José Agdamag

José Agdamag came from a military family and served with the 41st Infantry Division of the Philippine Department during World War II. His heritage aided him well and, after only 10 practice rounds, he was designated an expert by Rifle and Pistol Team of the University of the Philippines’ advanced ROTC corps. He was sent to the Division’s 43rd Infantry Regiment as a 3rd Lieutenant and served until the unit’s defeat in April 1942. He survived the Bataan Death March and continued fighting with a guerilla force until the liberation of the Philippines in 1945, earning numerous awards for his actions during the conflict.

He continued to serve in the military following the war and attended two Summer Olympic shooting tournaments. At the 1960 Summer Games he competed in the Free Pistol, 50 metres event, placing 53rd in a field of 67 competitors. Eight years later he participated in the Free Pistol, 50 metres, Mixed competition, finishing 61st out of 69 shooters. He retired from the military with the rank of Colonel and then collaborated with his son, an Admiral in the Philippine Navy, on the book “”150 Days of Hell (Japanese Invasion of the Philippines 8 December 1941 - 6 May 1942)”. He eventually moved to California, where he died in March 2011.