Fidel Ventura Segundo (24 April 1894 – 6 January 1945) was a

Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed t ...

and

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

hero. He commanded the 1st Regular Division (Philippines) during the invasion by Japan and then survived the

Bataan Death March The Bataan Death March ( Filipino: ''Martsa ng Kamatayan sa Bataan''; Spanish: ''Marcha de la muerte de Bataán'' ; Kapampangan: ''Martsa ning Kematayan quing Bataan''; Japanese: バターン死の行進, Hepburn: ''Batān Shi no Kōshin'') ...

. Paroled from prison, Segundo was later executed for aiding the Filipino resistance forces.

Early life and education

Segundo was born in

Laoag Laoag, officially the City of Laoag ( ilo, Siudad ti Laoag; fil, Lungsod ng Laoag), is a 1st class component city and capital of the province of Ilocos Norte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 111,651 people. ...

Ilocos Norte Ilocos Norte, officially the Province of Ilocos Norte ( ilo, Probinsia ti Ilocos Norte; tl, Lalawigan ng Ilocos Norte), is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region. Its capital is Laoag City, located in the northwest corner o ...

, the son of Luciano Segundo and Paula Ventura. After completing primary school in Laoag, he attended Manila High School. Segundo then enrolled at the

University of the Philippines The University of the Philippines (UP; fil, Pamantasan ng Pilipinas Unibersidad ng Pilipinas) is a state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by Republic Act No. 9500 (UP Charter of 200 ...

as a pre-med student. Appointed to the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

, he graduated in August 1917. Segundo attended the Air Service Observation School from September 1920 to January 1921. He later graduated from the

Field Artillery School The United States Army Field Artillery School (USAFAS) trains Field Artillery Soldiers and Marines in tactics, techniques, and procedures for the employment of fire support systems in support of the maneuver commander. The school further develop ...

battery officers' course in August 1925 and the Cavalry School troop officers' course in June 1926. Segundo married Angela G. Agcaoili in 1919. They had three sons and a daughter.

Military career

Segundo was commissioned in the

Philippine Scouts The Philippine Scouts ( Filipino: ''Maghahanap ng Pilipinas'' or ''Hukbong Maghahanap ng Pilipinas'') was a military organization of the United States Army from 1901 until after the end of World War II. These troops were generally Filipinos a ...

and briefly served as a temporary major during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

. He commanded an artillery battery at

Camp Stotsenburg Fort Stotsenburg, during the World War II era, was the location of the Philippine Department's 26th Cavalry Regiment, 86th Field Artillery Battalion, and 88th Field Artillery Regiment; along with the Philippine Division's 23rd and 24th Fie ...

from January 1919 to September 1920 and served as a battery commander with the 24th Field Artillery from September 1926 to May 1929. Segundo was promoted to captain in November 1926 and major in June 1936. He taught military science and tactics at the University of the Philippines from 1929 to 1936. Appointed colonel in the newly created

Philippine Army The Philippine Army (PA) (Tagalog: ''Hukbong Katihan ng Pilipinas''; in literal English: ''Army of the Ground of the Philippines''; in literal Spanish: ''Ejército de la Tierra de la Filipinas'') is the main, oldest and largest branch of the A ...

in 1936, Segundo led the establishment and training of its field artillery branch. Retaining his U.S. Army commission, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel in August 1940. Colonel Segundo assumed command of the 2nd Infantry Regiment (Philippines) in July 1940. He was subsequently appointed superintendent of the

Philippine Military Academy The Philippine Military Academy ( fil, Akademiyang Militar ng Pilipinas / es, Academia Militar de Filipinas) also referred to by its acronym PMA is the premier military academy for Filipinos aspiring for a commission as a military officer of ...

in August 1941 and served in that post until directed to evacuate

Baguio Baguio ( , ), officially the City of Baguio ( ilo, Siudad ti Baguio; fil, Lungsod ng Baguio), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Philippines. It is known as the "Summer Capital of the Philippines ...

in December 1941. Segundo was then promoted to brigadier general in the Philippine Army and assumed command of the 1st Regular Division on 19 December 1941. Despite limited training and armament, his division participated in the defense of southern

Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, ...

and then fought at Bataan until the April 1942 surrender. As a native Filipino, Segundo was imprisoned at the

Capas Concentration Camp Camp O'Donnell is a former United States military reservation in the Philippines located on Luzon island in the municipality of Capas in Tarlac. It housed the Philippine Army's newly created 71st Division and after the Americans' return, a ...

. Paroled to Manila, he became an advisor to the underground resistance to the Japanese occupation. Segundo and his son Fidel Jr. were arrested by the Japanese military police on 19 December 1944. After several weeks of harsh interrogation, he was executed in early January 1945 and buried in an unmarked common grave.

Legacy

The segment of the

Pan-Philippine Highway The Pan-Philippine Highway, also known as the Maharlika Highway ( tl, Daang Maharlika; ceb, Dalang Halangdon), is a network of roads, expressways, bridges, and ferry services that connect the islands of Luzon, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao in ...

immediately north of his hometown of Laoag is named Gen. Fidel V. Segundo Avenue. In December 1969, a

historical marker A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, or in other places referred to as a historical marker, historic marker, or historic plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other ...

was erected in Laoag to commemorate him.

External links

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Segundo, Fidel 1894 births 1945 deaths People from Laoag University of the Philippines alumni United States Military Academy alumni Academic staff of the University of the Philippines Filipino military personnel of World War II Philippine Army generals of World War II Filipino generals Filipino prisoners of war World War II prisoners of war held by Japan Bataan Death March prisoners Filipino military personnel killed in World War II People executed by Japanese occupation forces Segundo, Fidel