..
Sam Morehead
was in Company B of
The 37th Division
..
They landed 9 January 1945
in Lingayen Gulf
..

Sam has repeatedly said, all he wanted was to go home and
now he will never leave main land U.S. of A. again.

He now supports all our troops, the American Legion, and the VFW.

It was about 150 miles from the beaches at Lingayen Gulf to the outskirts of our principal target, Manila. The Japanese were retreating as fast as they could, and the 37th was running after them, as fast as their legs, jeeps and trucks could keep up. There were isolated incidents where, more by accident than design, the Japanese flight got caught between irregularly advancing American troops. These sporadic clashes slowed us down for a day, now and then, but the results were the same.

Sniper fire keeps infantrymen low as medium tanks advance	Men of the 122d Field Artillery Battalion, 33d Division, fire a 105-mm. howitzer against  a Japanese pocket in the hills of Luzon
Shortly before Sam's unit passed through this area, the memorable Raid at Cabanatuan occurred, liberating 513  prisoners of war. Map from: http://www.olive-drab.com/od_history_ww2_stories_1945cabanatuan.php See Cabanatuan, upper right in map below

Following the Manila campaign, the regiment reorganized and re- equipped in Manila and, on 7 April 1945 received orders to move to Naguilian to join in the attack on Baguio, the Philippine summer capital and one of the remaining Japanese strong points on Luzon. The Regimental Command Post opened at the base camp at Naguilian Air Strip on 9 April 1945. See: http://www.frankel-y.com/tape016.htm

The final race for Baguio was staged by the 37th and 33rd Divisions. The 37th Division, supporting the 33rd on the left flank, reached the cemetery at the edge of Baguio's city limits and a bitter struggle took place. Baguio was heavily bombed before 'the troops moved in. The Regiment approached from the vicinity of Monastery Hill and Observatory Hill and the once beautiful city was a mass of rubble. The remaining Japs, including their commander General Yamoshita, had fled northward to the vicinity of Bontoc. In Baguio, the Regiment set up camp and some of the units moved farther to the North.

ROUTE 11 WINDING SOUTH FROM BAGUIO

IRISAN GORGE

The Luzon Campaign was a tribute to the men of the Regiment. At one time the front extended for 64 miles and the entire campaign was fought over the most difficult terrain that troops anywhere ever fought over. The record of low casualties suffered by the Regiment is also a tribute to the leadership and the training of the men.

Heroes during this campaign were too numerous to cite individually. A great many men were awarded medals and many commendations were received. The supporting troops, including medical units, engineers and artillery all effectively combined into a smooth working organization which utilized its every weapon to achieve a brilliant campaign record. Sam was awarded the BRONZE STAR.

In a telephone conversation with Sam on July 25, 2012, (1 of many) this history author [Vern] asked Sam if he remembered the helicopters being used to evacuate the wounded away from the front lines in June of 45. His answer was "Oh yes, several times!". Sam's memories, as always, revert to that of the paragraph below. To visualize seeing the helicopters, think of the copters landing in the TV show "MASH".

With the end of the Luzon Campaign, quotas for return to the states were increasing and with the cessation of hostilities the Regiment rapidly began to lose its veterans. This was especially true for Sam Morehead. He had joined the Army much later and was required to stay in Luzon until  August of 1946. Because he could type, he was able to serve in the office at San Fernando for several months. At the same time he was chosen, he met Roy Kee of Fennville. Roy and Sam became good friends and to choose where they would meet up again back in the U.S.; they flipped a coin and Fennville became the meeting place. Sam  loved the community which became his families home for the rest of his life.

It wasn't typing that Sam taught at Fennville High; It was Math and Coaching sports. It was the Algebra, Trigonometry and Baseball that Vern was taught by Sam, that led him to a life success as a Telecommunications Design Engineer.