top of page

Colonel Joseph Newsome

B Company, 228th Assault Support Helicopter Battalion

The humid jungle erupted in artillery and small arms fire, trees bursting all around the men of H troop. Staff Sergeant Longerbone orders his men into position to effectively support the rifle troops in taking the Kapatalan Sawmill, the chokepoint separating the 7th Cavalry Regiment and their target of Infanta. The fighting was fierce, culminating in a pitched battle on the floor of the sawmill, however without men like Staff Sergeant Longerbone, the battle could have been lost, resulting in a delay in ending the campaign on Luzon and costing the United States even more lives.

Staff Sergeant Howard Weldon Longerbone was born on August 10th, 1918 in Pickaway County, Ohio to John and Lora Longerbone, though grew up in Mount Sterling in Madison County. He served as a police officer in Mount Sterling, eventually becoming the town's police chief. On August 15th, 1944, Longerbone was inducted into the army at Fort Hayes, Ohio, training for deployment overseas to fight in World War II. He sailed from California, arriving in the Philippines on April 18th, 1945 before being assigned to H Troop, 2nd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. H Troop was the 2nd Squadron's heavy weapon company, which retained anti-tank guns, heavy mortars, and heavy machine guns to support the entire Squadron during the campaign
 

SSgt Longerbone joined the 1st Cavalry Division in the middle of the Luzon Campaign, missing the liberation of Manila and the crippling of the Japanese Shimbu Line. When he joined H Troop, the 2nd Squadron was temporarily assigned to the 8th Cavalry Regiment as they fought to liberate the barrio (town) of Lipa. 2nd Squadron was tasked with mopping up operations as the 8th Cavalry Regiment advanced. On April 23rd, the 8th Cavalry Regiment and 2nd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment were ordered to assist the 11th Airborne Division in destroying remnants of the Shimbu Line under the command of Japanese General Tomoyuki Yamashita near Mt. Mataasna Bundoc. The reinforced regiment fought fiercely against the Japanese on the mountain for three days when the squadron was returned to its parent regiment, moving from the mountain to Siniloan. Since the beginning of April, the 7th Cavalry Regiment was engaged in fierce fighting near Siniloan, namely on the east and north slopes of Mt. Malepunyo where the Japanese had dug in deep, fighting tenaciously against the American advance.

Click on a photo in this slideshow for a closer look or click on the arrows at the edges of the slideshow to look through the photos.

bottom of page