Dalton Pass Memorial, Philippines

Greetings PHG fans, I hope the new year is treating you all well. This week, I was checking out the World War II in the Philippines Facebook group and read about the Dalton Pass Memorial. Although I've been to the Philippines several times, I've not made it into the provinces.

Balete/Dalton Pass Memorial, Luzon, Philippines

Previously called Balete Pass, Dalton Pass is the only overland route into Cagayan Valley from Central Luzon. A highway crosses the pass from north to south. The battle to take this strategic location took place from March to May 1945, during the battle for Luzon, which had started in January 1945. 7,800 Japanese soldiers died at Balete Pass, compared with 800 American and Filipino troops.

The American reconquest of the Philippines ended only after the Japanese surrendered on 15 August of that year; the strategy of fighting a delaying retreat action across the entirety of Luzon resulted in an estimated 8,500 American, Filipino and Mexican deaths and an astonishing 192,000 Japanese killed. The battle for Balete Pass is a microcosm of the wider war in the Philippines; any trip to battlefields in this country should include a visit here. I'll be making my way there next time I'm that way!

Happy exploring,

Tony

Further reading:

Dalton Pass: American War Memorials

Japanese Memorial at Dalton Pass: Traces of War

Photo album from the battle of Dalton Pass: Corregidor Historic Society