Lieutenant Colonel James M. Cushing (circa 1910 – August 26, 1963) was a
mining engineer
Mining in the engineering discipline is the extraction of minerals from underneath, open pit, above or on the ground. Mining engineering is associated with many other disciplines, such as mineral processing, exploration, excavation, geology, and ...
in
US Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
who commanded the
Philippine resistance against Japan
During the Japanese occupation of the islands in World War II, there was an extensive Philippine resistance movement (Filipino: ''Kilusan ng Paglaban sa Pilipinas''), which opposed the Japanese and their collaborators with active underground a ...
on
Cebu Island
Cebu (; ceb, Sugbo), officially the Province of Cebu ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Sugbo; tl, Lalawigan ng Cebu; hil, Kapuroan sang Sugbo), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 1 ...
in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
during
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 vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
.
[Smith, R.R., 2005, Triumph in the Philippines, Honolulu: University Press of the Pacific, ][CHAPTER 4, Special Operations in the Pacific](_blank)
''U.S. Army Special Operations in World War II'', David W. Hogan, Jr., CMH Publication 70-42 (1992)
Early life
James McCloud Cushing was born at Guadalajara, Mexico, about 1910
[Report of the Death of an American Citizen; Department of State, Foreign Service of the U.S.A.; Manila, Philippines, Sep. 17, 1963] to Canadian-born U.S. citizen George Cushing (1856-1925) and Mexican citizen Simona (De Navares) Cushing (1895-1981). George was a managing director of the Canada Mexico Trading Company.
In 1920, the family was living in El Paso, Texas, and ten year-old "Jimmie's" native tongue was listed as Spanish.
Military
Cushing's forces in the Cebu Area Command numbered about 8,500.
In early 1944, he was instrumental in the
Koga
KOGA is a Dutch bicycle manufacturer based in Heerenveen, Friesland. The company is known for its long time partnership with Japanese frame manufacturer Miyata, producing bicycles and sponsoring racing teams under the brand name Koga Miyata. As ...
affair in which the
Z Plan of the
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrend ...
was recovered by his guerrillas. Cushing traded Japanese admiral
Shigeru Fukudome
was an admiral and Chief of Staff of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.
Biography
Early life and career
Born in Yonago, Tottori prefecture, Fukudome graduated from the 40th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1913, ran ...
and other survivors of a plane crash (but not the captured Z Plan) for the assurance that Japanese forces on Cebu would stop murdering civilians; a promise which the Japanese kept.
In 1945, he was awarded the
Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries.
*Distinguished Service Cross (Australia)
The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is a military decoration awarded to ...
.
Post war
Cushing survived the war and continued living in the Philippines. On August 26, 1963, he and his wife Wilfreda Alao (Sabando) Cushing were on an inter-island transport en route to Mindoro Island from where they lived at TayTay, Palawan Island, when he succumbed to a heart attack.
He was 53 years old. Colonel Cushing was interred in
Libingan ng mga Bayani
Libingan ng mga Bayani (LNMB, , ) is a national cemetery within Fort Andres Bonifacio (formerly Fort William McKinley) in Metro Manila, Philippines.
First established in May 1947 as a fitting resting place for Philippine military personnel fro ...
(Heroes' Cemetery) in Manila.
See also
*
List of American guerrillas in the Philippines
*
Battle of the Visayas
250px, Map of U.S. operations in Southern Philippines, 1945
250px, Japanese troops surrender to the 40th Division, September 1945
The Battle of Visayas (Filipino: ''Labanan sa Visayas;'' Visayan languages: ''Gubat sa Kabisay-an'') was fought by ...
*''The Rescue: A True Story of Courage and Survival in World War II'', Steven Trent Smith, Hoboken:John Wiley & Sons, (2001)
*''TABUNAN: The Untold Story of the Famed Cebu Guerillas of World War II'', Col.
Manuel F. Seguraexcerptshosted by the Cebu Eskrima Society
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cushing, James M.
1910s births
1963 deaths
Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
United States Army colonels
United States Army personnel of World War II
American guerrillas of World War II
Place of birth missing
Burials at the Libingan ng mga Bayani