A tribute to Col. Manuel F. Segura: 1919-2013

Yesterday morning, I got a text from my first cousin, Ted Segura who informed me that his dad, Col. Manuel "Tio Manning" Segura (ret.) passed away at the Asian Hospital in Manila. At this point, I still don't know the exact cause of his death…except that my cousin told me that suddenly all his systems seem to have crashed. Perhaps Tio Manning, who was born in January 1, 1919, died just like the way my mother, Ascension Segura Avila, died. She was in the pink of health (she wasn't taking any medication) then six years ago, at 84 years old, her systems just crashed and she died in her sleep.

Col. Segura was a highly-decorated war hero bagging the U.S.  Bronze Star Medal for Heroism in Ground Combat, Distinguished Unit Citation with Two Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, American Defense Service Medal (for foreign service) a World War II Victory medal, the Military Merit Medal with four Bronze Anahaw Leaves, the AFP Parachute Badge with Star, the American Campaign Medal, the Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation, the Philippine Independence Ribbon with Two Bronze Combat Stars and the Philippine Liberation Ribbon with Two Bronze Stars among many others.

I was a Korean War baby and missed the end of World War II, however being a Segura on my maternal side, we are a very close-knit family having family gatherings all the time. For instance, I will always remember those times that we'd go to Cabadiangan, Compostela when Don Ernesto Veloso, my grandmother Asuncion Segura's half-brother would invite us for his birthday celebrations. It was then that I learned that the entire Segura family evacuated to the safety of Cabadiangan, where my father, Jesus Avila, who were neighbors with the Seguras in Parian also went along. He later married my mother at the church in Compostela.

It was there during lunches that the Seguras would relate their experiences or exploits of World War II and I would listen intently about that war that I missed. Tio Manning, who was with the guerrilla group under Col. James Cushing, came up with the most interesting stories that kept me wide-eyed. I guess it was because of his being an advance officer of the Reserve Officers Training Corps at the University of the Philippines.

He was still in his senior years in college when he was called to active duty as a 3rd Lieutenant in the Infantry when World War II broke out. Whenever I'm with Tio Manning, there is never a dull moment as we would talk endlessly about those days that Cebu was under the Japanese occupation. But I had a problem in listening to him talk about his exploits…because apparently, there was no one within the group under Col. Cushing who wrote those stories of courage that happened right here in Cebu.

Then in 1975, Tio Manning wrote his first book, "Tabunan: The Untold Story of the Famed Cebu Guerrillas of World War II. Then he followed this with his other book "The Koga Papers" in 1992. Tio Manning was involved in numerous attacks against the Japanese in places like Minglanilla, Malubog, Toledo, the Battle of Babag Ridge where 650 Japanese soldiers were killed and he was involved in the capture of Rear Admiral Shigeru Fukudome the Chief of Staff of Admiral Mineichi Koga who took over the Command of the Combined Imperial Fleet of the Japanese Navy.

Col. Segura wrote in his book "The Koga Papers", his story was validated by another book written by Steven Trent Smith who wrote "The Rescue" wherein he quoted heavily from the Koga Papers. This was the story where the highest ranking Japanese official was captured by Cebuano guerrillas when their Kawanishi flying boat supposedly flying together with Admiral Koga crashed (because of a typhoon from Palau) between San Fernando and Perrelos, Carcar. Koga's plane was never found.

I have already written about the exploits of the Guerrillas under Col. Cushing in my previous columns as these are stories that you will never read in our History classes. But the books are available, like the books I got from my other uncle Dr. Alfredo Segura who gave me the book "Under the Southern Skies: The Saga of the American Division 1942-1945" and the other book "Orchids in the Mud: A personal account by veterans of the 132 Infantry Regiment." These are accounts by the soldiers who came to Cebu to liberate us from our Japanese occupiers.

There is no doubt that Cebu lost a favorite son, who even after the war continued on in the military. He never became a general because under the Marcos dictatorship, he did not want to be used by his superiors who kowtowed to the Marcos dictatorship. He was one soldier who retired without getting any hefty pension or the "pabaons" that many high-ranking AFP officers would get. This is why I'm proud to be related to one of Cebu's greatest war heroes who fought in World War II for our freedoms. May we request the pious reader to please pray for the repose of his soul.

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