In this biography
Quick facts
- Born
- 29 December 1907
- Died
- 18 January 1998
- Birthplace
- Barrio Tagsing, Leon, Iloilo, Philippines
- Country
- Philippines
- Nationality
- Filipino
- Known for
- Restoring an artillery position under fire at Culis during the Battle of Bataan
- Wartime unit
- Battery B, 88th Field Artillery
- Action at Culis
- 16 January 1942
- Award
- United States Medal of Honor
- Final Army rank
- Captain
Why this life matters
Calugas connects battlefield initiative, the suffering of Filipino prisoners and covert resistance in one of the best-documented individual stories of the Philippine campaign.
Timeline
Key moments
Born in Iloilo
Born in Barrio Tagsing, Leon, on 29 December.
Joined the Philippine Scouts
Entered the United States Army formation and trained as an artilleryman.
Restored the gun at Culis
Crossed 1,000 yards under fire, organised volunteers and returned a disabled artillery piece to action.
Survived surrender and the Death March
Became a prisoner after Bataan and concealed the order announcing his award.
Aided guerrilla intelligence
After release to a rice mill, secretly gathered intelligence and later escaped to join guerrillas.
Received the Medal of Honor
The award was formally presented at Camp Olivas after liberation.
A Philippine Scout trained for artillery
Jose Cabalfin Calugas joined the Philippine Scouts in 1930. The Scouts were Filipino soldiers serving in the United States Army during the American colonial period, and their artillery units became a core part of the defence when Japan invaded.
Calugas trained as an artilleryman and was serving as a mess sergeant with Battery B, 88th Field Artillery, during the withdrawal into Bataan. His assignment was logistical, but his technical training remained decisive.
The action at Culis
On 16 January 1942, Japanese fire disabled a nearby battery position and killed or wounded its gun crew. The official Medal of Honor citation records that Calugas ran 1,000 yards across shell-swept ground without orders, organised a volunteer squad and returned the gun to effective fire.
The act is often retold as a single moment of heroism. Its context matters: Filipino and American units were already fighting with shrinking supplies while attempting to hold defensive lines across the peninsula.
Captivity, intelligence and a delayed award
After Bataan surrendered in April, Calugas endured the Death March and captivity. He hid the general order announcing his Medal of Honor so that guards would not identify him for harsher treatment. Released to work at a rice mill in January 1943, he secretly helped a guerrilla spy network and escaped later that year.
Calugas received the medal at Camp Olivas on 30 April 1945. He later became a United States citizen, retired from the Army as a captain in 1957 and settled in Tacoma, Washington, where he died in 1998.
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions about Jose Calugas
- Who was Jose Calugas?
- Jose Calugas was a philippine Scout, Medal of Honor recipient and guerrilla agent. Calugas connects battlefield initiative, the suffering of Filipino prisoners and covert resistance in one of the best-documented individual stories of the Philippine campaign.
- What is Jose Calugas best known for?
- Jose Calugas is best known for restoring an artillery position under fire at Culis during the Battle of Bataan.
- When and where was Jose Calugas born?
- Jose Calugas was born on 29 December 1907 in Barrio Tagsing, Leon, Iloilo, Philippines.
- When did Jose Calugas die?
- Jose Calugas died on 18 January 1998.
Sources and further reading
How this biography was checked
Core dates and offices are checked against the sources below. This profile was last reviewed on 9 September 2026.
