ORAL HISTORY IN THE LIFE OF
ANDRES LUMICAO VELASCO
MAY 15, 1910 - 20__
THIS IS AN ORAL HISTORY FROM UNCLE ANDY'S LETTER
TO ME DATED MAY 28, 2002. UNCLE ANDY
IS ONE OF THE OLDEST GADDANG RELATIVES I'VE KNOWN SINCE I WAS A LITTLE BOY IN
SEATTLE IN THE EARLY 1930's. IN 1929
AT THE AGE OF 19 YEARS , UNCLE ANDY HIS FIRST COUSIN, 21 YEAR OLD UNCLE JOVITO
ARRIVED IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON ABOARD A DOLLAR STEAMSHIP LINES OCEAN
LINER. THEY WERE REUNITED WITH MY FATHER
PEDRO IN SEATTLE. IN 1930 MY MOTHER
MARIA SOCORRO AND HER TWO COUSINS, TIQUING, AND SOFING LUMICAO DEPARTED MANILA
IN 1930 AND SAILED ACROSS THE PACIFIC OCEAN, DESTINATION SEATTLE.
MY FATHER DEPARTED HIS HOME TOWN OF SOLANO. FROM MANILA HE SAILED ABOARD THE
AMERICAN PRESIDENT LINER PRESIDENT JACKSON IN 1926 WITH OTHER
RELATIVES AND TOWNMATES. AS CHILDREN,
JACK, RUDY, BETTY, CONSUELO, AND I
NEVER SAW PHOTOS OR HEARD ABOUT OUR GRANDPARENTS OR GREAT
GRANDPARENTS WHO LIVED THEIR LIVES AND
DIED IN SOLANO, NUEVA VIZCAYA. WE
NEVER QUESTIONED OUR PARENTS, NOT UNTIL WE BECAME ADULTS. I DON'T KNOW WHY. MY MOTHER WAS THREE YEARS OLD WHEN HER FATHER LEON LUMICAO WAS
KILLED BY HEADHUNTERS AND HIS HEAD WAS TAKEN.
SHE TOLD US THAT SHE DIDN'T KNOW THE FACE OF HER FATHER. TRADGEDY STRUCK AGAIN AT THE AGE OF 11
YEARS OLD. MY MOM WAS ORPHANED WHEN HER
MOTHER DALMACIA AND OLDER SISTER HONORATA DIED DURING THE PHILIPPINE INFLUENZA
EPIDEMIC OF 1917. MOM TOLD ME THAT
BETTY'S FACE LOOKED LIKE HER MOTHER.
THE UNCLES (Andy Velasco, Andrew Liban, Jovito Liban, Tony Cabanag,
Frank Binaley), WERE THE CLOSEST RELATIVES
WE HAD LIVING IN THE LIBAN HOUSEHOLDS IN SAN FRANCISCO WHEN WE WERE
GROWING UP. UNCLE ANDY WAS MY FATHER'S
FIRST COUSIN, AND MY MOTHER'S SECOND COUSIN.
MY FATHER AND MOTHER WERE SECOND COUSINS THROUGH THE DUMELOD FAMILY
TREE.
-oOo-
DEAR
HAROLD,
TWO OR THREE DAYS AGO I RECEIVED YOUR
AUTOBIOGRAPHY AND EXPERIENCES. I
ENJOYED READING IT, MOST ESPECIALLY YOUR LIFE EXPERIENCES AND TRAVEL. HOW YOU MET CORITA, YOUR COURTING HER, AND
SO WITH MARRIAGE. INTERESTING STORY
AND FULL OF FUN.
YOUR EXPERIENCES ABOUT YOUR JOB AS A
SHIPFITTER, AND SEVERAL OTHERS. YOUR
TRAINING IN THE ARMY NATIONAL GUARD WITH JACKIE AND RUDY, ALSO WITH ABUNDANCE
OF TRAVEL, BOTH IN THE UNITED STATES AND THE PHILIPPINES.
YES, I ALSO REMEMBER OUR LIFE AT THE
BUCHANAN STREET APARTMENT(called a flat then) IN 1936, AND YEARS AFTER
THAT WERE YEARS OF DEPRESSION AND HARDSHIPS.
YOU AND YOUR BROTHERS, AND BETTY WERE YOUNG THEN. DO YOU REMEMBER THOSE YEARS? YOUR DAD WAS UNEMPLOYED AND OUR LIVES WAS
STRUCK WITH HARDSHIP.
I RECALLED THE TIME WHEN YOUR DAD
AND I USE TO GO TO AGCAOILI'S (Sabino Agcaoili had a music store selling
books and instruments on Fillmore near Geary Street in San Francisco. He was an accomplished musician, and
violinist and widely known in the music circles all over the country and in the
S.F. Filipino Community. My father was
a violinist and A repairer of violins.
I began learning how to play the violin at an early age. I often accompanied my father to Agcaoili's music store whenever
he needed parts to repair his violins. I have a violin still in good condition
that my father repaired in 1929. When
you look through the "F" hole in the body of the violin the label
reflects this notation. The violin is a
family heirloom now. In the store,
Sabino and and my father would duet on some Filipino songs as I listened) AND
PRACTICED PLAYING OUR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.
WE PLAYED AT THE CONCOURSE AUDITORIUM (Golden Gate Park) AND
DURING THE (1939) WORLD'S FAIR AT TREASURE ISLAND. ALSO YOU KIDS, THE PINAROC'S KIDS (Gaudencio
Jr, Esther, Betty, Audrey, Elinor) AND I WERE MEMBERS OF THE FILIPINO
METHODIST CHURCH UNDER PASTOR OBIEN, A FILIPINO ADOPTED BY AN AMERICAN COUPLE.
BEFORE WORLD WAR II, I WORKED AT
MARE ISLAND NAVY YARD IN VALLEJO. TWO
DAYS AFTER JAPAN ATTACKED PEARL HARBOR ON DECEMBER 7, 1941 (and Japan's
invasion of the Philippines on December 8).
I DIDN'T RETURN TO WORK AT THE NAVY YARD. MY REASON WAS TO VOLUNTEER IN THE ARMY, MARINES, NAVY, AND SO
ON. UNFORTUNATELY I WAS NOT ACCEPTED
AND I MY HEIGHT WAS TOO SHORT TO BECOME ENLISTED.
FOUR MONTHS LATER ON APRIL 9, 1942 I
FINALLY VOLUNTEERED AND ENLISTED IN THE ARMY.
YOUR UNCLE ANDREW, MY BROTHER IN-LAW, YOUR DAD, MOM, AND YOU KIDS NEVER
HAD THE IDEA THAT I ENLISTED IN THE ARMY AND GOING TO CAMP CALLAN, SAN DIEGO
FOR TRAINING. MY ENLISTMENT IN THE
ARMY WAS A SECRET, AND THAT WAS MEAN OF ME.
I WAS SORRY FOR NOT TELLING THEM I ENLISTED IN THE ARMY. I KNOW I MADE THEM WORRY ABOUT WHERE I WAS
AT. MONTHS LATER I CAME BACK TO SAN
FRANCISCO FOR A FIVE DAY PASS. I WAS
WEARING MY ARMY UNIFORM AND WHEN THEY SAW ME, THEY WERE PLEASED AFTERWARDS.
WHEN THE JAPANESE FORCES INVADED
ATTU (the Aleutian Island chain in Alaska) OUR UNIT WAS DISBANDED
INTO GROUPS. SOME UNITS WENT TO ALASKA, SEATTLE, WHILE OTHER UNITS WERE
SCATTERED ALONG THE WEST COAST. I WAS
ASSIGNED TO A RADAR ANTI-AIRCRAFT AND SEARCHLIGHT SECTION, SEVEN MILES NORTH OF
LOS ANGELES. THE SECTION SERGEANT WAS
ITALIAN AND SO WERE THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE UNIT. I WAS THE ONLY FILIPINO IN THE GROUP. MY ASSIGNMENT WAS GUARD DUTY FROM 12PM-7AM IN THE DAYTIME. I MANNED THE RADAR FOR ABOUT A WEEK. ONE DAY I WROTE AN APPLICATION OF TRANSFER
TO BATTALION HEADQUARTERS. TWO DAYS
AFTER, TWO SECOND LIEUTENANTS IN A JEEP DROVE ME TO SAN PEDRO FOR CLEARANCE
APPROVAL, THEN I WAS DRIVEN TO THE LOS ANGELES RAILROAD STATION BOUND FOR
SALINAS, CALIFORNIA WHERE THE FILIPINO BATTALION WAS TRAINING UNDER U.S. ARMY
OFFICERS AS TRAINERS. THE CAMP WAS DUSTY. THERE WAS NO WATER, NO DINNING FACILITY.
THE BARRACKS WERE DUSTY TOO. I WAS
DISCOURAGED AND I FELT LIKE GOING BACK TO MY FORMER UNIT, BUT MY COUSIN,
DOMINGO LUMICAO LOGAN TOLD ME TO STAY.
THERE WERE MORE FILIPINOS ARRIVING
FROM ALL OVER AMERICA TO JOIN OUR OUTFIT, SO COLONEL OFFLEY, "FATHER"
OF OUR REGIMENT (THAT'S WHAT WE CALLED HIM) MOVED OUR UNIT TO CAMP SAN LUIS
OBISPO (near San Luis Obispo, California)
WHERE THE 1ST FILIPINO INFANTRY REGIMENT WAS FORMED. STILL THERE WERE MORE FILIPINOS COMING TO JOIN OUR UNIT. THE 2ND FILIPINO REGIMENT WAS BEING ORGANIZED, HOWEVER, THERE WERE NOT ENOUGH
OFFICERS TO HANDLE THE INFLUX OF FILIPINOS INTO CAMP, SO COLONEL OFFLEY HAD TO
ASSIGN OFFICERS FROM A WHITE OUTFIT TO ACT AS TEMPORARY OFFICERS. (In the
1980's I met a caucasian man by the name of Major Jim Cherry, US Army
Retired when we were members of the
Kitsap County Chorus of the Olympics. A
Barbershop Chapter in Bremerton, Washington.
Jim would always jest and tell members of the chorus about me being the
only Filipino he knows that doesn't speak TA-GAL-LOG. At times I couldn't understand his
"Pidgin Tagalog", but Jim spoke more fluent Tagalog than me
and I'm a Filipino!! Major Jim Cherry
was one of the trainers in a unit of the Regiment. He spoke very highly and with respect about the Filipino soldiers
under his command. He was one of the
officers that led the Filipino Infantry Regiment to battle during the
Liberation of the Philippines in 1944.)
SOME FILIPINOS WERE SENT TO FORT BENNING, GEORGIA FOR TRAINING. THEY CAME BACK AS 2ND LIEUTENANTS 2 TO 3 MONTHS LATER. THE 2ND FILIPINO REGIMENT WAS FORMED AND I
WAS ONE OF THE NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS WITH CAPTAIN TRUDE TO HELP FORM THE
2ND FILIPINO INFANTRY REGIMENT. FORT
ORD WAS NOT BIG ENOUGH TO HOLD THE TWO REGIMENTS, SO THE 1ST FILIPINO INFANTRY
REGIMENT WAS MOVED TO CAMP BEAL CALIFORNIA, AND THE 2ND FILIPINO INFANTRY
REGIMENT WAS MOVED TO CAMP COOKE (Near Lompoc, California.)
(The 1st and 2nd Filipino
Infantry Regiment's Military Insignia is a yellow circle background with a
black volcano emitting a black cloud with three yellow stars. The yellow background represents the sun.
The black volcano represents Mount Mayon Volcano. The cloud represents the
unity of the Philippine Islands. The
three yellow stars represents the three main island groups in the Philippines:
Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao. The
Filipinos soldiers came from all the
Philippine Island groups represented by the three yellow stars.)
(The other WW II uncles I knew that
were either in the 1st, or 2nd Filipino
Infantry Regiments were: Frank Binaley, Pete Dumon, Alex Bunanig, Jovito Liban,
Pete Lumicao, John Maragay, Arturo Cabanag, Perfecto Cabanag, Domingo Calata,
Vincente Gatan, Innocencio Gatan, Simeon Busa, Pete Busa, Miguel Carub, Domingo
Logan, Mike Lauagan. Other uncles that
served during the war were: Basilio
Danguilan, in the Army Air Corp. He
retired from the U.S Air Force. Angel
Soriano, a Philippine Scout. He retired
from the U.S. Army. Andy Cadelinia, in
the U.S. Navy. Other highlights about
our uncles: Of all our uncles,
Innoencio "Sencio" Gatan, was the only one Killed in action. My mother, being his next of kin, recieved
his Purple Heart Medal. Uncle Andy
Velasco was a Paratrooper in the 11th Airborne Infantry Division that landed
landed near Tagaytay, Luzon. Uncles
Jovito Liban and Arturo Cabanag landed
with General Douglas MacArthur in the invasion of Leyte during the Philippine
Liberation. Uncle John Maragay fought
in the jungles of New Guniea. Domingo Calata and Vicente Gatan were
Musicians in the Regimental Band.
Uncles Frank Binaley, Pete Lumicao, Pete Dumon, and Simeon Busa were
honorably discharged for being too old for military duty.)
IN JUNE 1944, THE 1ST AND 2ND FLIPINO
INFANTRY REGIMENTS HAD A PARADE IN LOS ANGELES TO RECEIVE OUR BOLOS DONATED BY
ACTORS AND ACTRESSES FROM HOLLYWOOD. A
FEW DAYS LATER THE 1ST AND 2ND SAILED TO ORO BAY IN A DUTCH TROOPSHIP, S.S.
NOORDHAM.
U. S. TROOPS, AUSTRALIAN AND NEW
ZEALAND TROOPS STILL BATTLING THE JAPS FROM BUNA, SANTA FE TRAIL TO
HOLLANDIA. THE 2ND FILIPINO BATTALION
(SEPARATE) TRAINED AS "CIC", "PICAVO", FINGER READING,
DETECTIVE WORK, AND GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION WORK.
DURING THE LIBERATION, GOVERNMENT
OFFICIALS WERE NON-EXISTANT, SO SOME OF OUR NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS ACTED AS
GOVERNORS, AND MAYORS, ESPECIALLY IN THE PROVINCES.
WHEN THE UNITED STATES DROPPED THE
ATOMIC BOMB ON NAGASAKI AND HIROSHIMA
AND JAPAN SURRENDERED, MY OUTFIT THE 11TH AIRBORNE DIVISION FOR WHICH I WAS
ATTACHED AS "CIC" WERE THE FIRST TO LAND AND OCCUPY JAPAN.
AFTER JAPAN SIGNED THE UNCONDITIONAL
SURRENDER, I ASKED FOR A 5 DAY PASS TO VISIT SOLANO. OUR BATTALION WAS AT CAMP COMMUNING IN QUEZON CITY THEN. WHEN I ARRIVED IN SOLANO, THE FIRST ONE TO
RECOGNIZE ME WAS YOUR AUNTIE VICENTA, THE OLDEST SISTER OF YOUR DAD, WHO WAS
WASHING CLOTHES BY A WATER PUMP. I
TOLD YOUR AUNTIE NOT TO ANNOUNCE MY
VISIT---FOR I WANTED TO SURPRISE MY MOM, SISTERS, AND NIECES. I WENT UP THE BAMBOO STAIRS AND INTO THE
HOUSE, MY FOLKS WERE STUNNED. THEY
THOUGHT I WAS ONE OF THE BAD GUERRILLA SOLDIERS TO ABUSE THEM. I TOLD THEM WHO I WAS, THEN ONE AFTER
ANOTHER THEY CAME TO EMBRACE ME AND FULL OF JOY AFTERWARDS. (This was the first time in 16 years
uncle Andy saw his family since he departed Solano in 1929.) I STAYED IN SOLANO FOR A DAY OR SO, AND
THEN RETURNED TO QUEZON CITY AND REJOIN MY OUTFIT.
SINCE JAPAN SURRENDERED I ASKED TO
BE DISCHARGED IN THE UNITED STATES. I
REFUSED TO RE-ENLIST IN THE REGULAR ARMY WITH MY PROMOTION TO STAFF
SERGEANT. AFTER MY DISCHARGE AT CAMP
BEAL ON JANUARY 3, 1946, MY AMBITION WAS TO TAKE HOTEL MANAGEMENT AT SAN
FRANCISCO CITY COLLEGE. THE CLASS WAS
FULL. I WENT TO HEALDS COLLEGE AND ENROLLED IN A SECRETARIAL
COURSE. IN 1947 I RECEIVED MY
DIPLOMA. IN JULY I RETURNED TO SOLANO WHERE GIN (Virginia Piggangay Bulan)
AND I GOT MARRIED. SHE WAS WORKING AT
THE NUEVA VIZCAYA HOSPITAL AS A REGISTERED NURSE AND A DIETICIAN.
IN 1950 I CONTINUED MY EDUCATION AT
ST. MARY'S COLLEGE. FINISHED MY TWO
YEARS ELEMENTARY CERTIFICATE. IN 1953
I GRADUATED A BATCHELOR OF SCIENCE IN
EDUCATION. I TAUGHT SHORTHAND AND
TYPING FOR A YEAR AND A HALF, THEN I RESIGNED AS AN EDUCATOR AND RETURNED TO
SAN FRANCISCO IN NOVEMBER 1955. (The additions to the family were the births
of Andres Jr on January 3, 1948, Peter
on April 29, 1950, Genaro I on October 13, 1951, and Generoso on September 9,
1954. All were born in Solano, Nueva
Vizcaya. Genaro II was born on March 5,
1960 in San Francisco, California).
I RENTED AN APARTMENT FOR MY FAMILY AT 3030
HARRISON STREET FOR 24 YEARS UNDER THE MANAGEMENT OF THE SAN FRANCISCO HOUSING
AUTHORITY. THIS APARTMENT WAS WHERE
YOUR COUSINS GREW UP, EDUCATED, AND ALL SERVED IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY. ANDRES SR. (THAT IS ME), A VETERAN OF WW
II, ANDRES JR, A VETERAN OF VIETNAM, PETER, GENEROSO, AND GENARO II SAW SERVICE
IN THE UNITED STATES AND GERMANY.
IN THE YEAR 2002, YOUR AUNTIE GIN AND
I MOVED TO VALLEJO WITH GENEROSO (GENO).
IN 1987 AFTER VACATIONING IN THE PHILIPPINES, I GOT SICK WITH DIFFERENT
KINDS OF AILMENTS. TEN TIMES I WAS
HOSPITALIZED AT THE (Veterans Administration Medical Center) VAMC AT
FORT MILEY IN SAN FRANCISCO. IN 1998
YOUR AUNTIE GIN WAS STRICKEN WITH DIMENTIA, AND OSTEOPOROSIS. FOR FIVE YEARS SHE SUFFERED WITH OTHER BODY
AILMENTS. ON APRIL 10, 2002 SHE DIED
IN PEACE AT THE SOLANO SUTTER HOSPITAL AND WAS BURIED AT THE GOLDEN GATE NATIONAL CEMETARY IN SAN BRUNO, OCCUPIED BY
GENARO I. NEXT TO THEIR GRAVE WILL BE
MY GRAVE AFTER I DIE.
A LONG LETTER FOR YOU TO READ AND
TIME CONSUMING FOR YOU. BE PATIENT,
AND TAKE YOUR TIME.
LOVE
IN CHRIST,
UNCLE
ANDY
-oOo-
I'VE LIVED APART FROM MY BROTHERS
JACK, AND RUDY AND SISTERS BETTY AND CONI WHERE THEY RESIDED IN DALY CITY,
CALIFORNIA SINCE 1973. I HAVE OFTEN
VISITED MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS EVERY YEAR SINCE THAT TIME. I HAD NOT KNOWN THE WHEREABOUTS OF UNCLE
ANDY AND HIS WIFE, AUNTIE GIN FOR A LONG TIME. THE LAST TIME I VISITED THEM WAS WHEN THEY HAD AN APARTMENT IN
DOWNTOWN SAN FRANCISCO. WITHIN THE
PAST TEN YEARS I HEARD FROM JACK THAT
UNCLE ANDY WAS RESIDING WITH ONE OF HIS SONS IN VALLEJO. I DIDN'T KNOW WHICH ONE OF THEIR FOUR SONS,
AS I HAD NOT HAD ANY COMMUNICATION WITH THEM.
THE LAST TIME I REMEMBER SEEING THEM TOGETHER WAS WHEN THE FAMILY
RESIDED IN THE APARTMENTS ON HARRISON STREET NEAR ARMY STREET IN THE 1960's. THE MOST RECENT WAS WHEN GENARO II VISITED
ME IN BREMERTON IN THE MID 1980's. THE
PASSING OF AUNTIE VIRGINIA BULAN VELASCO ON APRIL 2002. IT IS STRANGE HOW A FUNERAL CAN BRING
FAMILIES AND RELATIVES CLOSER TOGETHER FOR A SHORT OR LONG TIME. IN MY CASE AUNTIE GIN'S PASSING BROUGHT ME
CLOSER WITH UNCLE ANDY BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T SEEN EACH OTHER FOR MANY YEARS. UNCLE ANDY'S AGE OF 92, ONE OF MY TWO OLDEST RELATIVES THAT ARE STILL
ALIVE. THE OTHER IS AUNTIE TIQUING
GAYAGOY LUMICAO ELIZARDE WHO IS ALSO 92 YEARS OLD. I BEGAN MAILING UNCLE ANDY SOME OF THE STORIES I'VE WRITTEN
ABOUT MY AUTOBIOGRAPHY. NOW HIS SON
GENO AND I ARE ON A QUEST OF PUTTING THE GADDANG GENEALOGIES I'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR THE PAST 28
YEARS ON THE INTERNET ON THE WEBSITE HE CREATED. http://home.pacbell.net/geno2426
I WAS QUITE
SURPRISED THAT UNCLE ANDY'S PENMANSHIP LOOKED LIKE THAT OF MY MOTHER. WHEN UNCLE ANDY, GENO AND HIS FAMILY, UNCLE
ANDY'S CARE GIVER, A VISAYAN LADY CAME
TO VISIT AT JACKIE'S HOME IN FAIRFIELD, CA IN JUNE 2002. IT WAS A VERY JOYFUL OCCASION FOR JACK,
NITA AND I TO SEE UNCLE ANDY ONCE AGAIN AFTER SO MANY YEARS. ALSO TO SEE
GENO WHO IS 48 YEARS OLD NOW. PERHAPS
THE LAST TIME I SAW GENO WAS WHEN HE WAS A LITTLE BOY IN THE EARLY 1960'S, AND
NOW 40 YEARS LATER WE MET AGAIN. I
HAVENT SEEN HIS OTHER BROTHERS PETER, ANRES JR, GENARO II THIS TIME AROUND.
HAROLD LUMICAO LIBAN
JULY 30, 2002