Col. Pastor Martelino

Starting in 1910, as part of the US Military’s program to modernize the Philippine Armed Forces, the US Military Academy (USMA) held annual competitive examinations for qualified Filipinos. From the year’s batch of successful examinees, the US Military would select only one Filipino to enroll at the USMA at West Point. In 1918, that examinee would be Martelino (who had, in 1917, graduated from the University of the Philippines). Martelino would graduate from the USMA in 1920, ranking 66 out of 271 graduates.

Upon his graduation from the USMA, Martelino joined the Philippine Scouts as 2nd Lieutenant with the Coast Artillery Corps. He joined the Armed Forces of the Philippines in 1935. In 1936, President Manuel Luis M. Quezon and General Douglas H. MacArthur appointed him as the first Filipino Superintendent of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA).

Martelino was Chief of Staff of the 31st Infantry Division of the US Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) when World War II broke out. He fought in Bataan, escaped during the 1942 Death March, and joined the Manila guerrilla movement. In 1944 he was caught by the Japanese. After refusing to help the Japanese Imperial Army defend Corregidor against the expected return of US forces, he was tortured and hanged in For Santiago in 1945.

The Provincial Police Officers Headquarters in Aklan, Cadiz (his hometown) is named in his honor.

https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/96962

Photo courtesy of Philippine Scouts Heritage Society; 2020; https://www.philippinescouts.org