United States of America: A fine Second World War Battle for the Philippines Capture of Luzon Province February to April 1945 1st Cavalry Division Bronze Star Medal group awarded to Private John Hallberg, 1st Cavalry Division, United States Army. Hallberg came from Galesburg, Knox County, Illinois and worked for a period with the Illinois Emergency Relief Commission in Chicago. He enlisted into the United States Army in April 1941 and then saw service in the Pacific from July 1943 as a member of the 1st Cavalry Division on service in Australia and New Guinea, and then in action against the Japanese in the Admiralty Islands from February 1944, and in Leyte from October 1944. It was however during the fighting for Luzon Province in the Philippines that Hallberg won his Bronze Star Medal ‘for meritorious service’, his award being announced in April 1945, and gained during the period which saw the seizing and securing of crossings over the Marikana River and the securing of the Tagaytay-Antipolo Line. Between February 1944 and July 1945 the 1st Cavalry Division experienced some 521 days of combat, and later became the first United States Division to enter the Japanese capital, Tokyo on September 1945.
Group of 5: United States of America: Bronze Star Medal, reverse officially machine engraved: ‘JOHN HALLBERG’; United States Army Good Conduct Medal, ribbon fitted with bronze clasp with loops indicating the second through third awards; American Campaign Medal 1941-1945; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal 1941-1945, ribbon with three bronze campaign stars attached; World War 2 Victory Medal. All mounted together with pins and popper retaining devices to facilitate wear.
Condition: Good Very Fine.
Together with 11 original photographs of the recipient, many in uniform, some when with his family including his daughter Sidney, one showing him on service in the Asiatic-Pacific theatre of war when on patrol in the jungle and armed.
John Marcus Hallberg, surname sometimes spelt Haelberg in the records, was born on 4 January 1912 in Galesburg, Knox County, Illinois, and later came from Park Ridge, Illinois. Prior to his military service he had been educated for four years in college and was working for the Illinois Emergency Relief Commission at Mose Mart, Chicago. During the Second World War he enlisted into the United States Army at Chicago on 21 April 1941 and after the American entry into the war, was drafted as a Private (No.36027499) to the 1st Cavalry Division, being present on overseas service in the Pacific from July 1943.
The 1st Cavalry Division arrived in Australia on 11 July 1943, and continued its training at Strathpine, Queensland until 26 July when it then moved to New Guinea to stage for the Admiralties’ Island campaign which lasted from 29 February to 18 May 1944. The Division saw its first combat in the Admiralty Islands, units landing at Los Negros Island pm 29 February. Momote airstrip was secured against great odds. Attacks by fanatical Japanese were thrown back, and the enemy force surrounded by the end of March. Nearby islands were taken in April and May.
The Division next took part in the invasion of Leyte on 20 October 1944 and captured Tacloban and the adjacent airstrip, advanced along the north coast, and secured Leyte Valley, with elements landing on and securing Samar Island. Moving down Ormoc Valley in Leyte and across the Ormoc plain, the Division reached the west coast of Leyte on 1 January 1945. The Division then invaded Luzon in the Philippines, landing in the Lingayen Gulf area on 27 January 1945, and fought its way to Manila by 3 February 1945. Here prisoners held in Santo Thomas University were liberated and the division had advanced to Manila by the middle of February before the city was cleared.
On 20 February the Division was assigned the mission of seizing and securing crossings over the Marikana River and securing the Tagaytay-Antipolo Line. After being relieved 12 March in the Antipolo area, elements pushed south into Batangas and Bicol Provinces. They mopped up remaining pockets of resistance in these areas in small unit actions. Resistance was officially declared at an end on 1 July 1945. The Division left Luzon on 25 August 1945 for occupation duty in Japan, arriving in Yokohama on 2 September 1945 and entering Tokyo on 8 September, the first United States Division to enter the Japanese capital.
It was on 20 April 1945 that a newspaper article completed with an image of the recipient was published in the Ridge Park Times Herald, the title reading ‘Awarded Bronze Star Medal for meritorious achievement.’ It goes on to further state that Hillberg ‘has been awarded the bronze star medal for meritorious achievement in connection with military operations against the enemy on Luzon province in the Philippines. The award was made by Brigadier General Hugh Hoffman, commander of the 1st Cavalry Division. Hallberg is a veteran of the Admiralty Islands and Leyte campaigns, and has been overseas since July, 1943.’ It is therefore clear that Hallberg gained his award during the period which saw the seizing and securing of crossings over the Marikana River and the securing of the Tagaytay-Antipolo Line.
Between February 1944 and July 1945 the 1st Cavalry Division had experienced some 521 days of combat, and within its ranks there were 2 Congressional Medal of Honor recipients; 14 Distinguished Service Crosses; 4 Distinguished Service Medals; 542 Silver Stars; 29 Legion of Merits; 29 Soldier Medals; 2,782 Bronze Star Medals; and 66 Air Medals.
By 1951 Hallberg was working as an accountant for a building construction firm in Oakland, Michigan, and married to Charlotte, with one daughter, Sidney, then aged 15. Hallberg died in Las Vegas, Nevada on 25 August 1986. He no lies buried in Davis Memorial Park.
