Vicente Lim

Vicente P. Lim was born on February 24, 1888, in the town of Calamba in La Laguna (now Laguna), and was the third of Jose Ayala Lim Yaoco and Antonia Podico's four children. As a Chinese Filipino, His father was a full-blooded Sangley (Chinese migrant) who braided his hair in a queue, while his mother, Antonia Podico, was a Mestiza de Sangley (Chinese mestiza). Jose Lim died when Vicente was just nine years old, leaving Vicente's mother to raise him and his three siblings from the earnings of a small business. Vicente and the other Lim children, Joaquin, Olympia and Basilisa, like many Chinese Filipinos, grew up identifying themselves as Filipinos. Among the friends of Jose Lim and Antonia Podico-Lim was the family of José Rizal, who was later recognized as the Philippines' national hero. The Lim Family, like the Rizal Family, leased land owned by the Dominican Order: rice lands in the Calamba barrios of Lecheria and Real and sugar land in Barrio Barandal. In 1891, recurring disputes between the Spanish administrators of the Dominican estate and the tenants over rental rates and conditions came to a head and resulted in the eviction of many tenants from their lands. Among the victims were the Lim and Rizal families. He went on to become a teacher in a public school in Santa Cruz, Manila for a year. He decided to pursue further studies and returned to Philippine Normal. Vicente was an outstanding student, getting top marks in mathematics, as well as in other subjects. He was as good an athlete as he was a student. Impressed by his athletic skills and intelligence, a supervisory teacher encouraged Vicente to take the entrance examinations for the United States Military Academy at West Point. While Vicente only placed second in these exams issued by the Philippine Bureau of Civil Service, his 99% score in Mathematics won him the coveted scholarship. In 1910, Vicente became the first Filipino to enter West Point. ==Education at the United States Military Academy at West Point (1910–1914)==

"A birth date more amenable to Academy regulations" Army records reflect his birth date as April 5, 1888. By the time Lim reported to the United States Military Academy on March 1, 1910, he had already passed his 22nd birthday, which made him technically ineligible to enter the academy. While Lim took the West Point qualifying examinations in 1908, which would have made him eligible to report to the academy in March 1909, it is likely that the process of shipping required documents back and forth across the Pacific simply took too long. It thus became necessary to "indulge in the time-honored practice of adopting a birth date more amenable to Academy regulations." His skin was darker than that of his American classmates, who were largely ignorant about the Philippines and thought that the Philippine Islands were inhabited by savages. These factors (and perhaps the racial prejudices that were still prevalent during that period), earned Vicente the nickname "Cannibal". Cadet life For the first Filipino cadets who entered West Point, there was little incentive to excel academically. Filipino products of the academy were restricted to entering service with the Philippine Scouts (then exclusively organized as an infantry unit) after graduation, whereas the regular privilege for top-ranking graduates was a choice of career path (engineers, coast artillery, cavalry and infantry, in the order of usual preference). The first Filipino graduate of West Point After four years and having survived all the rigors of West Point, Vicente P. Lim graduated from the United States Military Academy on June 12, 1914, ranking 77th in a class of 107. Graduating was in itself an achievement, as the class of 1914 originally started out with 133 cadets. Lim was the only foreign cadet to graduate that year, in a class that originally included one cadet from Cuba and another from Ecuador. ==Early military career==

The outbreak of World War I and Lim's initial assignments Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy, Vicente Lim was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Philippine Scouts. Prior to returning home to the Philippines, the young Lieutenant was sent to Europe to observe and study the set-up of the armies there. At the outbreak of the First World War, Lim was marooned in Berlin. To make his way back to the Philippines, Lim had to travel via the Trans-Siberian Railway, and had "quite an adventurous time making his way across Siberia." Lim eventually made it back to the Philippines, and was given his first assignment with a Scout garrison in Fort San Pedro, Iloilo in Western Visayas. Lim was later assigned to the island fortress of Corregidor. In 1916, Lim began teaching at the Academy for Officers of the Philippine Constabulary in Baguio City (the academy was later renamed the Philippine Constabulary Academy, and eventually evolved into the present-day Philippine Military Academy). Lim taught courses in Military Art, Military Law and Topography and also handled Equitation and Athletics. However, the uncertainty brought about by the situation then, forced Lim to press for a quick engagement and an early wedding. A military wedding was held in Quiapo Church on August 12, 1917. Soon after the wedding, Lim and his bride departed for Jolo and later on, Zamboanga, where Lim was assigned. First clash with General Douglas MacArthur and other controversies Just as he did during his days at West Point, Lim never hesitated to make his displeasure known towards unfair treatment and discrimination against Filipino officers on the basis of race. As early as 1914, Lim complained to Manuel L. Quezon about the "insults and petty harassment he had suffered because of his color". In 1922, as a captain stationed with the 45th Infantry Regiment, Philippine Scouts at Fort McKinley (now Fort Bonifacio), Lim refused an order to transfer to Corregidor "when it became apparent that the reason for the order was to free living quarters at the Fort for incoming American officers." The Commanding General of the Scout Brigade at McKinley, General Douglas MacArthur, relented, and allowed Lim to remain at his post. It would not be the last time that Lim would clash with the army brass on similar issues. Lim advocated for the equal treatment of Filipino officers within the United States Army, specifically regarding compensation, promotion, and professional respect. An anecdote often cited to illustrate his stance involves an incident where a lower-ranking American serviceman refused to salute him. In response, then-Major Lim reportedly ordered the soldier to face a hat stand holding his officer's cap and salute it repeatedly until ordered to stop. While Lim was mostly vocal on issues related to discrimination in the Army, he was equally vocal on the importance of maintaining a certain standard among its officer corps. He did not shy away from giving critiques of his fellow officers in the Philippine Scouts (Americans included) who were "unfit" to serve. In 1927, Lim wrote Major John Sullivan, assistant to General Frank McIntyre, the Bureau of Insular Affairs Chief: "I have many friends in the Scouts, but I can frankly state that as a whole they are the greatest handicap for the government ... The great majority of them are even disgusted with their own selves." Lim was a staunch believer that the strength of any military organization was a function of the quality of its corps of officers. It was a cause he would continue to champion later on in his career, during the formation of the fledgling Philippine Army. Further military education The passage of the National Defense Act of 1920 finally allowed Filipino officers to be assigned to various military schools in the United States for further military education. In 1926, Vicente Lim was assigned to the United States Army Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia. It was at Benning that Lim became classmates with Akira Nara, who would later on command the Japanese 65th Brigade, one of the Japanese Army's invading units during the Battle of Bataan (Lieutenant General Nara became notorious for having ordered the slaughter of over 350 men of the 91st Division, Philippine Army (USAFFE) ). Upon completion of his training at Benning, Lim was sent for further studies to the United States Army Command and General Staff College (USACGSC) at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas. In 1928, Lim continued his extended stay in the United States, and he was subsequently assigned to the Army War College in Washington, D.C. As part of the coursework, then-Major Lim wrote a thesis in April 1929 entitled, "The Philippine Islands - A Military Asset". The paper was praised by the Commandant of the War College, Major General William D. Connor, as a "study of exceptional merit made at The Army War College". General Connor would go on to forward the document to the War Plans Division, War Department General Staff for reference, "being of interest to that Division". As it would turn out, the paper would accurately predict the conduct of the campaign Japan would eventually launch against Filipino and American forces in the Philippines in 1941–1942. These advanced courses enhanced Lim's knowledge of military science and further honed his keen military mind. At the outbreak of World War II, this same education and training would prove invaluable, as Lim was the only Filipino at that time to have attended the USACGSC and the Army War College. This made him the only Filipino General technically qualified to command a division. Colegio de San Juan de Letran Lim returned to the Philippines in 1929 and was appointed the professor of military science and tactics (PMS&T) at Colegio de San Juan de Letran and raised the standards of the training program there. Retirement from the US Army After more than 350 years of foreign rule and almost 40 years after the first declaration of Philippine independence at Kawit, Cavite, the Philippines took the penultimate step towards self-rule. On November 15, 1935, the Commonwealth of the Philippines was established. The first act of the Commonwealth Government, the National Defense Act or Commonwealth Act. No. 1 (enacted on December 21, 1935), laid out the country's National Defense Policy and established the Army of the Philippines, a force completely separate from that of the United States'. Lim's West Point education and his completion of command and general staff programs in the United States, made him a natural nominee to aid in the establishment of a national defense system for the Philippines. However, Lim was faced with a dilemma: either to stay on with the US Army as a lieutenant colonel and complete the required tenure for a full pension, or to join the fledgling Philippine Army, sacrifice his tenure and get less pay. Lim ultimately decided to do the latter; he retired from the United States Army June 30, 1936. He joined the Philippine Army and was immediately given the rank of brigadier general. == Boy Scouts ==

On October 31, 1936, Lim along with Col. Josephus Stevenot, Senator Manuel Camus, General Carlos Romulo, Executive Secretary Jorge Vargas, Don Gabriel Daza, and Arsenio Luiz, officially chartered the BSP in Commonwealth Act No. 111 authorized by President Manuel Quezon. The Boy Scouts of the Philippines celebrate Lim's U.S. army records April 5 birthday as "Vicente Lim Day (1888)". ==Formation of the Philippine Army==

Lim was appointed chief of the War Plans Division of the Central General Staff of the Philippine Army. He was first assigned to the War Plans Division; quoting from his own letter, "Some of you who are on the inside of the War Department might have read my strategic reconnaissance of every corner of this country. I found that we have the manpower to defend our vital areas, and God has given us the advantage of our natural terrain features to effectively give a nice showing against any first class power. But because of our lack of finance we are struggling hard economically to solve this problem." On April 4, 1939, Lim became Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army of the Philippines. Like he did on issues of discrimination against Filipino soldiers in the US Army, Vicente clashed with MacArthur and other top brass on the strategy being employed in building up the country's National defense. He believed that it was being built up too rapidly with no solid foundation to stand on. Most of the officers and recruits were half-baked and poorly trained. This was in addition to the fact that at the very core of the Army's organization, there was rampant corruption. As a more convenient and cheaper way to build up the Philippine Army, the National Defense Act of 1935 re-designated the Brigadier General Vicente Lim Philippine Constabulary (then the country's national police force) to become nucleus of the new Army. This, in Vicente's view, was a fundamental mistake. Vicente believed that the Army should be built from the ground up, so that it may develop its own unique traditions, ideology and esprit de corps. This was also to ensure that none of the 'rotten eggs' and flawed systems from the PC would be perpetuated in the new Army. On many occasions, Vicente threatened to resign from the Army, on account of his disgust with the institution, and the fact that he was "surrounded by crooks," with "... no power nor influence to eliminate them". ==World War II and the Battle of Bataan==

The formation and mobilization of the 41st Infantry Division, Philippine Army Integration into the USAFFE Up until December 1941, the United States had carefully maintained its neutrality, even as Japanese forces continued to wage war on the Chinese mainland and as Adolf Hitler's U-Boats menaced merchant shipping in the Atlantic Ocean. While America avoided being in a state of open conflict with any state, it did support the war efforts of the United Kingdom, Soviet Union, and China against the Axis powers by sending weapons, supplies and materials under the Lend-Lease program. However, heightened tensions across the globe, deteriorating negotiations with Japan and the failure of all diplomatic efforts to halt Japanese aggression in the Far East, made it clear that it would only be a matter of time before the United States' involvement would entail more than just sending material aid to its allies. Japanese occupation of naval and air bases in Formosa and southern Indochina in July 1941, and the increasingly precarious situation and location of the Philippines (being in between Japan and the resource-rich Dutch East Indies), only added to the certainty that US interests in the Philippine Islands and the rest of the Pacific were directly under threat. As early as 1906, American pre-war military planning – the reality of having to fight a two-front war – "Europe First" strategy, wherein it was deemed that (the need to defeat Nazi Germany first, while fighting a holding action against Japan in the Pacific), there was increased optimism among American military leaders regarding the feasibility of defending the Philippines against a Japanese invasion. Materials were also sent to the Philippines in an effort to protect American interests in the Islands and in the Far East. On July 27, 1941, the USAFFE (United States Army Forces in the Far East) was created, leading to the integration of the Philippine Army into the USAFFE. During this transition, Lim stepped down as Deputy Chief of Staff to assume command of the 41st Infantry Division. By September 1, 1941, the mobilization of the Philippine Army was in full swing, marking a significant step in its preparations. In August 1941, as the threat of war loomed closer, President Manuel Quezon issued an order to place the Philippine Army and Philippine Constabulary under the command of the United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE). Even with the problems that plagued the Philippine Army, Vicente realized that the more imminent threat was the fact that there wasn't much time to mobilize a strong defense force for the country. Vicente knew that if the Japanese invaded, he could serve his country better by relinquishing his position as Deputy Chief of Staff (the second highest position in the Army) and assume a field command. He was eventually put in command of the 41st Infantry Division (PA). Recruits came from his home province of Laguna, as well as Rizal, Cavite, Quezon, and Marinduque. Almost all the men were awfully green and untested in combat. The main cantonment area of the 41st Division was set up along the Tagaytay ridge (today, the 41st Division, PA, USAFFE Shrine in Tagaytay marks the general location of the division's camp). Organization of the chain of command Consistent with his long-held belief that the strength of any military unit lies with the men that lead it, General Lim put a lot of thought into how the officers of the 41st Division were organized. He made it a point to get to know his men—their strengths, weaknesses, tendencies and personalities—and organized them, "according to the best principles of command" The 41st Division's area of responsibility was the coastline of Nasugbu, Batangas. There, General Lim's division dug in. Well-designed and organized defenses were set up by the division. However, the men eventually had to abandon the sector, as all units were ultimately ordered to begin withdrawal to Bataan. At the very least, some of the nervous troops of the 41st were assured that their weapons worked, as turtles occasionally triggered improvised warning devices in the dark, causing troops along the line to fire at what they thought to be infiltrating Japanese. The withdrawal to Bataan Despite the ten-hour window between the time news was received about the attack on Pearl Harbor and the first Japanese attacks on the Philippines, American and Filipino forces were still generally caught by surprise. Within hours, many airfields and naval stations were destroyed by Japanese air attacks. Many valuable American aircraft had been caught on the ground, and the bulk of those that survived the initial Japanese raids were sent south to Mindanao, en route to Australia. The US and Philippine Army units meant to contain hostile Japanese landings at the beaches were eventually overwhelmed by the initial Japanese onslaught. It soon became apparent that a withdrawal to Bataan (as called for in War Plan Orange 3) was the best remaining option for Filipino and American forces, and from there, deny the use of Manila Bay by the Japanese. On December 24, 1941, USAFFE headquarters notified all unit commanders that "WPO-3 is in effect". With this, the withdrawal to the Bataan Peninsula began. Like all other units, General Lim's 41st Division was given the order to move out of their positions along the Batangas coast and move out to Bataan that Christmas Eve. Almost all the USAFFE units which made a withdrawal from the beaches had to make a fighting retreat. General Lim's division however, in the course of its withdrawal from the Batangas coast to Bataan (through Manila), was fortunate not to have come in contact with any hostile forces. Thus, the Division entered Bataan intact. Acquisition of supplies With the hurried withdrawal of the USAFFE to Bataan, the defenders had to deal with the unfortunate reality that much of their vital supplies simply could not be brought into the peninsula in time. Thus, historical accounts that discuss the Battle of Bataan invariably touch on the meager rations that all the Filipino and American defenders relied on during the course of the gallant stand. Fortunately for the men of the 41st Division, their situation was slightly more favorable, at least during the initial phase of the battle. A paper written by Col. Juanito R. Rimando in 1978 described Brigadier General Vicente Lim as a commander who was "very particular about the Division's status on supplies and food". Ensuring that his men were well provided for started with choosing (in General Lim's own words) "the best Quartermaster" available. The Division Quartermaster chosen by General Lim before the war began was Juan O. Chioco, assisted by an equally able Executive Officer, Ernesto D. Rufino. Taking a cue from their Commanding General, both Chioco and Rufino secured supplies on their own initiative, even if it meant not being totally dependent on the Division's "normal sources of supply". On December 28, 1941, there were rumors that the USAFFE had opened its depot in Angeles City and Army units were free to get all the supplies that they needed and could carry. Promptly, Chioco ordered Rufino to take 22 trucks to gather much-needed supplies. Rufino returned with the trucks the next day, hauling large quantities of food, clothing, supplies and other equipment. The supplies were stored at the Balanga Sugar Central. A few days after, an American inspector from higher headquarters arrived at the 41st Division's quartermaster headquarters and was surprised with the large quantity of supplies the Division had. Apparently appalled by what he discovered, the inspector "accused Captain Chioco of hoarding while other units lacked these. He threatened to file court-martial charges against Chioco". The American officer took the matter to General Lim. The officer expected General Lim to side with him, but instead the General "bawled him out like hell and said ... that he's got no business interfering with the affairs of the Division, much more so on ... the way the supplies under question were procured." Rimando writes, "The American inspector left a more subdued individual". The relatively better supply situation of the 41st Division is corroborated in memoirs written by other 41st Division veterans such as Captain Jose M. Zuño. On December 29, 1941, Zuño wrote, "BGen Vicente Lim, 41st Div Commanding Gen distributed bacon and Lucky Strikes cigarettes as Christmas presents, to the officers and men of the division." There can be little doubt that all these played an essential role in making the 41st Infantry Division one of the most effective fighting units during the Battle of Bataan. The defense at Abucay "Lim is the hero of Bataan", states the Philippine Army Bulletin of April 1947, "General Lim's 41st Division made possible the Battle of Abucay, which I believe is the most decisive battle of Bataan. , . At Abucay the Japs for the first time met real opposition. . . Contact at Abucay was about 8 January 1942. The Japs, employing massed artillery followed closely by aggressive infantry action hit the 41st Division. For the next 18 days the Japanese tried to break the 41st Division line and failed. Abucay was abandoned on 25 January when Jap breakthroughs in Moron and Natib made Abucay untenable. . . After Abucay the Japs started to withdraw from Bataan, and resumed their attack in April, thus allowing MacArthur forty precious days for the preparation of Australia as an operational base. If any one factor can be said to have contributed mostly to make Bataan possible, that can be Abucay. And If any one unit can be said to have made Abucay possible that is General Lim's 41st Division. Absolute knowledge that they were to hold at all cost gave those members of the Regiment, who were fighting for their homeland, an additional incentive. The Filipino soldier did not have to be motivated to fight. They were the only Philippine Army unit to have been awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for helping the 57th Infantry Regiment of the Philippine Scouts. 696 casualties from the intense fighting along the Abucay front for the 41st Infantry Regiment out of 1821. The fight for Trail 2 remains one of the finest moments in Philippine Army history. Lull in the fighting and the proposal to counterattack By February 1942, the Japanese had already overshot their original estimate of being able to secure the Philippines within 50 days. The commander of Japanese forces, General Homma, ordered the suspension of offensive operations, in order to regroup and reorganize. As a result, there was a lull in the fighting on Bataan until the middle part of March 1942. General Vicente Lim understood that unless a Japanese soldier was either dead or totally disabled, he was not going to stop attacking. Thus, during the lull, he made a proposal to the high command for a counterattack by USAFFE forces towards San Fernando, Pampanga. General Lim hoped that a counterattack north, would not only regain ground and their previous defensive positions, but would also give the USAFFE a chance to acquire much needed food stocks. He also believed it would provide a much-needed morale boost to the Filipino and American troops. Unfortunately, no counterattack materialized. It will never be known how much success such a counterattack would have actually yielded (and how much it would have really changed the long term course of events), but the admissions of Japanese Generals Homma and Takaji Wachi after the war suggest that there was indeed a great chance of success. So "demoralized and badly mangled" were the invading Japanese, that of its 16th Division and 65th Brigade, only two battalions could be classified 'effective' at the time "To inspire and to lead" The effectiveness of the 41st Division as a fighting unit was as much due to the capability of its leadership, as it was about the bravery and tenacity of its fighting men. Brigadier General Vicente Lim's competence and his ability to get the most out of his men, contributed to making the 41st Division one of the most decorated units in the Battle of Bataan. An excerpt from the memorial article written by his classmates at West Point, best describes the way General Lim led men in battle: "General Lim knew his military science. General Lim had an uncanny faculty of predicting events. General Lim was an excellent judge of men. Although he had gained the reputation in peace time of being rough and outspoken, in war he was father to his men. He was accessible, and gave his counsel when this was sought. He made his subordinates fight by making them feel that upon their personal efforts depended the outcome of the battle." While much praise was showered on General Vicente Lim for his leadership and the performance of his Division, it was his earnest desire to make sure credit was given where it was due. In his last known letter from Bataan, General Lim wrote to his wife: "With all this talk I sincerely give the credit to my officers and enlisted men. They are the ones who did it all. Mine is only to inspire and to lead them. When history is written I will give them all the credit. Their satisfaction is mine to share." The fall of Bataan After almost four months of fighting the Japanese, the elements, hunger and disease, and with their fates already sealed by the decision made by Allied leaders to defeat Hitler's Germany first, the beleaguered defenders of Bataan were simply in no condition and position to effectively resist the enemy's final push to defeat them. The final Japanese offensive for Bataan began on Good Friday, April 3, 1942. The main attack was directed at the center of the main line of resistance, the sector covered by General Lim's 41st Division. The attack was preceded by an intense and sustained aerial and artillery bombardment. The intensity of the bombardment and the use of incendiaries effectively depleted the Division's ability to hold the line. By April 7, 1942, General Lim had assessed that the fight was over. One of Lim's last official acts was to issue a commendation to his division, "Your courageous and tenacious defense of your line for the last five days against tremendous odds and continuous bombing and shelling by the enemy merits my highest praise and commendation. I am proud to lead such a group of men." Lim used his time at the PGH to get back to health. Friends sent him food and other forms of help, and thus was comparatively well provided for. Lim sustained himself at the hospital by using proceeds from the sale of shares he owned in the Mangco Dry Dock. He continued to fight the Japanese using these same funds, personally financing various guerrilla activities in the provinces. Directing all of these operations from the PGH, Lim had his operatives give regular weekly reports about Japanese troop movements, disposition, and military installations. Such information, like those provided by many other brave Filipino guerrillas, greatly contributed to the success of American and Filipino military operations to liberate the Philippines in the latter part of 1944 to 1945. General Lim's involvement in the underground and guerrilla operations inevitably made him a target of the Japanese Military Police. ==Capture and death==

In June 1944, General Lim was ordered to make his way to Australia to join General MacArthur in planning the re-capture of the Philippines. He also received information that he could be picked up by Kempeitai at any time. The decision was made to try to escape from the Philippines. While on route to Negros Island to meet a submarine that was to take him to Australia, the boat General Lim was riding with his companions, was flagged down off the coast of Batangas. The Japanese searched the hold and arrested Lim and his companions when two guns were found in the boat's hold. They were made prisoners and first taken to Calapan, Mindoro for initial investigations before being sent back to Manila. Lim and his companions were imprisoned in Fort Santiago for the duration of the investigation and interrogation. There, Lim was reportedly tortured. The filthy conditions in which prisoners were kept, caused General Lim to contract a skin disease. Despite this, stories from fellow prisoners tell of how General Lim kept the spirits of the other prisoners up, and encouraged them to not lose hope. Eventually, the results of the investigation at Fort Santiago laid a death sentence on Lim. He was transferred to the Kempeitai headquarters at the Far Eastern University and subsequently to the old Bilibid Prison. Nothing was heard of him after his transfer to Bilibid. Records pronounced General Lim "missing" in 1944. It was a full 50 years later, in 1994, that the Lim family was able to make contact with Richard Sakakida, who had actually witnessed General Lim's death. Sakakida, a Nisei, was a United States Army intelligence agent stationed in the Philippines at the outbreak of World War II. He told the family that General Lim, together with some 50 or so guerrillas, were taken to the Chinese Cemetery where a long trench had been dug. They were all made to kneel and subsequently beheaded. Their bodies were then thrown into the trench and covered. General Lim's body was never found. ==Honors, tributes, memorials and legacy==

Legacy Brigadier General Vicente Lim's distinguished service in the military spanned a period of almost 35 years and 2 World Wars. He was a pioneer throughout his career, being the first Filipino to graduate from West Point (and from various general staff schools), a charter member of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines, and a key figure in the formation of a young nation's armed forces. He continued to "inspire and to lead" throughout the gallant stand at Bataan, and the guerrilla resistance. Today, he is remembered as the consummate professional soldier, who never compromised his principles, and stayed true to "Duty, Honor and Country" to the very end. Medals for gallantry and outstanding military service For all his years of serving with distinction in the military and for "exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements" Lim was posthumously awarded the Legion of Merit by the United States Army. Lim was also posthumously awarded the Purple Heart by the United States (awarded for "being wounded or killed in any action against an enemy of the United States or as a result of an act of any such enemy or opposing armed forces"). In recognition of General Lim's bravery and gallantry during the Battle of Bataan, the Philippine government awarded him the Distinguished Conduct Star and the Distinguished Service Star, the Philippines' second, and third highest military awards. He was also given a posthumous honorary rank of Lieutenant General. Monuments and memorials In recognition of his services to the Filipino people, General Lim likeness appears on the Philippine 1,000-peso banknote together with José Abad Santos and Josefa Llanes Escoda. Lim also appears on postage stamps (₱3.20 value) which were first issued on August 22, 1982. In September 1951, the former Camp Paciano Rizal in Calamba, Laguna was renamed Camp General Vicente P. Lim in honor of the revered commanding general of the 41st Infantry Division. The location of the Camp was the site where the 41st Field Artillery Regiment of the 41st Division was mobilized prior to the outbreak of World War II in the Philippines. The Camp once served as the site of the Philippine National Police Academy and the headquarters of the PNP's INP Training Command. Today, Camp Brig. Gen. Vicente P. Lim serves as the Headquarters of Police Regional Office 4A (PRO 4A) CALABARZON, whose area of responsibility covers the five provinces of Region IV A: Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon. Across the Cultural Center of the Philippines, on Roxas Boulevard is a statue of Lim, along with a marker with the inscription: "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. Men should not fear death, but dishonor and defeat. There is nothing more beautiful than to live and die for the defense of one's country against a common enemy. There is nothing meaner and more vile than to yield to that enemy without fighting to the last ditch." - Vicente Lim, March 20, 1941. It is a quote from a speech the General gave to a group of UP ROTC graduates during their commencement exercises. A bust of Brigadier General Vicente P. Lim, is one of six busts featuring various Philippine national heroes in the town square of Hinigaran, Negros Occidental. The Headquarters building at the Philippine Military Academy is named Lim Hall in the General's honor. Various schools across the Philippines (such as the General Vicente Lim Elementary School in Tondo, Manila) are named after Lim. The former Barangay Kaput/Capot in Orion, Bataan is now named Barangay General Lim. Part of one of the more important battles during the Battle of Bataan, the Battle of Trail 2, took place here. Many streets across the Philippines are named after General Vicente Lim. Traditions and annual ceremonies in honor of General Vicente Lim February 24 (General Lim's birthday) Various ceremonies mark the birth anniversary of General Vicente Lim. Ceremonies are held in Camp Brig. Gen. Vicente P. Lim (hosted by the PNP-PRO4), in front of General Lim's statue along Roxas Boulevard (hosted by the City of Manila), as well as the ancestral lot where General Lim was raised in Calamba (hosted and organized by the Masonic Lodge of Calamba - Dr. Jose P. Rizal Lodge No. 270). Rank insignia distribution - Philippine Military Academy A general is easily distinguished from officers of lower rank because of the stars attached to the general's helmet or shoulder boards. The rank insignia of a Lieutenant in the US Army on the other hand, is a bar. General Lim once told his wife Pilar, that receiving his lieutenant's bar upon graduating from West Point was more meaningful and memorable to him than it was receiving his first star as a general. This simple confession became the basis of a rich tradition that has lasted for more than 50 years. Upon leaving the institution, graduates of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) are commissioned as Second Lieutenants or Ensigns in the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Their rank insignia is a triangle, a symbol associated with the Philippine Revolution against Spanish rule in the 1800s. Since 1957, it has been the tradition of the direct descendants of General Vicente Lim to distribute these first rank insignia to the graduating class of the academy. The tradition was initiated by Vicente's wife, Pilar Hidalgo Lim, not only to honor the memory of her late husband, but also, to help impart upon the future leaders of the Armed Forces, the principles which defined his life. ==Other personal details==

General Lim was described by his West Point classmates as "rough and cheerful" and "had a sense of humor". They also described him as someone who "had a kind heart under this rough exterior, and was very considerate of others in the smallest details. He fully absorbed the spirit of West Point, and was always proud that he was a graduate." Furthermore, while Lim had a "reputation ... of being rough and outspoken", he "had human weakness". In Bataan, upon learning that his wife would be broadcasting a message on the radio, General Lim "ran to our radio tent and tears welled from his eyes as he heard his wife's voice and a message from his daughter." later graduated from West Point in June 1944 (around the time of his father's capture). ==Notable quotes==

About his fellow soldiers On service and fighting for one's country On dignity, conviction and principles On preparation On patriotism, democracy and nation building Others ==In film==

Vicente P. Lim is depicted, by Maximiano Romualdez Janairo, Jr. (USMA class of 1954), in the 1955 John Ford movie, The Long Gray Line. In that scene, he is portrayed graduating with the United States Military Academy Class of 1915 (instead of 1914), "the class the stars fell on", perhaps in the context of listing the notable cadets of the period who went on to have outstanding military careers and were made famous by their meritorious service and wartime exploits. ==References==