Conrado Yap

Conrado Dumlao Yap Yap was one of the 1,367 Filipino troops composing the 10th Battalion Combat Team of the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea (PEFTOK), first of the five Philippine Army Battalion Combat Team's contingent of United Nations Command forces that fought in the Korean War (1950–1953).

He was killed in action in the early morning hours of 23 April 1951 in the Battle of Yultong during a successful counterattack against Chinese forces that overran his hilltop position in territory which currently belongs to South Korea. Yap was posthumously the most decorated Filipino serviceman of the Korean War, receiving medals from the US, South Korea and the Philippines.

Early life and education

Yap was born on January 22, 1921, in Candelaria, Zambales. He was a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy class of 1943.

In 1949, he graduated of the U.S. Army Armor School, then at Fort Knox, KY. Then became Captain of the 10th BCT - Tank Company, an Army heavy tank company in 1950. When the 10th BCT arrived in Busan, Korea, they didn't take their tanks with them as the US was going to supply them with armor when they arrived. Their waiting tanks (17 M4 Shermans and one M10 tank destroyer) were destroyed when the communist North Korean army pushed back the UN forces further down south of the Korean peninsula. The only tanks available were seven M24 Chaffee light tanks which was designated to the 10th BCT - Recon Company. Capt Yap, Tank Company was resignated as Heavy Weapons Company which was equipped with heavy to light automatic machine guns.

Battle of Yultong

After the Chinese entered the Korean War in November 1950, they launched a major offensive the following year that saw Yap's unit, the 10th Battalion Combat Team (10th BCT) opposite four Chinese divisions numbering about 40,000 men. Close to midnight of 23 April 1951, the Communist Chinese forces attacked a Puerto Rican regiment positioned on the 10th BCT's western flank. As the Puerto Ricans fell back to re-consolidate their lines, the Chinese began to advance up the exposed Filipino unit's flank.

A platoon of soldiers from the 10th BCT Tank Company fighting as infantry - Heavy Weapons Company under the command of Lt. Jose Artiaga positioned themselves on a hill on the 10th BCT's flank overlooking the Korean village of Yultong in Yeoncheon County. The Chinese attacked them with superior numbers but Artiaga's unit made a stand. This bought time for his company commander, Captain Yap to launch a counterattack to rescue Artiaga and his platoon from the Chinese. Both Artiaga and Yap were killed in action. However, that action saved the platoon from total annihilation and stopped the Chinese advance from reaching the exposed flank of the 10th BCT.

Military awards Yap was conferred the Philippine Medal of Valor by Elpidio Quirino and the United States Distinguished Service Cross for his actions at the Battle of Yultong.

Medal of Valor citation "By direction of the President, pursuant to paragraph 2a, Section I, AFPR 600–45, this Headquarters, dated 16 December 1948, the Medal for Valor is hereby posthumously awarded by the Chief of Staff, Armed Forces of the Philippines, to the following-named officer:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life against overwhelming enemy forces at Yultong, North Korea on 22–23 April 1951. As Commanding Officer of the Tank Company, Tenth Battalion Combat Team, Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea, CAPT YAP at 2300 hours on 22 Apr 1951, was executing a defensive action as an advance element of the frontline defense of the United States Army when an overwhelming superior enemy forces assaulted the PEFTOK positions as a part of the enemy's general offensive. Upon being informed by his most advance unit that the enemy were rushing in to overrun their hill position and that the leader of this unit FIRST LIEUTENANT JOSE M ARTIAGA JR O-1966 INFANTRY, was hit, Captain Yap, determined to hold their position at all costs, reinforced the trapped unit of Lieutenant Artiaga and fought the enemy for one hour without success. Receiving a personal report from a member of the trapped unit who succeeded in extricating himself that the enemy has already captured the position and that Lieutenant Artiaga and many others were killed, captured or wounded, Captain Yap, in a desperate effort to rescue the lost unit ordered for covering support from the other units under his command and personally led a furious counterattack to regain the hill position and rescue the trapped unit despite an authority that he may withdraw which he has already received. He succeeded in recovering the body of Lieutenant Artiaga and that of three (3) other enlisted men when not being satisfied with this and acting above and beyond the call of duty, he proceeded to assault an enemy emplacement about 300 yards away despite the hail of enemy fires until he fell dead from an enemy bullet. His extraordinary heroism, indomitable courage, calmness and decisiveness won for him and the entire Tenth Battalion Combat Team praises by other allied nations’ soldiers with whom they are fighting side by side in Korea, and will inevitably form a part of the glorious traditions of our Armed Forces."

Commemoration Conrado Yap is commemorated in various ways in the Philippine military. These include: Conrado Yap-class patrol craft, a series of ex-South Korean Haksaeng-class patrol boats sold to the Philippine Navy in 1993. Camp Conrado Yap, a Philippine National Police facility in Iba, Zambales. Yap Hall, the Philippine Military Academy's mess hall, is named in his honor. & its most heavily armed unit Captain Conrado D. Yap Street, Candelaria, Zambales Captain Conrado D. Yap Day - a non-working holiday in Candelaria, Zambales, every 23rd day of April. Conrado D. Yap Library and Museum In Candelaria, Zambales. Conrado D. Yap Hall - Mechanized Infantry Division Headquarters in Camp O’Donnell, Capas, Tarlac.