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Gordon M. Bettles left Montana in 1906 and entered PMC, He quickly became a leader in a very talented class. As a senior, he received the honor of being the Cadet Battalion Commander. Commander Bettles was also an athlete and captained the football team. At Commencement he was awarded a degree in Civil Engineering and continued his education at the Colorado School of Mines. He oversaw the successful mining operations of the Yellow Tiger Mining Company in Goldfield, Nevada and introduced the use of an oil-driven compressor to mine the gold. In 1937, Bettles left his lucrative position at the Wiljobar Corporation in California and sailed to the Philippines. He was to become a part of a mining syndicate in Manila.

The bombings at Pearl Harbor in 1941 suddenly and dramatically changed the American attitude towards the Philippines. Since becoming a colony at the end of the Spanish American War, America’s approach was muddled. To many, the Philippine were an economic investment. This resulted in various large and small companies seeking the wealth of lumber, sugar and precious metals that the islands offered. After Pearl Harbor, the view was that Manila Bay was a large well-fortified port in the Pacific.

Within a month, Gordon Bettles and 6,000 other American and British civilians were interred in Japanese prison camps in Manila. The largest of these camps was Camp No. 1, University of Santo Tomása Internment Camp. The University campus consisted of 50 acres and was surrounded by high masonry walls on three sides an an ornate iron fence facing the main street. Inside the compound were the Main Building and an education building, both structures were 3-stores in height and contained offices, classrooms and a gymnasium. In addition, there were two light construction one-story buildings called the Annex and the Infirmary. Segregated by sex, thirty to fifty people were crowded into these small spaces. Bathrooms were scarce.

While there were many difficulties accommodating the growing number of internees, the Japanese absolved themselves of any responsibility. The Japanese did not consider the internees to be prisoners, but merely civilians held in protective custody. This left the internees struggling to find ways of feeding of themselves and dealing with a variety of health issues.

On June 14, 1943, Gordon M. Bettles, age 50, died of unknown causes while imprisoned. He was buried in the Manila North Cemetery.

Watch a photographic slideshow of the “University of Santo Tomas during the 2nd World War.”

The 1939-1940 polo season was, perhaps, one of the greatest for polo at PMC. Under the guidance of Coach Carl Schaubel, ’30, considered at the time to be the best polo coach in the country, the team of Jim Spurrier ‘40, Emery Hickman ‘40 and “Bud” Maloney ‘41 excelled. Jim Spurrier was the sparkplug of the team. Bud Maloney formed the spearhead on attack, and Emory Hickman constantly retrieved the ball, feeding it to Spurrier and Maloney. Following the completion of a successful regular season, the PMC team once again played in the Intercollegiate Polo Tournament. They beat Harvard and West Point, but were defeated by Princeton in the Championship game. After graduation, these men, along with William Dudley ’42, a sophomore and another member of the polo team, were again teamed together in the 1st Cavalry Division. Three of these polo players distinguished themselves in action and earned Silver Star Medals for their leadership and heroism.

After months of “island hopping” through the Japanese held island chain known as “the Admiralties”, the 1st Cavalry Division invaded the Philippine Island of Leyte in October 1944. On November 30th, B Troop, under the command of CPT James R. Spurrier, was ordered to open the only available supply route by attacking a strongly entrenched force. To accomplish this, Spurrier was forced to cut his own trail through a densely wooded jungle over rugged mountain terrain. As darkness fell, there was the added danger of his troops becoming lost. Spurrier demonstrated initiative and courage leading his men to a point from which an attack could be made at first light. During the night, he gathered reinforcements to his command with men returning from the hospital and others carrying rations. As the sun rose the next day, Spurrier launched a coordinated attack. After 12 hours of hand-to-hand combat led by Spurrier, the supply route was reopened and an estimated 218 Japanese troops had been killed.

In January 1945, Luzon was invaded and General MacArthur issued the order “Go to Manila!” to liberate prisoners held by the Japanese and take the Malacañan Palace, the White House of the Philippines. Detached from the famous “flying column” and ordered to seize and hold the Palace, F Troop, commanded by CPT Emery M. Hickman, began the race towards Manila. To reach the objective, the squadron swept through the maze of unfamiliar streets and quickly overran the Japanese that were preparing to destroy the Palace. Hickey then organized the defense of the compound so well that when the Japanese tried to re-enter the grounds during the night they were stopped while taking many casualties. The next day, the Japanese began a murderous artillery bombardment of the Palace from across the Pasig River. Without regard for his personal safety Hickman courageously directed the fire of F Troop ordnance, observed the effects of the fire, and saw that all casualties received care.

As the 8th Cavalry Regiment began its push southward of Manila, Japanese resistance blocked its progress. Troop E, commanded by CPT William Dudley, was given the assignment to clear the area, starting with Gilmore Street. On Gilmore, a determined and tenacious Japanese force, consisting of machine guns and sniper fire, defended the area. Dudley was continually in the lead and exposed to the withering enemy fire. Throughout the daylong battle, Dudley remained in the forefront of the Troop reassuring his men and exploiting every gain before the enemy could reorganize. His leadership, personal courage, and heroism were directly responsible for the success of his and the regiment’s mission.