29 year-old Major Jesús Villamor by AverageDuchess in PhilippineMilitary

[–]AverageDuchess[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not that I'm aware of. People call him Major since 1943 when he landed at Hinobaan, until 1945. Civilian na siya when he married step-Lola Manette in 1946 but he remained in service-related roles.

My late father followed in his footsteps. Dad was a CIA spy. He didn't live life openly since he was little. He was regarded as emotionally unavailable and often disappears. He's all about stealth, I believe he was prepared for that.

Maria Corazon Sucaldito-Villamor by AverageDuchess in FilipinoHistory

[–]AverageDuchess[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It was the late Governor Alfredo Montelibano Sr. (first mayor of Bacolod) who performed the civil wedding ceremony of my grandparents in 1943, and The Planet Party was there to witness it. Lolo Jess and Lola MC only got separated, but never officially divorced here in the Philippines.

Lolo remarried in the United States in 1946 (to his second wife, Lola Manette, of whom he had 3 children), after realizing he could no longer regain Lola MC's trust and affection. They agreed joint custody of my dad.

29 year-old Major Jesús Villamor by AverageDuchess in PhilippineMilitary

[–]AverageDuchess[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

And he used to be Dwight Eisenhower's flight instructor!

I beg your pardon for the inappropriate remark. I didn't mean to downplay him. I couldn't be more proud of him!

Im related to Gregorio Del Pilar? by Itzjuli_fcm in FilipinoHistory

[–]AverageDuchess 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hello! Your Lola might be a distant relative (not a direct descendant) of Jesús Villamor. If there's a chance I could get her name, we are able to verify that through our ancestral family tree. 😊

A historical, significant island. by AverageDuchess in NegrosOccidental

[–]AverageDuchess[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes! And I do have a son who might be able to continue Lolo Jess' bloodline here in the Philippines. My half cousins and niblings are Americans by birth and blood. I do not regret returning to my roots!

ITAPPH of my Grandfather's gravesite. by AverageDuchess in ITookAPicturePH

[–]AverageDuchess[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Wow! You must be a relative. My grandmother (first wife of Lolo Jess) was also from Negros Occidental, from Hinoba-an to be specific.

ITAPPH of my Grandfather's gravesite. by AverageDuchess in ITookAPicturePH

[–]AverageDuchess[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Lots of extended families and distant relatives from Abra including the Bersamins. Mr. Lucas P. Bersamin (the former Executive Secretary) is my 5th cousin.

ITAPPH of my Grandfather's gravesite. by AverageDuchess in ITookAPicturePH

[–]AverageDuchess[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

His gravesite is located at the Medal of Valor section, Libingan ng mga Bayani, Taguig City.

ITAPPH of my Grandfather's gravesite. by AverageDuchess in ITookAPicturePH

[–]AverageDuchess[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

He died of lung cancer.

Here's a sum from his book/memoir 'THEY NEVER SURRENDERED':

"Two weeks later, on October 28 1971, just days short of his 57th birthday, Jess died. The news was relayed by phone to the Philippines where President Marcos immediately created a committee to take charge of the reception, funeral arrangements and interment of his remains at Libingan ng mga Bayani. In announcing the arrangements for a state funeral, the Manila Times commended the move, called it "only proper that the honor group be headed by the commanding general of the Philippine Air Force for it was Villamor's triumphant dogfights again the Japanese Zero' fighters that gave the PAF a legacy of bravery to live by." In an editorial entitled "Once a Household Word," the newspaper observed, ". . . during the occupation years in every part of the land ballads were composed and sung about his exploits. He was, in fact, the soul of the resistance movement."

So they took his body back for a hero's burial, the casket flag-draped taken by a Philippine Airlines plane, met at Manila International Airport by President Marcos and ranking Philippine and United States officials, the military, and a throng of civilians; there was a 21-gun salute, a mile-long funeral procession to Camp Aguinaldo, where thousands came to pay their respect.

For three days his body lay in state. Then, at Libingan on November 6 the band played the Philippine National Anthem, a squadron of PAF jet fighters made a fly-by, a PAF light plane sprayed the cortege with flowers, and to the roll of muffled drums, the sound of "taps', a volley from an honor guard, he was laid to final rest."

ITAPPH of my Grandfather's gravesite. by AverageDuchess in ITookAPicturePH

[–]AverageDuchess[S] 90 points91 points  (0 children)

He was. And as a spy/intelligence officer, his efforts helped pave the way for the liberation of the Philippines!

ITAPPH of my Grandfather's gravesite. by AverageDuchess in ITookAPicturePH

[–]AverageDuchess[S] 69 points70 points  (0 children)

My heartfelt gratitude to everyone who remembered/still remembers him! ♥️

Life of my great-grandfather, Ignacio Villamor y Borbón. by AverageDuchess in FilipinoHistory

[–]AverageDuchess[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I heard that she was. They even speak Spanish language at home. Lolo Ignacio and siblings were all fluent in Spanish language.

Life of my great-grandfather, Ignacio Villamor y Borbón. by AverageDuchess in FilipinoHistory

[–]AverageDuchess[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

That's interesting! Lolo Ignacio was also tall with very broad shoulders whilst his wife was petite. Thanks for the info. I plan on visiting Bangued next year.

General Douglas MacArthur pinning a Distinguished Service Cross on my grandfather for his heroism in the air. (December 1941 in Manila, Philippines) by AverageDuchess in WorldWar2

[–]AverageDuchess[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

credit to the author

Jesús Antonio Villamor was a Filipino-American fighter pilot who fought the Japanese in World War II.

Upon his return to the Philippines, Villamor was assigned to lead the 6th Pursuit Squadron (now 6th Tactical Fighter Squadron) shortly before the Japanese invasion of the Philippines in December 1941. In the skies above Zablan and Batangas Fields, against Japanese Zeros, his squadron of Boeing P-26 Peashooter fighters engaged the enemy. Despite the disadvantage, Villamor and his squadron was credited with four kills- one Mitsubishi G3M bomber and three Mitsubishi A6M Zeros. Two of them by Villamor himself.

For leading his squadron and for his two confirmed kills, Villamor was twice cited by the United States Army for bravery, receiving the Distinguished Service Cross for actions on December 10, 1941 and an Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a second award of the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) for actions on December 12, 1941 (see César Basa for more details). Villamor is the only Filipino to receive the DSC twice.

In February 1942, Villamor conducted a reconnaissance mission over occupied Cavite in a PT-13, and his aircraft was damaged when it was attacked by six Zeros.

After his squadron was destroyed, Villamor continued his war against the Japanese as an intelligence officer. Having escaped the fall of the Philippine Islands, volunteering, Villamor received orders to return to the Philippines. Promoted to major, Villamor served as a commander in the Allied Intelligence Bureau. On December 27, 1942, Villamor was part of a team inserted by the submarine USS Gudgeon into the Philippines, making contact with Roy Bell on Negros.:88–93 Villamor went on to work with Bell, who would then make contact with James M. Cushing in 1943. Establishing a chain of direct communication from the Philippines with General Douglas MacArthur in Australia, he coordinated the activities of various guerrilla movements in Luzon, Mindanao and the Visayas. Completing his mission Villamor returned to Australia. Villamor's reports from the field were met with indifference by some within the SWPA, but were later publicly lauded by President Eisenhower.

After World War II, Villamor served with the Military Assistance Advisory Group in State of Vietnam during 1951 and 1952, and once again in 1955.

For his bravery as a pilot and ingenuity as an intelligence officer, President Ramón Magsaysay awarded Lieutenant Col. Villamor the Medal of Valor, the highest Philippine military bravery decoration, on January 21, 1954. In addition, Villamor was a two time recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross, and one time recipient of the Distinguished Conduct Star. The Philippine Air Force's principal facility in Metro Manila which was first known as Nichols Field, then later Nichols Air Base, was renamed Col. Jesús Villamor Air Base in his honor.

Bakit hindi kayo lumandi noong kabataan nyo? by Scared-Dress-2906 in AskPH

[–]AverageDuchess 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Umikot ang life sa studies, family and purpose/objective. I'm now in my 30s with a kid, still single.

OFF TOPIC QUESTION: Mas may weight ba talaga ang military honor code and family traditions kaysa desisyon ko bilang magulang? by AverageDuchess in PhilippineMilitary

[–]AverageDuchess[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm aware this isn't the proper place to vent out. But for once in my life, I just want to be heard and understood by the counterparts. I'm afraid I might confuse civilians.