Ortonville – In September of 1944 Dane Guibert was an 18 year Cass City high school graduate, on a ship headed for the Philippine Islands.
‘Naturally I was scared,? said Guibert.
‘It was my first time away from home and I had no idea what I was going to.?
Fresh out of high school, the World War II veteran was drafted into the Army and suddenly an infantry rifleman with the 11th Airborne Infantry Division.
Landing first in New Guinea, the lack of combat on the island gave Guibert’s unit had a chance to gain land legs again, after the 31 day journey at sea.
The next stop on the Infantry’s 204 day combat campaign was the Philippine Islands.
Drawing closer to the combat theater, Guibert’s unit was apprehensive about the training they were receiving in the enemy laden South Pacific, that had been occupied since shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
‘We were apprehensive because we knew that was the next step,? Guibert said.
‘We knew we were replacements.?
‘Warm bodies so to speak.?
While folks back home were supporting the war by rationing food, fuel and tires, Guibert was learning how to live on K-rations, in a foreign country of rainy mountain terrain, and unfamiliar equipment.
‘It was hard going on patrols in the mountains,? said Guibert.
‘We had trucks and a few tanks but most of our movement was on foot or plane.?
‘We slept in pup tents or fox holes and the nights were very cold and damp,? Guibert said.
By December, the 11th Airborne Division landed in Japanese occupied Luzon Island.
‘I was only 18 years old,? Guibert said.
‘My first fighting combat was in Luzon.?
As the infantry pushed inland to clear an important Japanese supply trail, units of the 11th found themselves in continuous combat actions with Japanese resistance throughout the island. By Feb. 1945 a combined air and sea assault liberated more than 2,000 American and European interned nationals. By May, all resistance in southern Luzon had ended.
Although Guibert is modest about the dangers of front line combat in the action arena, he proudly speaks of the special combat training he received in the Philippines.
Guibert said before the entire Infantry was removed from the area, the 11th Airborne Infantry Division men were offered jump training. If they accepted the three week training they would stay on Luzon to flush out any remaining pockets of enemy resistance.
In a decision that might have cost him his life, Guibert chose to stay on for the training.
‘I stayed and became a paratrooper,? Guibert said.
‘At least two-thirds of us stayed on.?
Although Guibert became a paratroopers, he never had to make a combat jump, Instead he continued to patrol and flush out enemy pockets on the ground. On one of the patrol rounds Guibert was wounded by mortar shrapnel.
‘I was lucky, it wasn’t severe,? Guibert said.
‘I was taken to the rear area of the unit for treatment and a few days later I was back at it.?
The final operation of the Division and Guibert’s final leg of duty was conducted in June of 1945 when the 11th was transported to Honshu, Japan, via Okinawa, for occupation duty.
‘We were the first division in Japan after its occupation,? said Guibert. ‘There were no other Allied forces there yet.?
‘MacArthur set up headquarters in Yokohama and we were his guards while he was there.?
‘We just set up base and held guard duty, just keeping the peace and waiting our turn to come home.?
Soon after the war ended, Guibert came home to receive a Purple Heart for being wounded in the line of duty.
Regarding the honor the 77 year old veteran modestly said, ‘Anyone in combat is in a dangerous environment.?
‘You just worry about yourself, your buddies around you, and you’re glad to see the sun come out the next morning.?