Ramon A Alcaraz

Early life and education

Alcaraz was born on August 15, 1915 in Quingua, Bulacan, Central Luzon, Philippines. Son of Domingo Lipana Alcaraz and Maxima Cruz Abacan. He is the oldest of two brothers, Mariano 'Rocky' (Capt., Philippine Navy, Ret.).

He entered the Philippine Military Academy at Teachers Camp, Baguio City, Mountain Province, Philippines from June 15, 1936 to March 15, 1940 where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree. Alcaraz graduating among the 79 members (originally 120 cadets) from the Class of 1940 "The Pioneer Class". His class was the first group of graduates to finish the four year curriculum, as the previous curriculum was only three years. Alcaraz was a writer for the PMA publication "Corps" and the bantam weight boxing champion in 1937 and 1938.

In 1941, he voluntarily joined and graduated from the Army's newly formed Offshore Patrol (OSP) Training School in Manila as part of the USAFFE forces. In 1959, he went to United States to study at the Naval War College - Command Course at Newport, Rhode Island.

World War II

After graduation, he assigned as a 3rd Lieutenant to the Philippine Commonwealth Army. Nineteen months later, he volunteered to the newly formed Offshore Patrol unit of the Army and promoted as a 2nd Lieutenant with the OSP - Sea duty forces. A few weeks after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he was promoted as a 1st Lieutenant after he was inducted into the U.S. Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE). He was the Commanding Officer of the Q-112 Abra, a 55 ft stepped-hull torpedo boat with aftward launch torpedo chutes built for the Philippine Commonwealth Government by the British shipbuilding firm John I. Thornycroft & Company - one of three "Q-boat" torpedo boats used by the Offshore Patrol (OSP) during the war.

On January 17, 1942, while on patrol along the east coast of Bataan in Manila Bay with Q-111 Luzon, they were spotted by nine Japanese dive bombers that was travelling towards the Bataan coastline. The two torpedo boats turned to engage the Japanese enemy aircraft at full speed, and laying down accurate machine gun fire to shoot down three of the nine aircraft. Their attack was successful that it forced the remaining damaged Japanese planes to return to their base, thus preventing them to complete their bombing mission on Bataan installations. For their actions, he was immediately promoted to Captain by General MacArthur in Corregidor and awarded the Silver Star for heroism and gallantry in action.

On April 10, 1942, to prevent their boat capture by the Japanese, Captain Alcaraz’s Q-112 Abra was scuttled at night near the shore of Paombong coast, four miles off Bataan’s east coast. He and his crew floated to shore using bamboo poles but spotted by two search lights from Japanese patrol boats.

They were subsequently incarcerated in Malolos, Bulacan POW Camp. Alcaraz was shortly appointed as Head among the POW prisoners, and took care of his fellow POWs in that capacity but was likewise held accountable for any escape. Alcaraz immediately used the sense of humor. Despite of his disheartened state, Alcaraz befriended the Japanese and joked often flattered his enemy’s ego by asking to recount their battle victories. When new prisoners arrived with their hands tightly bound behind their back, Alcaraz would have Japanese soldiers untie them. Alcaraz felt responsible for keeping his fellow POWs alive and make their lives better the best way he could. It was during the many story-telling hours that his men enjoyed a respite from hard labor by just sitting and pretending to listen to the Japanese soldier’s stories. At fall-in formations and other ceremonies, where POWs were required to hail “Banzai.” Alcaraz would join in with his boisterous native version of “Bankay” (corpse), and the Japanese would roar with approval. By then, Alcaraz humor had become part and parcel of his escape plan, resulted in a less tortuous POW experience for his comrades compared with the unspeakable experiences the POWs endured at Camp O’Donnell . Notably, not a single death was registered at the Malolos POW camp.

After four months, Alcaraz was released after undergoing months thru an intensive “rejuvenation program” on August 10, 1942. He was paroled and instructed to be re-trained to join the Bureau of Constabulary at the Torres High School in Gagalangin, Tondo. In September 1942, he graduated as a police officer and was told that his first assignment was at Lanao del Norte province in Mindanao. Alcaraz faked that he has malaria illness and was confined to a hospital in San Lazaro. This resulted that he would miss his transport ship to Mindanao which he was later reassigned to Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya.

Post-war

Alcaraz was a staunch critic of Ferdinand Marcos' administration. He was promoted to the naval rank of Commodore in 1965.

Retirement and Personal Life

After 26 years of active service, Commodore Alcaraz was placed on the retired list from active duty on January 22, 1966.

He was married to Concepcion 'Conching' Dualan from Cavite in 1960. They have one child. He has children from his first marriage —two sons and three daughters. Alcaraz died at Orange county on June 25, 2009. He is buried in Fairhaven Memorial Park, Santa Ana, CA, U.S.A.

Legacy

On May 6, 2012, Philippine President Benigno Aquino III announced that the country's second Gregorio del Pilar class frigate would be named the BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PF-16), in honor of Alcaraz' long service to the nation. Formerly known as the United States Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) Dallas, the Ramon Alcaraz was formally transferred to the Philippine government on 22 May 2012 (23 May 2012 Philippine standard time) under the auspices of the United States Foreign Assistance Act, with ceremonies held at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center Pier Papa in North Charleston, South Carolina.