What whispers linger around the Gen. Vicente Lim Memorial? Here at the Gen. Vicente Lim Memorial we honor a true Filipino hero. This is the story of Gen. Vicente Lim. He embodied duty honor and country.
Gen. Vicente Lim was a Brigadier General in the Philippine Army. More impressively he was the first Filipino to graduate from the US Military Academy at West Point in 1914. Before the Philippine Army existed Lim served as an officer in the Philippine Scouts.
When World War II broke out Gen. Vicente Lim commanded the 41st Division. His division fought bravely in the Battle of Bataan. After Bataan fell he contributed to the Filipino resistance. He did this until his capture.
Imagine the scene. It is 1942. Gen. Vicente Lim a prisoner coordinates resistance from inside a POW camp. He even persuades the Japanese he is still sick. This saved him from hard labor. In late 1942 Gen. Vicente Lim was freed. The Japanese hoped to alienate Filipinos from Americans. But Gen. Vicente Lim immediately rejoined the Philippine guerilla resistance.
In mid-1944 Gen. Vicente Lim was ordered to join General MacArthur in Australia. While trying to leave the Philippines he was captured. The Kempetai the Japanese secret police tortured him. On December 31 1944 Gen. Vicente Lim was executed by firing squad in Manila. He was 56. One of his sons was executed with him. His son served in the guerilla movement. Their bodies were never recovered.
Gen. Vicente Lim received many awards. These include the Legion of Merit and the Purple Heart. He also received the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal. Other awards include the World War II Victory Medal and the Defense of the Philippines Campaign Ribbon.
Gen. Vicente Lim’s legacy lives on. He is remembered on the Philippine 1000 Peso banknote. He shares this honor with José Abad Santos and Josefa Llanes Escoda. His words echo through time “We are born to live a life which is valuable only if we live it unselfishly not for our own gratification nor for that of our family but for our country.”
The Gen. Vicente Lim Memorial stands as a symbol of courage. It represents selfless service. It reminds us of the high price of freedom. It urges us to remember Gen. Vicente Lim’s sacrifice.