Wendell Fertig (b.1901 - d.1975) was an American civil engineer in the Philippines, who became a leader of a guerilla force in the Japanese-occupied Southern Philippine island of Mindanao during World War 2. Image File history File links photo of Wendell Fertig File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... 1901 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1975 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... The term civil engineer refers to an individual who practices civil engineering. ... Guerrilla (also called a partisan) is a term borrowed from Spanish (from guerra meaning war) used to describe small combat groups. ... Map of the Philippines showing the island groups of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. ... German soldiers at the Battle of Stalingrad World War II was the most extensive and costly armed conflict in the history of the world, involving the great majority of the worlds nations, being fought simultaneously in several major theatres, and costing tens of millions of lives. ...

Fertig was commissioned as a Captain (reserve) in the United States Army Corps of Engineers at the outbreak of the Second World War in the Pacific (1941). Promoted twice by April 1942, Fertig - by then a Lieutenant Colonel - was sent from Bataan to Mindinao by General King (Luzon Force Commander) to assist General Sharp (Mindanao Force Commander). After the Philippines were surrendered to the Japanese in May 1942, Fertig decided to continue the fight. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... April is the fourth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four with the length of 30 days. ... This article is about the year. ... In the U.S. Army, Air Force and Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a commissioned officer superior to a major and inferior to a colonel. ...

Over the next two and a half years, Fertig created and ran United States Forces in the Philippines (USFIP) with escaped POWS, Filipino natives, rival guerilla groups, and soldiers who had refused to surrender. This was done despite Fertig having no formal military training (he was direct-commissioned into the military). Between 1942 and 1944, USFIP conducted numerous raids against the Japanese Occupation Forces on Mindanao in order to both sustain his operation with captured supplies, and to carry on a harassing operation against the Japanese. In order to be able to lead, Fertig had to promote himself to Brigadier General as he knew that no Filipino would follow a Lieutenant Colonel in a Guerilla operation. This self-promotion did not endear him to General Douglas MacArthur or his staff, but MacArthur did send logistical support to Fertig throughout 1943 and 1944. A Brigadier General, or one-star general, is the lowest rank of general officer in the United States and some other countries, ranking just above Colonel and just below Major General. ... General is a military rank used by nearly every country in the world. ... General Douglas MacArthur aboard a battle ship toward the end of World War two, 1945 Douglas MacArthur (January 26, 1880 – April 5, 1964) was an American military leader. ...

From humble beginnings, USFIP became one of the best equipped and effective irregular units operating in World War 2. In fact, when the submarine USS Narwhal went to Mindanao in 1944 to deliver supplies, they were met by the uniformed band of USFIP playing "Stars and Stripes Forever". Three ships of the United States Navy have been named USS Narwhal for the narwhal, a gray and white arctic whale which averages 20 feet in length, the male of which has a long, twisted ivory tusk of commercial value. ... The Stars and Stripes Forever is a patriotic American march. ...

Fertig was promoted to full Colonel by MacArthur and awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his efforts. After the war ended, Fertig resumed his career as a civil engineer. He is widely regarded as a hero by the people of Mindanao, and was a highly respected figure among the U.S. Special Forces. He helped found the Army Special Warfare School at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Insignia of a United States Air Force Colonel Colonel is a military rank, usually the highest below general grades, and just above Lieutenant Colonel. ... The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. ... Fort Bragg is a census-designated place and United States Army base, or post, in Cumberland County, North Carolina, near Fayetteville. ... State nickname: Tar Heel State Other U.S. States Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Governor Michael Easley (D) Official languages English Area 139,509 km² (28th)  - Land 126,256 km²  - Water 13,227 km² (9. ...

A lot of military scholars are of the opinion that the failure of the military to promote Fertig to General Officer rank was a travesty perpetuated by General MacArthur's staff. By his efforts in establishing USFIP, Fertig ended up by 1944 commanding a force totaling 30,000 effectives (the equivilent of an Army Corps). A corps (a word that immigrated from the French language, pronounced like English core, but originating in the Latin corpus, corporis meaning body; plural same as singular) is either: a large military unit or formation, or(ii) a regiment with a support function. ...

James Keats' book They Fought Alone accurately describes Fertig's guerilla operation. W. E. B. Griffin's novel Behind the Lines covers the beginning phases, and the top-level political maneuvering.