Kirkus Reviews QR Code
AMERICAN GUERRILLA by Ira Wolfert

AMERICAN GUERRILLA

By

Pub Date: April 20th, 1945
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Here's the second (see St. John, R. Leyte Calling -- P. 23) personal record of guerrilla activities in the conquered Philippines, This follows the earlier book in time -- action -- locale, but differs in giving a running narrative of guerrilla fighting, instead of St. John's more personal Robinson Crusce experiences. Wolfert tells the story of Richardson, one of Bulkeley's PT boat officers, who started for Leyte by s boat, was forced to take to the water and swim 13 miles, and -- on reaching a Jap held island, was hidden by friendly, frightened Filipinos. He enlisted under the first native divisional commander under MacArthur, operated as his Chief of Staff in organizing the guerilla army, their propaganda, intelligence, medical corps, communications; he saw much of Curly, a Spanish-descended Filipino with whom he fell in love; he became the butt of Japanese raids and investigations, was part of the guerrilla offensive, and finally went to another island to establish radio communications prior to MacArthur's ""I Will Return"". Not so young nor so personal an account as St. John's, but more substantial.