Ang Paghanap [The Quest]: The Mystery of the 26th Cavalry's Philippine Scout Car Platoon Paperback – September 28, 2020

Imagine your father is a missing-in action (MIA) soldier and the war he fought in was over 50 years ago. Further imagine you have given up hope of him or his remains ever being found. Then imagine being notified that remains have been found that may be your father’s. You know you gave your DNA years ago to help with identification should that be needed. Then notification comes that your father’s remains may have been found. DNA tests have not yet been done on the remains, but your father’s dog tag is with the remains. What would be your feelings? How would you explain this to your mother who long ago finally remarried and is now a widow? I imagine this is what might happen if the author of this book received a similar notification. This happened to a very close friend of mine. The dog tag and the remains were his father’s. I know what he went through. He had the opportunity to see his father’s remains and hold his father’s skull. After the remains were returned and buried—I played Taps for his funeral—my friend (a retired Army chaplain/colonel), his wife, and the dog tag spent the night at my home with my wife and me. I have experienced his emotions. The is the story of the author’s nephew, 1st Lt. Calvin I. Cahoon, and the members of the 26th Cavalry’s Scout Car Platoon who, on the early morning of 7 January 1942, near Culis, Bataan, were possibly killed and are now listed as missing in action and presumed dead. It details the author’s quest to find and identify the evidence as to what happened that led to the deaths of these American officers and Filipino enlisted soldiers, what happened to their remains if there were remains found, identify the remains for possible return to their families, or to have the remains properly identified where they are buried. Mr. Broadman’s research description is very detailed and interesting, as are how the Filipinos living in the area reacted to the deaths of these soldiers. He explains the different reactions and why. What I found very interesting is the information covering almost 50 pages about the X-Files and the work of Abie Abraham. The X-Files contain what information the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) has on each set of remains. This information though is not enough to identify the remains, but it is a start point. Imagine your father is a missing-in action (MIA) soldier and the war he fought in was over 50 years ago. Further imagine you have given up hope of him or his remains ever being found. Then imagine being notified that remains have been found that may be your father’s. You know you gave your DNA years ago to help with identification should that be needed. Then notification comes that your father’s remains may have been found. DNA tests have not yet been done on the remains, but your father’s dog tag is with the remains. What would be your feelings? How would you explain this to your mother who long ago finally remarried and is now a widow? I imagine this is what might happen if the author of this book received a similar notification. This happened to a very close friend of mine. The dog tag and the remains were his father’s. I know what he went through. He had the opportunity to see his father’s remains and hold his father’s skull. After the remains were returned and buried—I played Taps for his funeral—my friend (a retired Army chaplain/colonel), his wife, and the dog tag spent the night at my home with my wife and me. I have experienced his emotions. The is the story of the author’s nephew, 1st Lt. Calvin I. Cahoon, and the members of the 26th Cavalry’s Scout Car Platoon who, on the early morning of 7 January 1942, near Culis, Bataan, were possibly killed and are now listed as missing in action and presumed dead. It details the author’s quest to find and identify the evidence as to what happened that led to the deaths of these American officers and Filipino enlisted soldiers, what happened to their remains if there were remains found, identify the remains for possible return to their families, or to have the remains properly identified where they are buried. Mr. Broadman’s research description is very detailed and interesting, as are how the Filipinos living in the area reacted to the deaths of these soldiers. He explains the different reactions and why. What I found very interesting is the information covering almost 50 pages about the X-Files and the work of Abie Abraham. The X-Files contain what information the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) has on each set of remains. This information though is not enough to identify the remains, but it is a start point.Reviewed by the Editor, The Cavalry Journal, the U.S. Cavalry Association

I love this book!!

The book will be of interest to people keen on WWII history, especially action in the Philippines, and to surviving American and Filipino family members who themselves who wish to have a final accounting and identification of their lost loved ones who remain MIA or are otherwise not accounted for. Very thorough and well-written description of action and identification process.