties increased by tactical decisions to prioritize civilian safety
over aggressive use of firepower the resources dedicated
to humanitarian operations reduced supplies available for combat operations
the time taken to rescue civilians extended the battle
beyond what might have been necessary with unrestricted warfare
but American forces maintained humanitarian operations
throughout the battle because saving civilians was considered inherent
to their mission rather than optional the decision reflected values that insisted
human life had worth regardless of nationality that defeating enemies
didn't mean abandoning civilians to die that victory measured not just in military terms
but in lives saved the gratitude that couldn't be contained
for Filipino civilians who'd been rescued from burning buildings
pulled from collapsed structures evacuated under fire
and provided with food and medical care by American soldiers
the gratitude was overwhelming and immediate they'd experienced three years
of Japanese occupation brutality followed by the
horror of Manila's battle the discovery
that American forces were willing to risk their lives
to save Filipino civilians created emotional responses
that transcended normal expressions of thanks the gratitude manifested in countless ways
civilians who could barely walk would bow deeply to American soldiers
mothers would press their children's hands into American soldiers'hands in gestures of
trust and thanks elderly who'd lost
everything would offer small gifts religious medals photographs
whatever they'd managed to preserve to soldiers who'd saved them
the gifts weren't valuable materially but represented everything the givers had left
some expressions of gratitude went beyond words or gestures
Filipino civilians who'd been rescued volunteered to help American forces
however they could carrying supplies
guiding troops through ruined districts they knew caring for wounded
assisting with humanitarian operations the volunteer work wasn't requested or required
but emerged spontaneously from populations
determined to contribute something in return for having their lives saved
Maria Santos rescued with her three children from a burning building in Paco district
described her feelings the Americans ran into fire to save us
they didn't know us we were strangers in a foreign city
but they risked their lives because we were human beings who needed help
how do you thank someone for your life for your children's lives
words aren't enough I helped in their field hospital
for months after liberation caring for wounded soldiers and civilians
because I needed to give something back for what they'd given us the rebuilding begins
even before Manila's battle ended completely American forces began rebuilding
efforts that would transition from emergency humanitarian relief to longer term reconstruction
the work was complicated by ongoing combat in some districts limited resources
and the overwhelming scale of destruction the immediate priorities were
water and sanitation engineers worked to restore
water systems that would prevent disease spread
sanitation facilities were established in camps and neighborhoods
to reduce dysentery and other waterborne illnesses
the work was unglamorous but critical for preventing post battle epidemics
that could kill thousands who'd survived combat
food distribution was systematized beyond emergency feeding operations
American forces established distribution centers throughout Manila
that provided rations to registered civilians the system ensured everyone
received adequate food while preventing chaos and black market diversion
by mid March American forces were feeding approximately
400,000 civilians daily in Manila through organized distribution networks
medical care transitioned from emergency trauma treatment
to addressing ongoing health needs field hospitals continued operating
but with focus shifting to treating disease malnutrition
and chronic conditions rather than combat wounds public health campaigns addressed epidemic
diseases nutrition
programs targeted vulnerable populations and maternal and infant health services
were established the closing reality
the story of Filipino Civilians crying when American soldiers
risked their lives to rescue them from hell documented more than
successful military liberation it demonstrated that even in total war's chaos
systematic commitment to protecting civilian life remained possible for forces that
valued human dignity above tactical efficiency
the American soldiers who ran into burning buildings
to carry out civilians who advanced more slowly
to minimize civilian casualties who shared their rations with starving families
who treated wounded Filipinos with the same medical care
they'd give their own all made choices that reflected values about human worth
that transcended nationality and military necessity
for Filipino civilians who experienced the horror of Manila's battle
and the mercy of American rescue operations the contrast between Japanese conduct
and American conduct couldn't have been starker Japanese forces had used them as human Shields
murdered them in hospitals and left them to die in ruins
American forces had rescued them under fire fed them from military rations
treated their wounded and rebuilt systems that allowed survival
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