The Life and Times of My Father, Ponce Cazem
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Ponce Cazem in Hollywood, 1939 (Photo courtesy of Mark Cazem)
Looking Out My Back Door
Life in San Jacinto, Pangasinan, Philippines has always been demanding, with most people struggling for a living. The roads were unpaved and dusty most of the year and the hot and humid weather create the illusion of waves. Agriculture was the main economic activity of the region and [there were] lots of hope for better days.
Under such conditions, my Dad traveled to California on a ship and landed in San Francisco before making his way to Los Angeles. Fortunately, he found province mate-friends and stayed in their residence. Based on a referral, he applied for a “dream position” as a houseboy.
Stardust
Dad was hired by the actor Cesar Romero, tall, suave, and known as “the Latin from Manhattan.” He was a prominent actor in films and television in the early 1930s. The initial job description was as a houseboy (personal assistant), which later included chauffeur. The residence was a beautiful estate in Beverly Hills, California. Can you imagine landing a prized position, in the beginning stages of the Great Depression? Living in luxurious surroundings, driving deluxe vehicles, and meeting entertainment celebrities? However, Mr. Romero’s personality was quite different from his film characters; he was a difficult person to work for, very demanding, too temperamental, and a complete ass. As a result, Dad resigned his position and was hired by actress Olivia de Havilland who also lived in Beverly Hills. The relationship was much better as she was a kind and generous individual. A beloved and outstanding actress, de Havilland won two Best Actress Oscars during her career.
Another opportunity came, working for the actor John Payne at a much higher salary. Mr. Payne, owned two homes, one in Hermosa Beach and the other at Redondo Beach. Mr. Payne was a wonderful human being who treated Dad with dignity, as more of a friend and confidante on personal matters.
Cesar Romero, Olivia de Havilland, and John Payne (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
The actor was a virile, handsome leading man, who starred in musicals, comedies, dramas, and action pictures. People who enjoy the Golden Age of movies will recall Tin Pan Alley, Wings of the Navy, Indianapolis Speedway, Star Dust, and later Miracle on 34th Street, and To the Shores of Tripoli.
Cazem in Hollywood, 1931 (Photo courtesy of Mark Cazem)
The Calaboose
Meeting so many celebrities and their families was an interesting side benefit that enabled Dad to meet many young ladies, including the daughters of celebrities.
As the proverb “All good things must pass” goes, the life of Reilly would come to a sober close when the minor daughter of a celebrity formed a friendship with my dad. She enjoyed the Filipino way of treating lady friends with graciousness and lavish attention. Also, Dad was a good dancer and dresser. In the eyes of mainstream society at the time, theirs was an illicit affair. The Anti-Miscegenation Law was still in effect in California. The parents filed a criminal complaint, and Dad was thrown into the slammer.
It was his first time to experience being in jail, and it was not pleasant, being with all those real criminals who were in for violent deeds. Luckily, John Payne was an understanding employer with a big heart. He helped Dad out of this jam. John Payne’s attorney represented my dad and negotiated a dismissal of the case on the condition that Dad leave the State of California.
Mr. Payne recommended Dad to an aristocratic family in Monmouth, Illinois, who were looking for a chauffeur. The Armsby sisters were wealthy and lived on a sprawling estate, inherited from their parents. This was a fresh start for Dad and a chance to distance himself from the problem in California.
The Day of Infamy
Leaving that headache in California was a welcome relief and Dad looked forward to the new job and environment. The Armsby sisters were gentle, big-hearted persons who appreciated Dad’s work ethic. They got along well and enjoyed each other’s company. He lived on the estate, helped the caretakers with chores, and drove the vehicle to any of the sisters’ desired destinations. It looked like he found a warm and wonderful home and employers that were good human beings.
Life was just dandy, and the future looked good, and all the problems in the past were behind him. His free time was spent on adventures in nearby communities near Monmouth. The spinster sisters were in fact like his mother and provided comfort and life guidance.
Cazem in Monmouth, IL, 1941 (Photo courtesy of Mark Cazem)
On a nice and cool day, while the sisters were having their lunch and conversation, the phone rang, and a family friend called to inform them that the United States Naval Base in Pearl Harbor, in the Island of Oahu, Hawaii, was attacked by the Japanese. This was a complete shock to the sisters, who had believed that the negotiations between Japan and the United States would avoid the possibility of war. The sisters turned on the radio to listen to the latest news about the attack. They called my dad on the intercom to come to the main house to inform him of the incident. The day of infamy was December 7, 1941.
The news related that the Japanese also attacked the Philippines and other islands in the Pacific. The sisters believed that the attack would cause the United States to declare a state of war against the Japanese Empire and possibly Germany and its allies. To Dad, this was a bad omen and would likely interrupt his idyllic life on the Armsby estate.
However, Filipinos were classified as aliens by the 1934 Act of Congress that stripped them of their commonwealth status. As a result, Filipinos were in a state of limbo, with no official status in the United States. Therefore, Filipinos could not enlist in the United States armed forces, even if they volunteered for active service. Despite this obstacle, Filipino organizations petitioned President Franklin D. Roosevelt for a change in their immigration status to allow them to enlist into the armed forces of the United States and fight to free their homeland.
Enlisting in the US Army
In March 1942, my dad learned from friends and relatives that his family had been treated brutally after his father refused to give up food supplies to the Japanese occupiers. In April 1942, Dad received a draft notice to submit himself to the induction center. During his induction processing, he was asked to volunteer to join a Filipino army unit that was in the process of being formed in California. He gleefully agreed, and after completing his physical examinations, he was assigned to the Filipino Infantry Battalion in Salinas, California.
The number of Filipino volunteers throughout the United States swelled to approximately 7,000 men, and the unit was designated as the 1st Filipino Infantry Regiment. As more Filipinos joined, an additional unit was established known at the 2nd Filipino Infantry Regiment. Dad was assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 1st Filipino Infantry Regiment. Their training took place in Salinas, Fort Ord, San Luis Obispo, Marysville, Camp Beale, Camp Roberts, and Hunter Leggatt.
The Regiment was the source of personnel for specialized operations related to the liberation of the Philippines – intelligence gathering and sabotage in preparation for the U.S. invasion of the Philippines. The men of the 1st Filipino Infantry Regiment trained with enthusiasm in anticipation of liberating their people from the brutal occupation by the Japanese Imperial Army.
Throughout his training, Dad maintained his communication with the Armsby sisters, who encouraged him to do his best and prayed for him. They were his substitute mother and the estate was his home. With their emotional support, he was determined to get through the training and survive the war. It was his intention to return home and resume his position with the Armsby sisters once the war was over. Since the Armsbys had no children, they cared for my dad as a son and posted on their front window a star to show that a household member was serving in the armed forces. The sisters were so proud of Dad’s service.
The training was difficult and continued through 1942, 1943, and until April 1944. Once, while the unit was training near Marysville (close to Sacramento) a local restaurant refused to permit Filipino soldiers to eat in its establishment, even when the Filipino soldiers were wearing their U.S. Army dress uniforms. It is hard to believe such attitude existed with a war raging and Filipinos soldiers were going overseas to fight for the United States. Racism was a fact of life and credit should be given to the commanding officer of the 1st Filipino Infantry Regiment, Col. Robert H. Offley, who personally confronted the restaurant owners that if they continued to refuse to serve his men, he would declare martial law and close every commercial establishment. This sent a message to all restaurant owners and other commercial establishments that discrimination was not acceptable. He was one hell of an officer that the men respected.
Cazem in Leyte, Philippines, 1944 (Photo courtesy of Mark Cazem)
During his training days, Dad would spend any time off with his Army buddies, taking in the local pubs and dance halls, if there were any. Such localities as San Luis Obispo, King City, Salinas, and Marysville, and other lesser known towns were their stomping grounds. Drinking lots of alcohol seemed a tradition among the troops, including Filipinos, and they often got themselves into trouble each time anyone got drunk. The stockade on pay days was a full house.
For members of the 1st Filipino Infantry Regiment, it was a glorious occasion to finally become naturalized citizens of the United States of America on February 16, 1944, at Camp Beale, California. Finally, one thousand Filipino soldiers were sworn-in as newly minted Americans, cementing their connection to their adopted country. They would soon be shipped out to the Southwest Pacific Theater of Operations. Now, they could call America their home and enjoy all the benefits and duties under the Star-Spangled Banner. They would fight to defend their adopted homeland and to evict the Japanese from their motherland.
This monumental event would provide the infrastructure for the Filipino American community post-WWII. Naturalization would provide the bridge by which their future war brides could immigrate to America and establish settled families.
Over There
Finally, Dad’s unit left for Buno, New Guinea in preparation for combat operations. Dad was selected for further training in reconnaissance operations. His squad would gather intelligence on the Japanese assets and activities in areas within their control and participated in combat operations for control of coastal and inner areas.
The combat experience they gained in New Guinea enhanced his rifle squad’s ability to operate as an intelligence gathering unit for the Leyte, Philippines invasion. Filipino soldiers were considered expendable and given risky assignments behind the Japanese lines, to gather intelligence on the movements, disposition, strength, and capabilities of the Japanese units facing the invasion force.
Sometime prior to the U.S. landing on the island of Leyte on October 20, 1944, Dad and his squad were taken to the eastern coast near Tacloban to gather intelligence to be sent to headquarters. They were ordered to remain in place until the actual invasion came ashore. They could then move forward and continue to gather information on the enemy’s situation.
Defending Leyte, was Lt. General Shiro Makino’s 16th Division, consisting of approximately 20,000 men, and which was among the Japanese units that participated in the infamous Bataan Death March in 1942. The island of Leyte extends 110 miles from north or south and ranges between 15 and 50 miles in wide. The island’s interior is dominated by a heavily forested north-south mountain range, separating two sizable valleys and coastal plains. The Leyte Valley extends from the northern coast to the long eastern shore, and the other expanse, Ormoc Valley on the west side of the island, connected to Leyte Valley by a roundabout and winding road.
On October 20, 1944, General Walter Krueger’s 6th Army consisting of two groups and reserves for a total of 202,000 troops began the liberation of the Philippines by coming ashore near Tacloban, Leyte. The fighting continued until July 1, 1945. Officially, however, the fighting continued to 1946. The Japanese soldier believes in the bushido code derived from the 9th and 12th century samurai warrior class. Thus, very few Japanese soldiers would surrender before peace could be restored.
Love at First Sight
With the eastern side of Leyte under control, Dad’s squad focused on the western area where Japanese soldiers were dug-in, and the rains reduced visibility to only a few yards. The mountainous terrain north and south of Ormoc Valley was ideal for the Japanese defensive tactics. The continuous fighting was maddening and a nightmare for offensive operations.
Japanese reinforcements continued to arrive adding some a 50,000 to the 16th Division. One’s life was always on the razor’s edge.
To avoid capture by the Japanese, my mother’s family left their home in Himarco, near the seaside town of Palompon, Leyte. The reason: her brother, a first lieutenant in the US Army of the Far East, escaped during the Bataan Death March, and helped organize a resistance unit in Leyte to gather information, harass, and sabotage Japanese occupation. The Japanese learned of his identity and searched for the entire Patino clan to take revenge and use them as bait to capture him. Since the occupation, the family had been hiding in the Ormoc hills and moving constantly to avoid detection, facing physical hardships and emotional stresses.
My mother, Jovita, was the youngest of seven Patino children and was the only single one still living with her parents. She was about 27 years old, and war had interrupted her college education. The Patino, Arevalo, Molon, and Velizado families joined together to evade the Japanese and suffered many difficulties. Food, clothing, water, shelter, and medication, and all the necessities of life were in short supply. The uncertainties and fear of capture weighed heavily on them and the constant movement was unsettling.
While on a reconnaissance mission during November 1944, in the Ormoc Hills, with my dad as the point-man, they were ambushed by the Japanese. At times the engagement reached hand-to-hand fighting, an ideal condition for the Filipino soldiers to reach for their bolo knives and dispatch many Japanese souls to the Shinto Shrine in Yasukuni, Japan. It so happened that my mother and her family were hiding nearby and were in the line of fire. An American soldier dove to protect her from shrapnel and machine gun fire. The barrage of incoming artillery lasted about 45 minutes and subsided after American aircrafts bombed and strafed the enemy positions. At the same time, above them was a dog fight between Japanese Zeros’ and American fighters. What a tumultuous occasion for a first meeting! This was a true action event in which two people would meet and fall in love under dangerous circumstances. Some people would not believe such a Hollywood-style wartime romance could really happen.
Under the circumstances, Dad evacuated Mother and the family from the front lines. For this, Mother and family were forever grateful to him for saving their lives. They spoke for a brief moment, and Dad asked if he could visit her whenever he had the opportunity. The family said yes, and he continued with his mission. There was a big push to take the western side of Leyte based on an operation schedule directed by General MacArthur.
Dad participated in combat operations on Leyte and Samar from 1944 to 1945. In one combat incident on May 21, 1945 on Leyte, Dad survived a Japanese banzai charge and eliminated eleven Japanese soldiers in hand-to-hand fighting. One was a Japanese officer, who attempted to disembowel him with a samurai sword. Luckily Dad dispatched him. The officer’s samurai sword was kept as a souvenir.
Jovita and Ponce Cazem, Ormoc City, Leyte, 1945 (Photo courtesy of Mark Cazem)
The Courtship
Dad wasn’t the only one courting my mother. Three other soldiers were vying for her hand at the same time. Two were Caucasian Army soldiers from the 77th Infantry Division and one was a Filipino from the 1st Filipino Infantry Regiment. Although the family was in dire financial situation because of the Japanese occupation, the traditions of the Philippine courtship had to be observed. To be taken seriously by a woman, the suitor must visit the family and introduce himself to the parents. Gifts to the family were typically expected as part of the courtship ritual Whenever Dad had time from his duties, he would bring a few of his buddies to help serenade Mother and her family. He had to give the best performance of his life. He would bring as pasalubong c-rations and food items that the family could use.
Mother asked Lucio Patino and Uncle Ceferino (Pinoy) Arevalo, who had served in the US Navy during WWI, for advice as to which of the suitors she should marry. All four of them proposed marriage, and she was confused. With a strict Spanish upbringing, father and uncle analyzed the personalities of each contestant and stated that the Caucasian soldiers were not compatible with strict Catholic tradition and Philippine culture. Between the two Filipino suitors, they believed Dad was an honest and honorable man and he would be the best husband.
Mother accepted Dad’s marriage proposal. The bureaucratic process of obtaining approval from his commanding officer took some time but was finally approved on August 21, 1945. Dad scrambled to locate the chaplain to perform the marriage, which took place on August 31, 1945, in Ormoc City, Leyte.
Dad returned to the US and was discharged at Camp McCoy in Wisconsin on April 26, 1946. Through the recommendation of the Armsby sisters, the governor of Illinois gave Dad a certificate of appreciation from the People of the State. The sisters wanted Dad to stay on and continue to be their chauffeur, but he was determined to begin a new life and start a family in California. With sadness and tears, he bade farewell to the Armsby sisters and household staff; it was not just a workplace but a real home with lots of love and warmth. The sisters were wonderful and loving human beings, who wished him happiness and a joyful reunion with his war bride.
The transportation of service personnel and supplies was essential to the reconstruction of the Philippines, Japan, and numerous Pacific Islands. Because of the Marshall Plan, there was great need for discharged veterans to work aboard the ships that transported supplies to the devastated countries. This was a golden opportunity to travel to the Philippines and earn $1,800 per annum.
Upon arrival in Manila, Dad took time off and traveled to Cebu and then Leyte by commercial transport. It was a happy reunion, and the family celebrated his return with a neighborhood party. The family and friends accepted him into the family; the joyous occasion lasted several days.
Dad needed to prepare immigration papers and arrange for Mother’s travel to the US as a war bride. The 79th United States Congress enacted Public Law #271 dated December 28, 1945, stating that war brides would be provided transportation aboard a transport vessel at the expense of the US. The purpose of the law was the unification of the veteran and his war bride.
Thousands of Filipina war brides entered the US under this program to begin a new life with their veteran husbands. This was the first time that many Filipinas were permitted to immigrate and thereby provided the nucleus of the Filipino community as we know it today.
My mother was unsure and hesitant to leave her family in Palompon, Leyte, since she was very close to them. The ambivalence manifested in her inability to sleep and eat, and it weakened her to the point of becoming sick. She had never been separated from her parents for more than a few days. However, her parents and family members advised her that it was her duty to be with her husband in America. Her sisters would accompany her to Manila to begin the processing of her visa the US consulate. As the ship left Palompon for Cebu, the umbilical cord was severed, and she became independent. Looking back with tears to her parents waving farewell from the Palompon pier, it was likely the last time she would see them. She was going to America.
Upon arrival in Manila, they proceeded to a relative’s residence at 75 Geronimo Street, Sampaloc. Finally, the word came that she would be assigned to a U.S. transport vessel on or about February 20, 1947, departing from Manila Bay to San Francisco. With the assistance of her sisters, she packed her personal belongings and accompanied her to the departure port. The sisters were very close and they all embraced and kissed for what seemed like the longest time. She walked up the ship’s gangplank to the deck where an attendant directed her to the assigned quarters. After placing her few possessions in the room she would share with another war bride, she returned to the deck. As the ship slowly backed away from the pier, she waved to her sisters until they became a blur. The image of them waving goodbye would forever remain in her memory. Now, she was alone on a new adventure to America.
Mark Cazem presented this story about his father, Ponce Cazem, chauffeur to Hollywood stars, Staff Sgt. 1st Filipino Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion, Company B., at the FANHS Seattle Conference Workshop, 2021.
Mark P. Cazem, USMC Vietnam Veteran, MBA-JD, Professor/IDP, UC, Berkeley, CSU, EB and Menlo College. Practiced law in California/Hawaii with a focus on international business transactions.
