Who was BGEN Benjamin R Vallejo?

[Adroth]

I know amongst UP Vanguards and Rainbow Ranger alumni . . . this man is a legend.

But for those of us from the provinces, who were never under the MCMTC, he is very much an unknown. Can you guys share your knowledge and stories about the man for the benefit of your brothers down south?

Some tid bits

- Founder of the Rainbow Rangers
- UP ROTC Class of 1952
- Served as a 2nd LT in the Korean War

[Adroth]

From: http://timawa.net/forum/index.php?topic=4471.15

" In November 1971, a whole battalion of Sunday Soldiers and UP Cadet Officers formed the "Liberator Battalion" which policed the elections in the Lanao Provinces under the command of Lt Col Benjamin Vallejo. During its 3-week stint of peacekeeping in Lanao, nine citations for bravery were earned by cadets of the battalion. Cadet Captain Mariano Angeles was cited for bravery in action against Muslim malefactors in the mountain fastness of Butig, Lanao del Sur on November 9, 1971. Ranger John Fortes of class '70 and Cadet Captain Eustaquio Granadillos also earned citations for bravery at Puala and Malabang respectively. "

[saver111]

Commandant - UP CMT/ROTC

Commanding General - Metropolitan Citizens Military Training Command (MCMTC)

Years in Command...

The year 1964 marked Philippine involvement in South Vietnam. Once again, this provided the opportunity for UP ROTC Graduates to prove their worth. Captains Agripino R de Guzman and Benjamin Vallejo earned the Silver Star for gallantry in action and the Medal of Honor for civic action duty in Vietnam.

http://www.geocities.com/artesguerra/upvorg1.htm

[hawkhunter]

the only thing i know of col vallejo is that there is a building named after him. 

[milenthu]

Hi:

Brig. Gen. Vallejo was one hell of a commandant. He had brains and charisma.
He could inspire.

[Adroth]

Hi:

Brig. Gen. Vallejo was one hell of a commandant. He had brains and charisma.
He could inspire.

Welcome to the forum Milenthu 

[jepot]

Hi:

Brig. Gen. Vallejo was one hell of a commandant. He had brains and charisma.
He could inspire.

Yes despite his rather Napoleonic -like figure...

 

[prairiefire]

Yes despite his rather Napoleonic -like figure...

 

I've never seen or known B/Gen. Vallejo. With your statement Sir Jeps do you mean he was short, rotund and had his right hand permanently inside his jacket? Just curious since Napoleon Bonaparte has been commonly portrayed that way...

[jepot]

I've never seen or known B/Gen. Vallejo. With your statement Sir Jeps do you mean he was short, rotund and had his right hand permanently inside his jacket? Just curious since Napoleon Bonaparte has been commonly portrayed that way...

Somewhat- rotund, short, rather wide eyed and bald, but make no mistake of his physical attributes - for he was an effective and charsimatic as a leader as stated in a previous post

 

[prairiefire]

OK thanks sir jeps.

[anak ni sarge]

Somewhat- rotund, short, rather wide eyed and bald, but make no mistake of his physical attributes - for he was an effective and charismatic as a leader as stated in a previous post

I thought you were referring to the following definition of Napoleonic Complex:

*  Napoleonic Complex

Victims of this insanity feel the compulsion to prove their self-worth through fighting.  Typically, victims of Napoleonic complex will pick fights with people of larger stature.  The trigger for this illness is whenever tall, muscular people taunt the victim.

http://www.gaianar.com/RFP/Injury%20and%20Healing/personality_disorders.htm

[jepot]

Yes despite his rather Napoleonic -like figure...

 

figure, not...

I thought you were referring to the following definition of Napoleonic Complex:

*  Napoleonic Complex

 

[rainbow83]

during the 2nd world war, as a student in Rizal City High School, the late BGen Benjamin Rodolfo Vallejo learned to be a samurai warrior--the use of the samurai sword and judo skills...

one of his classmate in the UP ROTC (class '52) was MGen Jose Magno (retired) who served as Cory Aquino's Military Adviser after the EDSAone revolution...

Gen.Vallejo was one of the 1st Batch of the famed Scout Rangers under the tutelage of the late Gen.Rocky Ileto...which gave him the idea of organizing a similar unit for the ROTC, the Rainbow Ranger Project...

after his stint as 2Lt in the Korean War, he served as an Aide-de-Camp to then Secretary of National Defense, Macario Peralta (a fellow Vanguard) under the Magsaysay presidency...this assignment gave him a better understanding on how to fight an insurgency...

as young Captains along with fellow classmate Jose Magno, they served in the Vietnam War as part of the Philippine Contingent, where he was awarded a Medal of Honor by the Republic of Vietnam military...

after Vietnam, he was among the training cadre of the muslim trainees who would have infiltrated Sabah and create a separatist movement there to reclaim our territorial rights from Malaysia...however, this resulted into the infamous Jabidah massacre off the Caballo islands near Corregidor...fortunately, BGen.Vallejo was off-duty at the time of the massacre...

but unfortunately from there, Gen.Vallejo was thrown into the jungles of Mindanao so as to keep the issue buried after Ninoy Aquino expose in the Senate...

he lingered awhile in Mindanao until he was picked to serve as Assistant Commandant in the UPROTC where he served until he became its Commandant in the '70s and eventually became the first Commanding General of the Metropolitan Citizen Military Training Command in Fort Bonifacio...

in '68, he founded the AFP Rainbow Project in which he trained and led its first batch known as Class Lion...all succeeding batches were named after jungle and mountain cats...

it is also worthwhile to note that BGen.Vallejo was then a modern-day Katipunero...the late Gen.Tan-Gatue, the Katipunan official Flag-Bearer, passed on to him the ideals and legacy of the civic group--Katipunan ng Mga Anak ng Bayan (KMAB), in which selected Advanced ROTC graduates of the Rainbow Project were initiated into the civic group by virtue of the ritual of filial piety, similar to the Katipunan's SANDUGO initiation rites...

BGen.Vallejo led all Ritual of Filial Piety initiation rites from class '68 to '85 of the Rainbow Ranger selected graduates...

during his stint as MCTMC's Commanding General, BGen.Vallejo introduced the Tagalog drill commands in the CAT/ROTC units nationwide...he merged the Youth Development Training Programs (PE, Health, Music and Arts subjects) with the CAT Program into then YDCAT curriculum...corruption in the CAT/ROTC units were kept to a minimum and any erring AFP officers were being reassigned to far-flung combat posts in Mindanao...even his Aide-de-Camp, whom he caught sleeping on the job, was reassigned to Mindanao the following day...

BGen.Vallejo was the ghost writer of then President Marcos (a fellow vanguard) on Citizen Army/ROTC themes...

he also authored the National Service Law which eventually became the NSTP today...

in 1983, he was supposedly to be promoted to the rank of Major General and assigned in J8 (Home Defense) in Camp Aguinaldo (where the Rainbow Ranger Division is to be transferred as well) but the PMA/RAM generals clique at that time maneuvered his retirement from the service instead...the J1 General at that time was a PMAer/RAMboy...there was a conflict, in-fighting between UPVanguard/ROTC generals and PMA generals at that time...

when BGen.Vallejo was forcibly, manuevered to retire from military service in 1983, the Rainbow Ranger Division was eventually disbanded...

during the EDSAone revolution, he went on TV to call on former/active UPROTC/ROTC/Rainbow graduates to support the beleaguered RAMboys in Camp Aguinaldo/Crame which gave a moral boost to the military mutineers and civilian supporters at that time...

on retirement, BGen.Vallejo, alongwith MGen.Magno, served as Cory Aquino's military advisers until his untimely death in '91...

BGen.Vallejo was more than a legend to the UP ROTC/Vanguard Fraternity and the Rainbow Ranger graduates...he was a father-mentor, role model par excellance to all of us who served under his tutelage and leadership...

we still miss BGen.Vallejo very dearly up to this day...

[1i]

I attended COLT (Summer training program for Highschool CAT Officers) in 1983. I remember BGen. Vallejo as Commandant of MCMTC. Our Training Officers were UP Vanguards.

[frank]

http://www.upvanguardinc.org/about/up-vanguard-hall-of-fame/general-benjamin-r.-vallejo.php

http://www.upvanguardinc.org/news/articles/farewell-dear-friend.php