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'{{Infobox military person | name = Ray C. Hunt | image = | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1919|12|11}} | death_date = {{Death date |1996|6|17}} | placeofburial_label = | placeofburial = Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery | birth_place = St.Louis, Missouri | death_place = | placeofburial_coordinates = <!-- {{coord|LAT|LONG|display=inline,title}} --> | nickname = | allegiance = United States | branch = [[United States Army Air Forces]] | serviceyears = | rank = Staff Sergeant | servicenumber = | commands = [[21st Pursuit Squadron]] | battles = World War II<br/>{{*}} [[Battle of Bataan]]<br>{{*}}[[Battle of Luzon]] | awards = Distinguished Service Cross<br>Bronze Star | relations = }} '''Ray C. Hunt''' (born December 11, 1919- June 17, 1996<ref>{{cite web|title=Raymond C Hunt, JR|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/81318672/raymond-c-hunt|accessdate=16 December 2017}}</ref>) was a [[Staff Sergeant#United States|staff sergeant]] in the [[United States Army Air Corps]] stationed at [[Nichols Field]] in the [[Philippines]] at the beginning of [[Military history of the Philippines during World War II|World War II]], under the command of [[Ed Dyess]]. After the surrender at [[Bataan]], where he fought as an [[infantry]]man, he was forced to take the [[Bataan Death March]] with many other American and Filipinos.<ref name=Hunt>Hunt, Ray C., and Norling, Bernard, 1986, ''Behind Japanese Lines: An American Guerrilla in the Philippines'', The University Press of Kentucky, {{ISBN|0-8131-1604-X}}</ref>{{rp|xii}} During the March, he escaped and fled into the hills. He eventually became a noted [[guerrilla]] leader on [[Luzon]], where he served for three years behind Japanese lines. Hunt was promoted to captain by guerrilla leaders during that time. ==Philippines== Joining the [[21st Pursuit Squadron]] at [[Hamilton Field, California|Hamilton Field]], San Francisco, Dyess led the squadron to Nichols Field, [[Manila]], Philippines, in November 1941.<ref name=Dyess>Dyess, W.E., 1944, The Dyess Story, New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons</ref>{{rp|23}} The war began for Hunt midday on 8 Dec. 1941, when the Japanese strafed Nichols Field.<ref name=Hunt/>{{rp|1}} Finally retreating to Bataan, his unit fought in the [[Battle of Bataan]], before surrendering and starting the [[Bataan Death March]] after the surrender on 9 April 1942.<ref name=Hunt/>{{rp|28}} Hunt states, "I don't remember how many of those days I actually spent marching down the road accompanied by Japanese guards: seven or eight most likely, possibly ten", before he escaped on 21 April.<ref name=Hunt/>{{rp|28}} Starved from his normal weight of 150-160 pounds down to 100, and suffering from [[malaria]], [[beriberi]] and [[jaundice]], Hunt spent the next five months recovering in the '''Fassoth Camps'''.<ref name=Hunt/>{{rp|33,40}} These camps in the [[Zambales Mountains]], were organized by the rice and sugar planter American William Fassoth, with his [[Filipina]] wife Catalina, and son Vernon, along with the Spanish-[[mestizo]] sugar planters Vincente and Arturo Bernia.<ref name=Hunt/>{{rp|37,40}} Hunt escaped capture when the Japanese raided the camp on 26 Sept. 1942.<ref name=Hunt/>{{rp|44}} Over a hundred Americans spent some time in the Fassoth Camps, before William surrendered in spring of 1943, spending the remainder of the war in the [[Cabanatuan]] Prison Camp.<ref name=Hunt/>{{rp|229,42}} Following his second escape, Hunt was cared for by the Franco Filipino family in Tibuc-Tibuc, western [[Pampanga]], before he headed north with an [[Igorot]], Jose Balekow, his future bodyguard.<ref name=Hunt/>{{rp|49,57}} Hunt recruited a small guerrilla force at San Jose, near [[Tarlac City]], and then linked up with [[Robert Lapham]]'s forces, becoming Capt. Albert C. Hendrickson's executive officer.<ref name=Hunt/>{{rp|65,85}} Both had a bounties, $50,000 for Al, and $10,000 for Ray.<ref name=Hunt/>{{rp|90}} Thorp's former girlfriend, Herminia (Minang) Dizon, then became Ray's after Thorp's capture.<ref name=Hunt/>{{rp|98}} In the spring of 1944, Gregorio S. Agaton became Ray's bodyguard, just before Ray took command of [[Pangasinan]] that summer.<ref name=Hunt/>{{rp|117,129}} He named Tom Chengay captain of his northern district, Antonio Garcia in the west, Emilio Hernandez in the central, Antonio Hernandez in the east, Severino M. Obana as second in command, Jimmy Galura as supply officer, and Juan Utleg as chief of intelligence.<ref name=Hunt/>{{rp|167}} Hunt received a radio for communicating with Australia in July 1944, and regular supplies from submarines.<ref name=Hunt/>{{rp|161,171}} On 4 January 1945, Hunt received orders to implement Operations Plan 12, which called for five days of attacks in preparation for the [[Battle of Luzon|Luzon invasion]], including an attack on the San Quentin Japanese garrison.<ref name=Hunt/>{{rp|183–187}} Just during the five days before the American landings on Luzon, the guerrilla battalion under Hunt's command was credited with killing over 3,000 [[Imperial Japanese Army|Japanese soldiers]] in numerous ambushes and raids.<ref name=Hunt/>{{rp|198,216}} On 10 January, he made contact with General [[Walter Krueger]], and on 22 January, received orders to proceed to 25th Division headquarters in Manoag, to meet Lapham for the first time.<ref name=Hunt/>{{rp|188,191–192}} ==Afterwards== Hunt continued to serve with the regular U.S. Army after its return to the Philippines, assisting the U.S. Army's [[32nd Infantry Division (United States)|32nd Division]], in fighting the Japanese, while also coordinating guerrilla activities, along the '''Battle of Villa Verde Trail'''.<ref name=Hunt/>{{rp|205}} Personally awarded the [[Distinguished Service Cross (United States)|U.S. Distinguished Service Cross]] by General [[Douglas MacArthur]] on 13 June 1945,<ref name=Hunt/>{{rp|photo section}} Hunt also received the [[Bronze Star]] for staying with his troops when he could have returned to the US.<ref name=Hunt/>{{rp|221}} The Army then made official his rank of [[Captain (army)|captain]], retroactive to 11 December 1943.<ref name=Hunt/>{{rp|photo section}} He left the Philippines on 20 June 1945 to return to the United States.<ref name=Hunt/>{{rp|212}} At that time he was only 25 years old. He became a USAF fighter pilot, retiring as a lieutenant colonel.<ref name=Hunt/>{{rp|back dust jacket}} ==See also== *[[List of American guerrillas in the Philippines]] *[[Samuel Grashio]] ==References== {{reflist}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Hunt, Ray C.}} [[Category:1919 births]] [[Category:1996 deaths]] [[Category:United States Army soldiers]] [[Category:American guerrillas]] [[Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States)]] [[Category:Bataan Death March prisoners]]'