Commanding Officer, 66th Infantry Regiment, USAFIL-NL, World War II

In a time when weapons were not of avail, the courage of the warrior was literally a savage spirit in battle. The belief in a warrior and its parallel concepts defined a brave experienced fighter, essentially of interest in former times. Distinctive of the Ybaloi ethnic group, the warrior is regarded superior with elite social status of mythical quality. A warrior is expected to possess the discipline to exert both mentally and physically to triumph in conflict with a competent adversary; in decisive protection of tribe and ancestral homeland of equal importance. A life deliberately placed in danger rather momentously for the propagation of kin; shows to say that the survival or extinction of tribe constitutes the incontestable rudiments of traditional knowledge - thus the veneration of The Warrior.

Honourable Maj. Dennis Masa'ao Molintas was a savvy intellectual and inordinate leader - with or without authority. His leadership and acts of courage compelled the duty of many, many tribe warriors during the final battles in the capture of Japanese Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita, in fact an instrumental closure of World War II. It was destiny. Dennis was principal of a settlement farm school when appointed by American lieutenant colonels who had escaped capture in Bataan: Arthur Noble and Martin Moses. Dennis was to form the 12th Infantry Regiment over the course of the war.

Learn more about Molintas' story at https://www.igorotage.com/blog/p/w2Naw. His wife and daughter were given American citizenship; United States Armed Forces in the Philippines-North Luzon Baguio-Benguet, Incorporated (USAFIP-NL BAGUIO-BENGUET, INC.) is a non-sectarian, nonprofit organization of World War II veterans founded on March 30, 1981, by the founders of the American Legion Molintas-Dangwa post.