Camp Adriano Hernandez Dingle, Iloilo, Philippines
02 1500H May 2000
“Good afternoon, Rangers!”
It was the voice of my company commander, 1Lt Leroy Daanton,
a member of Philippine Military Academy (PMA) “Maalab”
Class of 1993 and Scout Ranger (SR) Class 114-93. He was
addressing the troops of the 15th Scout Ranger (Mandirigma)
Company – our unit.
The assembled troops responded with a loud synchronized
greeting: “Good afternoon, Sir!”
1Lt Daanton paused for a while, cleared his throat and then
stated, “Higher Headquarters has given us a few days to prepare
for new deployment. We will reinforce our fellow Rangers in
Central Mindanao. Our comrades have been fighting it out deep
inside enemy territory for several weeks now, and our brother-
in-arms, First Lieutenant Jake Paler together with some of his
Rangers, gave the ultimate sacrifice for God and country. May God bless their souls... Prepare everything we need for combat operations in Mindanao and be ready for the long haul!”
1Lt Daanton’s statement caught us by surprise. His announcement
was met by solemn silence as we all let the news sink in. Everyone
knew who 1Lt Paler and his 18th Scout Ranger (Makamandag)
Company (18SRC) were. They were fine gentlemen and
esteemed brothers.
1Lt Joseph Jake Paler, the commanding officer of the 18SRC,
was an outstanding member of Philippine Army’s Officer
Candidate School (OCS) Class 11-94 and SR Class 122-95. He
was one of the well-respected Scout Ranger officers in the First
Scout Ranger Regiment (FSRR). Sir Jake, as many would call
him, was a jolly and grounded young officer who never hesitated
to go with the troops wherever and whenever it mattered most.
1Lt Paler was a huge loss to the battle-hardened 18SRC he was
leading at that time.
As battle-scarred Scout Rangers, we have heard sad
announcements like that before but we never got used to it. The
first thing that came to our minds was the grief of the families
left behind by the fallen. It also reminded us of what our own
families would go through if we got killed. None of us was sacred
in the hands of the enemy. We were all fair game as combatants
– such is the reality of our profession, and of war.
After a few moments of silence, 1Lt Daanton went on to discuss
the details of our upcoming deployment. “Troops and some
essential equipment are the priority. We will be transported by
C-130 to Cotabato. But other logistics, together with our M35
truck, will be transported by sea,” he said. “Make the necessary
preparations. Is there any question? None? You are dismissed!”
Everyone responded in unison, “Rangers lead the way!
Hooaah!”
We were anxious and apprehensive. Behind our tough facade, we were simply human. Our hearts were often torn between love of
country and love of our respective families. However, we could
not let our emotions overwhelm us. It is naturally uncharacteristic
to soldiers. We had to keep to ourselves whatever emotions and
opinions we may have had. No murmuring, no complaints. There
was “business” to be taken care of and we Scout Rangers had to
“lead the way – no more, no less”. We just had to do what was
required of us, what was needed under the situation.
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