Rosebud Man Directs Sensational Raid To Free 2146 Prisoners

Lt. Col. Joseph Weldon Gibbs of Rosebud always said his 672nd amphibious tractorbattalion was the best outfit in the armyand today he had new proof to offer—his amtracks' role in the liberationof 2146 civilian internees from the last known Japanese prison camp on Luzon island.

In one of the most exciting rescue operations of the Pacific war, 1500soldiers of the 11th Airborne Division, plus Gibbs' amtrack unit, plus about 200guerrillas stabbed 70 miles from Manila through territory held by 8000 Japanesetroops to bring to safety the 1589 Americans, 329 Britons, 56 Canadians, 89 Hollanders, 22 Poles, 10 Norwegians, 16Italians, one Frenchman and a Nicaraguan held at Los Banos prison camp.

American casualties in the sensational operation totaled two soldierskilled, two wounded and two internees slightly injured.  Eleven U.S. Navy nurses were among thoseliberated.

It was two hours before dawn Friday on Luzon island that Col. Gibbsloaded his amtrackswith picked troops of the 11 Airborne Division and started chugging across Lagunade bay southeast ofManila toward Los Banos.

Col. Gibbs had a rendezvous across that choppywater—he had to deliver his cargoes of crack infantrymenthrough the beach, jungle and hills on the far side at a given minute so theycould attack the Los Banos camp garrison at thesame time that Filipino guerrillas closedin from the jungle and paratroopers dropped from the skies.

Col. Gibbs got 'em there on time

The amphibious force, the jungle wiseFilipinos and the green clad paratroopers fell on the Japs at the prison campin a dramatic surprise attack.  The Nipponese, including their commandingofficer, his staff and 243 guards, were out in the dawn's early lightdoing their setting-up exerciseswhen the liberators struck, saidAssociated Press dispatches from Manila.

Dramatic Attack

Then the second half of Col. Gibbs' job began.  The amtracks—those steel boats with cleatedtracks which move with equal ease on land or water, had to carry everybody backfrom Los Banos on the other side of the huge Lagunade Bay to safety withinAmerican lines nearly 70 miles away.  Workingwith clockwise precision Gibbs and his amtracks loaded up and ferried outcivilians and •soldiers. Except for sporadic sniper fire, which was silencedquickly, the strange and wonderful caravan met no opposition

The Tribune-Herald phoned Mrs. Gibbs to tell her about her husband'sfeat.  She lives down at Rosebud withtheir two children, Annyce, 7, and Joseph Allen, 2.

"Weldon is having the time of his life on Luzon," Mrs. Gibbslaughed. "He says he is crazy about what they're going there, says he justcan't get enough of it.  You know, he'sthe type who thinks everything he has is the best there is.  He's really proud of his battalion."

His wife said the colonel, who is 35, is called Joe by his soldiercomrades, "but I call him Weldon, just like his parents did."

Col. Gibbs is a six-foot, 200-pounder with black hair and hazeleyes.  His last letters home, dated Feb.8 and 9, were full of the fun he's been having in theliberation of Luzon, about how Mrs. Gibbs disclosed that Col. Gibbs' executive officer is another Rosebud man,Capt. Jack M. Tarver, 33, whose wife is the former Miss Frances Wheelisof Waco.  Mrs. Tarver and their twochildren, Grace and McLane, also live in Rosebud. Gol.Gibbs' parents, Mr. and Mrs. R. K, Gibbs, live in Marlin.

Col. Gibbs finished Rosebud High school in 1928, graduated from Texas A. and M.college in 1932, worked at Kaufman and then at Corsicana as a soil conservation service engineer.He kept up his reserve commission, and in 1941, entered the armyas a first lieutenant.  In April, 1942,he was sent to Camp Hood.  He stayed there two years, .first doing adjutant work, later taking a line command and finally, about ayear ago, activating the 672nd amphibioustractor battalion which he now heads. Tarver was another charter member.

The unit went to Ft, Ord. Calif., last April for; combattraining, and went overseas last Sept. 15.As part of the 37th division, it has beenin the thick of the fighting for the Philippines.

Associated Press Correspondent Dean Schedler rode with Col. Gibbs in an amphibioustractor on the tense journey to Los Banos.  Gibbs' amtrack led thelong, ghostly column across the roughwaters of the island sea, then turned aside and herded the others up the beach, intothe jungles and up to the hills behind thetown of Los Banos where the prison camp was located.

Schedler and another AP man, C. Yates McDaniel, sent the following descriptionof the condition and spirit of the liberated throng:

As the Yanks entered the camp, their hopessagged when no internees weresighted.  A Filipino, bleedingfrom a Japanese bayonet wound, directedthem to the barracks.  There theinternees, clutching little bags of clothes, hugging children beside them, crying and yelling greetings came pouring fromthe buildings.

One American said: "Oh God, it’s been a long timewe have waited for just such Hollywood American stuff."  In an amtrack under machine gun fire onthe way out of Los Banos one woman said: "After so many years of Japanesewar what is one more little affair—give me another one of thosecookies."

Better ThanSanto Tomas

The internees at Los Banos were in better physical shape than the 3700 civilians liberated at Santo Tomas,They had better food supplies than the others until last October. Recently the Japanese cut the rice allowance to a starvation 170grams a day.

Many of the rescued were thin and pale but generally lookedbetter than the starved Santo Tomas people.  The internees, lined up for morningroll call were ordered back into the barracks and surrounded by a defense guardof Yanks. As speedily as possible they were removed across the bay in amtracksto a safe rendezvous.

Gen. Douglas MacArthur. who ordered the rescue, said Providence wascertainly with the doughboys and the guerrillas.  Hedeclared "Nothing could be more satisfying to a soldier's heartthan this rescue.  I am deeplygrateful."