This document is an official military communication from Company L, 78th Infantry, 7th Military District, United States Forces in the Philippines (USFIP), dated 3 February 1945, and appears to have originated from Fort Suster. The 7th Military District was the principal guerrilla force operating against the Japanese in the Central and Southern Visayas (Negros, Cebu, and Bohol) during the Japanese occupation. The subject is an "Arrest, Request for" and lists sixteen enlisted men who were reported Absent Without Leave (AWOL), along with the number of days they had been missing (ranging from 3 to 31 days). This type of internal military correspondence offers a glimpse into the operational challenges of maintaining discipline and personnel accountability within the guerrilla forces. Dated just as the Allied forces were intensifying the liberation of the Philippines (the Battle of Manila had just begun), it highlights the internal struggles of the resistance movement, which, despite its dedication, had to contend with issues like desertion or temporary absence common in protracted, irregular warfare. The document is signed by 2d Lieut. U. S. Moncal for the Commanding Officer.
Arrest request for soldiers Absent Without Leave (AWOL) from the 78th Infantry, USFIP 7th Military District, Cpt-1, Fort Suster