The Villa Verde Trail, a 27-mile path in northern Luzon, Manila, was a narrow, densely vegetated mountain path. Deeply entrenched along this trail was elements of Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita’s Shobu fighting force — 8,000 well-trained, disciplined and fanatical soldiers of within the Japanese army.

The trail intersected Highway 5, a major Japanese highway and supply route. To eliminate the Japanese from Villa Verde would help to secure one of the few routes to the Cagayan Valley in Luzon.

Gen. Walter Krueger, commander of the Sixth Army, knew the task would be no easy feat.

“The enemy had made good use of the terrain which, with its sharp ridges and deep ravines, was ideally adapted for defense. He had dug innumerable caves, had provided defense positions on the reverse slopes of the ridges

See Full Page