Investigating History:
THE BAMBAN WWII MEMORIAL
(バンバン大東亜戦争記念碑)
Aside from the Bamban WWII Museum, we decided to establish the WWII Memorial in 2005 at the base of the former Hill 500 (Bantiti) that became the first battlefield of the Bamban Hills in 1945. Lately, we rehabilitated the war memorial in time for the 80th anniversary of the Liberation and end of WWII; as shown in the photos.
Defense of Hoshino Butai at Hill 500, Bamban
(バンバン丘陵における星野陸軍大隊の戦闘記録)
The Hoshino Battalion (reinforced) defended this hill at the beginning of the Battle of Bamban Hills in late January 1945 against the American forces from the 3rd Bn, 160th Regiment 40th Division U.S. Army.
With the fortified hills and ridges of Bamban Hills spanning a front of 16 kilometers and a depth of 30 kilometers, every single hill-mass to be captured by the 40th Division from the Japanese Kembu Group composite division was already a campaign; the Japanese utilizing tunnel defense and warfare.
Casualties of War
(バンバン山の日本人とアメリカ人の戦死者)
Thousands became casualties on both sides, the Japanese Kembu Shudan suffered more than 30,000 men while the Americans reached about 10,000 dead and wounded. During the campaign, Filipino soldiers and guerrillas were deployed in the area, including the guerrillas and Aetas from Bamban, northwest Pampanga and Tarlac in support of American operations.
Visit our Bamban WWII Memorial, aside from our WWII Museum and travel in time to learn the war of our uncles and grandfathers.
(バンバン ダイトア戦争博物館とバンバン ダイトア戦争平和記念碑を訪れてください)
Copyright Rhonie Dela Cruz
2024 Bamban Historical Society
Bamban WWII Museum
Center for Pacific War Studies
Provincial Government of Tarlac –
Tarlac Provincial Tourism Office
