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<img src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources-25/ramon-subejano.avif" alt="Ramon S. Subejano" loading="lazy" />
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(Private Ramon Simpas Subejano)
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<h3>
Early Life and Journey to America
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Ramon S. Subejano was born in 1905 in New Lucena, Iloilo, Philippines, the eldest of four siblings, followed by Honorio, Victorino, and Lucila Subejano Sabido. In 1927, at the age of 22, he left his homeland as a stowaway on a freighter bound for the United States, seeking a new life. Upon arriving, he found work as a merchant marine, traveling to ports worldwide. His adventurous spirit led to a stroke of luck when he won $32,000 in a casino, which he used to purchase a pool hall in Brooklyn. However, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Depression" class="news-link-ext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Great Depression</a> wiped out his investment, forcing him to take a job as a busboy to make ends meet. Subejano's early years in America were defined by resilience in the face of economic hardship.
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<h3>
World War II Service and Heroism
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In 1942, Subejano was drafted into the U.S. Army and assigned to Company A, 358th Infantry Regiment, 90th Infantry Division. As a scout sniper, he saw combat in some of the most intense battles of the European theater, including Normandy Beach, the Ardennes, Northern France, the Netherlands, and the Rhineland. His service was marked by extraordinary bravery, despite being wounded four times, including once by a bayonet.
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Subejano's most notable act of valor occurred on December 7, 1944, near Dillingen, Germany. Under heavy 20mm cannon fire, machine gun barrages, and hand grenade explosions, he single-handedly stormed an enemy stronghold. Moving room to room, he killed five German soldiers, wounded six, and forced 37 others to surrender. This act of "gallantry in action" earned him the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Star" class="news-link-ext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Silver Star</a>, one of the U.S. military's highest honors. Over the course of the war, Subejano was credited with killing over 400 enemy soldiers and was the sole survivor of his unit in one battle. His bravery earned him 17 medals, including the Purple Heart with two Oak Leaf Clusters for his wounds, as well as decorations from the French, Dutch, and Belgian governments.
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At the war's end, Subejano was flown to London for a victory parade, where he was presented to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_VI" class="news-link-ext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">King George VI</a> and <a href="" class="news-link-ext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Sir Winston Churchill</a>, a testament to his status as a war hero. Despite his heroics, he was honorably discharged as a <i>Private First Class</i>, a rank that belied his extraordinary contributions.
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Ramon S. Subejano: The Unsung Valor of a Filipino-American Warrior