Tirso Fajardo

Brigadier General Tirso G. Fajardo (Armed Forces Philippines) was born September 24, 1910 in Manila, Philippine Islands and died May 6th, 1986. He entered the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, New York in July of 1930 and graduated on June 12, 1934.

He married Lillian Elizabeth "Diane" deVault and they had one son, Don Tirso. In 1935-1936, he was part of the reorganization of the Philippine Constabulary Academy into the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) in Baguio, Philippine Islands.

In 1939, he was sent to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and majored in mechanical engineering. In June of 1941, he received a Master of Science degree; his thesis was on metallurgy. He was still in the United States when World War II broke out and he was sent to the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Afterwards, he joined the U.S. Army's 1st Filipino Battalion at Camp San Luis Obispo, California with all other stranded West Pointer and Annapolis Filipino graduates caught in the United States. Major Fajardo was the highest ranking Filipino officer at that time.

After the unit relocated to the Salinas Rodeo Grounds in California, he became the unit's Training and Operations (S-3) Officer. This was about the time that the 1st Filipino Infantry Regiment was activated, in July 1942.

When he landed in Samar with General MacArthur, he was a battalion commander under the Eighth U.S. Army. He distinguished himself in leadership and combat as the executive officer of the regiment that he was assigned to.

In 1947, he became the youngest superintendent of the newly-organized Philippine Military Academy (PMA). He was a strict disciplinarian and a professional in military tactics.

For his past performances and achievements, he was made the Commanding General of the Philippine Army on June 12, 1958. This was exactly 24 years to the day he graduated from West Point. Upon completing 30 years of military service, General Fajardo retired on August 1, 1959.

The latest honor bestowed upon him was his election into the Allied Officer Hall of Fame by the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College of Fort Leavenworth, Kansas on May 14, 1975. Membership is limited to those who have risen to the topmost position in their Armed Forces or in any major service of their country.