Raid on Los Baños Memorial

On 23 February 1945, a combined force of US paratroopers, Filipino guerrillas, and amphibious troops launched a raid on a Japanese internment camp at what is now the UPLB campus, freeing 2,147 Allied civilian and military prisoners — mostly American, British, and European civilians who had been interned since the Japanese occupation in 1942.

A memorial on the UPLB campus marks the site of the original internment camp. The raid is remembered as a remarkable feat of coordination and courage, and the anniversary is marked each February at the campus. The Raid on Los Baños has been the subject of several books and a documentary, and is a significant episode in the history of the Pacific War in the Philippines.

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The 1945 Raid on Los Baños was executed at 7:00am, precisely coordinated with a parachute drop, amphibious landing from Laguna de Bay, and a ground attack. All 2,147 prisoners were freed in 45 minutes with no Allied deaths. Military historians consider it one of the most perfectly executed rescue operations in history. The Japanese had scheduled the prisoners for execution the following morning.