When Love Begins in San Antonio (English version)

Chapter 1

One week before...

April 2, 1942

The clock on the wall ticked steadily as silence enveloped the room.

A rotary phone sitting at the corner of a desk next to stacked papers piling on the desk while a few of the documents were scattered all over, stained with an ink from the last signed paper.

A man standing still, deep in thoughts was leaning against the wall looking out at the window, his hand to his chin.

There came a knocking on the door. A guard walked in.

"Bad news, Sir." The guard began. "The imperial Japanese forces are advancing on the province of Bataan. The Filipinos and US Troops are having difficulty holding ground, sir, as ordered by the general. We are greatly outnumbered. They are needing more reinforcements but every sea route and passageway were already blocked by the Japanese forces."

The man turned to the window again while still in deep thoughts. 

There was silence.

Suddenly the door flew open and another official barged into the room, "Captain Philip. I have urgent news from the general." 

"What is it?" Philip asked, with no expression on his face. 

"The soldiers have received orders from the headquarters to withdraw the cavalry. We need to withdraw our aerial attacks." The military official answered. He looked a lot older than the two men in the room. Larger in size and appeared to be somewhere in his forties. 

Philip is the youngest commander of the US army. At twenty-eight, he has led his army to victory and has achieved more than other soldiers could in their lifetime. Because of his skills in strategic warfare and extraordinary intelligence, he was granted the position of the commander.

As a matter of fact, he had already expected the possible events due to the lack of training of their troops and new recruits.But they needed to get moving according to the order of General Douglas MacArthur before escaping to the north of Australia, that they needed to heighten the security in the island of Bataan where one of their military base is located. 

Along with General MacArthur's escape to Australia was the promise he made to the Philippines, 'I shall return'. To which he fulfilled after two long years. 

"What should we do now, sir? Should we start recruiting more--"

"No" Philip responded with a serious look. He dropped his arms from crossing them as he moved closer to his messy desk. "We have no time for that. Send in more troops. We need to reposition our forces. The general's third force is organized to defend the Visayan and Mindanao islands. We need them transferred to Luzon and increase the security in the island of Corregidor."

"Send in more troops."

"But Captain, even if we gather the rest of the military troops, we might not make it in time to prevent the Japanese forces from capturing the whole town."

"But we can slow them down. We cannot stay here and wait. They will advance to Corregidor after they capture the province. We need to slow them down before they destroy the last military base."

"What about the reserve forces positioned in the Luzon area, sir? Should we also have them transferred?" the younger soldier asked.

"We can not touch the reserve forces," said the official. "They only operate under the command of the general."

"But sir, even if we gather all the remaining troops, we might not make it in time to stop the Japanese forces from capturing the town." The soldier said worriedly.

"But we can delay their attack," said Philip, "Once they capture the town, they will advance to the Corregidor island. We need to slow them down before they destroy the last military base."

When the soldier and the official had left, Philip made his way outside the office and headed straight to the training ground. 

His arms were behind his back as he slowly walked while observing the army in the middle of their training. 

A soldier named Thomas approached him, serving as Philip's right hand. They had been classmates since they were teenagers. They both grew up almost side by side. They also completed their military training in the U.S. together, where Philip achieved the highest marks.

They weren't close like typical friends due to the seriousness of their work. Thomas, although busy with his duties, had a knack for joking around and had a lighthearted demeanor. In contrast, Philip, who was serious and spoke sparingly, often treated his peers with a cold and distant manner.

"How are they holding up?" Philip asked him.

"Admirably, Captain," answered Thomas. "These recruits are adpating quickly."

Philip just nodded. Sometimes, the punishments he imposed on anyone who violated his orders or disobeyed him were severe. There were instances when he allowed the soldiers to endure the intense heat of the sun, or they had to run back and forth a thousand times while carrying heavy sacks on their shoulders.

His methods may seem intentionally harsh, but beneath it lies his goal of teaching soldiers resilience and discipline,  the fundamental characteristics of a good soldier. No matter how skilled one is in combat, without self-discipline, it will lead to their downfall.

Self-discipline provides soldiers with the ability to endure and work under extreme pressure. The physical and mental resilience that comes from discipline helps them maintain their readiness in any situation.