| Summary |
The purpose of this study is to examine the role performed by American marine units during the Philippine Insurrection; to analyze the problems they encountered In conventional military combat tactics, counter-guerrilla operations, and civilian pacification tasks; and to evaluate their achievements. A close examination of American military history will clearly Indicate that this nation's involvement in small, limited, guerrilla wars Is not a recent phenomenon, contrary, the armed forces of the United States have a wealth of such experiences which bear a striking resemblance to many political-military clashes of the post-World War Two. Consider such past conflicts as the wars with the Barbary pirates, the wars against the American Plains Indian, the Boxer Rebellion, and the Mexican and Caribbean interventions in the first three decades of this century. Each was small In expenditure of national and economic resources, each was limited in political objectives in that the total destruction of the adversary was not a prerequisite for victory, and each required combat operations against irregular or partisan land and/or naval forces, i.e., a guerrilla war. The Philippine Insurrection was such a conflict, and further, its nature was that of a war of national liberation directed by Asians against a Western power, and carried out in a Jungle terrain. It is for these reasons that this particular conflict has been chosen. Although the American army and navy had actively engaged in hostilities against the Filipino insurgent, the focus of this paper is on the combat operations of the United States Marine Corps because of their widely varied experiences. Their mission involved them in land actions which included conventional military battles, anti-guerrilla campaigns, and civilian pacification activities. Moreover, the diverse nature of these seaborne soldiers also suited them for naval, amphibious, and riverine operations. The writer believes that the military and political lessons learned firsthand by these American regulars are highly relevant and deserve examination in our contemporary world. |
