A Brotherhood Forged in Adversity: Our Special Forces Reunion

In the late 1970s, the Philippine Army’s Special Forces Group was revived after being inactive for some time, to help address the growing insurgency in the country. With the rising unrest in Eastern Mindanao, the newly-created 1st Special Forces Battalion was deployed to the province of Agusan del Sur in 1980. Their mission was clear: to develop, organize, train, and lead civilian defense forces against the rising tide of insurgency.

I was among those young and eager Airborne troopers, full of energy and determination. We landed in Agusan Sur, tasked with the challenging job of building and training local defense groups. We were green, ambitious, and ready to take on the world—or at least our corner of it. Fast forward over 40 years, and we recently gathered in Davao, a group of grumpy, grizzled veterans looking back at those difficult days that shaped us.

This wasn’t just any reunion; it was a heartfelt homecoming for the 1st Special Forces Battalion. Most of us now had white or thinning hair, and many more were balding. Our balding buddies called themselves the ‘Top Guns’, or more fittingly, the ‘Top Gone’. But even though our hair had sadly given up on us, and having swapped fatigues for more comfortable shirts, the bonds we forged back then were as strong as ever. We reminisced about the tough days, celebrated our successes, and honored the memory of those who didn’t make it back.

Remembering the Good, the Hard, and the Heroic

Amidst laughter and a few tears, we retold stories that have only gotten better with age. Tales of our unconventional missions, the relentless training, and the occasional moments of wild abandon filled the air. We chuckled at memories of our airborne training and playful rivalries, like the crazy helmet-throwing incident between the Rangers and the Special Forces during our wild Airborne post-graduation celebration.

But there were also sobering moments. We remembered comrades like the late Maj Willy Dormitorio, whose leadership led to the expansion of the 1st SF area from Cagayan de Oro in the north to General Santos in the south. This huge area would later lead to the creation of a 4th SF Battalion to take charge of Region 10 in the north, while the 1st SF focused on Region 11 in the south. Sir Willy had died months earlier due to a massive heart attack. He would have been with us on this memorable day.

We also remembered our NCOs, such as the late Corporal Rosauro Sebastian, whose intrepid efforts laid the groundwork for the Alsa Masa, a grassroots movement that helped reclaim insurgent-controlled areas. Sebastian would later lose his life while trying to disarm a landmine in Davao. His story was one of the unit’s many sacrifices, a poignant reminder of the cost of war.

From Chaos to Resilience

The 80s were a turbulent time for Davao. Transport strikes paralyzed the city, extortion was rampant, and liquidations – otherwise referred to as ‘salvaging’ – were a frequent nightmare. Families fled in search for safer places. Yet amidst the chaos, seeds of hope began to grow, as those who remained resolved to fight back in many different ways.

One of our most memorable successes was the dismantling of the insurgent shadow organization in Agdao, an area infamously called “Nicaragdao.” Aided by a female rebel returnee who had knowledge of the enemy’s systematic barrio infiltration (otherwise called their ‘barrio module’), we devised strategies and tactics to counter their infiltration methodology. The eventual rise of citizen movements pioneered by the Alsa Masa marked a turning point in the fight.

These memories, though heavy, also spoke of the resilience of the people of Davao and the surrounding areas. It wasn’t just our battalion and the other military forces, but more significantly, entire communities standing up against fear and reclaiming their lives.

Light Moments and Lasting Bonds

Of course, the reunion wasn’t all that serious. We laughed at stories of Capt. Bong Tumada, who was captured in a checkpoint conducted by Ranger-garbed insurgents. He escaped by jumping off a ravine and was missing for three days before showing up at headquarters, as unflappable as ever.

And we chuckled at how we orchestrated my wedding at the GAP Farm. Where we simultaneously executed a Civilian Auxiliary training exercise (consisting of 400+ CAFGUs!) while the wedding was ongoing. We were already multi-tasking long before the word was even coined. Yes, we poked fun at our younger selves—the audacity, the stubbornness, the crazy ideas. Yet we marvelled at how we navigated the challenges, how we learned to be creative with solutions, and how we survived those difficult times.

And in between the jokes and drinks, we toasted to our fallen comrades, their memory a constant presence. Each glass raised was a promise to keep their stories alive and to honor the shared journey that connected us all.

A Legacy of Brotherhood

But this gathering wasn’t just about looking back. This was a celebration of life, of triumphs won, and of a legacy that will echo long after we’re gone. This was our poignant salute to honor the enduring spirit of the Special Forces, a reminder that the trials and tribulations we endured weren’t just about fighting insurgents, but about building something bigger than ourselves. The challenges we faced together shaped us into the brothers we are today. Because in the end, it’s not just about the battles we fought—it’s about the bonds we built and the lives we touched along the way.

As we held on to each other, it was clear that time had not diminished the bonds we forged. The laughter, tears, and shared stories were a testament to the brotherhood that defined us then, and continues to define us now.

This is the story of the Special Forces in the campaign to recover Eastern Mindanao in the early 80s. And this is our proud legacy. Airborne… all the way!!!

Cover photo courtesy of Facebook. Other pics courtesy of Bermie Jimenez, Facebook, Philippine Star, Tiktok, YouTube, BootCamo and Military Fitness, Pinterest and the Philippine Army. For a closer look, just click on the pics.