Lt Col Sam Yunque (now a Colonel), a member of
Philippine Military Academy (PMA)
“Marilag” Class of 1995 and Scout
Ranger Class 127-96, considers
the Battle of Marawi as one of the
toughest he has ever encountered.
Coming from Lt Col Yunque, that is
saying a lot. To him and all Scout
Rangers, a good challenge is reason
enough to keep going even when
what is being demanded from them
may cost them their lives.
Sam was still a PMA cadet when he
made the decision to join the Army.
After graduating from the PMA,
then 2Lt Yunque reported to the
Headquarters Philippine Army (HPA).
He then volunteered to join the First
Scout Ranger Regiment (FSRR).
“I wanted to be part of the ‘fightingest’ unit in the Armed Forces of
the Philippines, particularly in the
Philippine Army,” Lt Col Yunque
explained. “The Scout Rangers
appealed to me because I had
heard so many stories of their valor
and gallantry. I told myself, ‘I want
to experience and earn my stories
with the Scout Rangers.’ The Scout
Ranger character resonates with
mine.”
Lt Col Yunque recalled that he was
one of 25 young officers in his PMA
class who volunteered to join the
FSRR and become Scout Rangers.
“No one would know whether you’re
in or out until the orders were duly
published,” Lt Col Yunque related.
“During that time, we were undergoing
the Infantry Officer Basic Course
(IOBC) in Combat Arms School of
the Philippine Army’s Training and
Doctrine Command at the old Fort
Bonifacio. When the orders came
out, I was one of the ‘Lucky 10’ who
was selected to join the First Scout
Ranger Regiment. I was so elated
to find out I got one of the coveted
FSRR-assignment slots – a privilege
and an honor that I cherish up to this
day.”
Immediately after learning of their
orders, Lt Col Yunque and his ‘lucky’
classmates made a courtesy call to
the legendary commander of FSRR,
then Colonel Julius Javier, at their
headquarters in Fort Bonifacio.
The young officers were warmly
welcomed by the battle-hardened Scout Rangers through their usually
unusual tradition of remarkable
informalities ushering their initial
induction into the close-knit family
of warriors – “We strike! We who
are happy and free...birds of same
feather, we flutter together... Scout
Rangers of fortune are we...We sing!
Greeting the night with a song...
Laughing at danger, we fight like a
panther and conquer our hardships
away...” – gladly singing their hearts
out into the wee hours of the night.
Right after completing their IOBC,
Lt Col Yunque and company
reported officially to FSRR and were
immediately placed on duty status.
They were assigned a 4x3 meter-
room for the ten (10) of them – a tight
space with no room for complaint.
They were in the Scout Rangers’
kingdom after all. Every Ranger
volunteer knew that he must either
relish it or vanish from sight right
away.
“During weekends, my classmates
who lived near Metro Manila would
go home and spend time with
their families. But those of us who
didn’t have a place to go home on
weekends usually just stayed in the
barracks,” stated Lt Col Yunque, a
proud “Bisdak” whose family is based
in Cebu.
To pass the time, Lt Col Yunque
and fellow ‘barracks boys’ would
play basketball against the troops
who think war and basketball are
alike. He disclosed, “The officers and men of FSRR had a passion for
basketball. They called their version
‘basketbrawl’ as they played ruggedly
in the pursuit of a single objective –
win at all cost! Some would even
unfortunately bleed, or got bruised
badly.
“We got used to it and played how
they played also. We adapted their
unorthodox and grounded ways. We
preferred spending our weekends
with them rather than somewhere
else. I, or should I say all of us young
officers, cherished those times of
painful body slamming inside the
court. Crazy? No, it’s simply the
Scout Rangers’ way,” Lt Col Yunque
smiled.
Sam observed that sports is one
way for the Rangers to cultivate
the winning attitude, which would
figure prominently in the field of
combat. “We were taught not to
cower from any challenge,” he said.
The determination to triumph over
all challenges served Lt Col Yunque
well in his years as a Scout Ranger.
He has survived combat against
insurgents and terrorists in Basilan,
Cotabato, Sulu, and other hot spots
nationwide – experiences that would
be valuable to his new mission.
Then, just three months as the
battalion commander of 1SRB, he
found himself deep in the frontlines
of the Battle of Marawi.
As much as possible, as any good
commander, Lt Col Yunque does not want any of his men harmed in battle.
“I always keep telling them that they
do not need to die unnecessarily in
combat,” he stated. “Of course, we
expect casualties in battle, but we
certainly shouldn’t go around eager
to die. It’s the enemy who should die
for whatever causes or folly he or she
may have. I want my troops to stay
alive. This is why it’s very important
to always fight smart.”
Apart from fighting smart, Lt Col
Yunque also puts emphasis on having
faith in God. “Your training and skills
will only take you so far. There are
many times when the thought of your
family and your faith will be the only
thing to keep you going,” he said.
Lt Col Yunque related that each time
the terrorists presented them with
a challenge, he prayed for God’s
guidance before he fell asleep from
sheer exhaustion. “I believed my
prayers were answered because
when I woke up, I was able to come
up with an idea on how to work
around the obstacle,” he said.
Lt Col Yunque’s fatherly affection
for his men comes through when he
talks about them. He explained, “I
want to let each of them know that
the role they play is very important.
There is no leader when there are no
men to lead. Each task that they do is
essential for our unit to thrive.”
“What endeared me to the Scout
Rangers is the brotherhood. Every
soldier in FSRR knows his role in the whole scheme of things, and he does
it with passion. Each one looks out
for each other’s welfare, we are like
one huge family in many ways. The
officers have mutual respect for each
other too. My batch of officers, 10
PMA and a foreign-school graduate
whom we treat as our own mistah,
reported in 1995 to FSRR. We share a
special bond. Though we did not see
each other often during our time in
FSRR, we still share our war stories,
our individual struggles, triumphs and
aspirations; and they are often retold
countless times among ourselves,” Lt
Col Yunque gleefully recalled.
He added: “Funny but they sure
keep that ‘fire’ in us. We even called
ourselves the ‘Iron Men’, from a book
we all read years ago. It is a story
of a group of soldiers in World War
II – coming from different walks of
life – who distinguished themselves
in the field of battle. After the war,
they went on their separate ways and
pursued their own passions in life.
They raised their own families and
had successful careers but they still
long to be reunited one day. Yes, we
dream that someday we will all meet
again before the final bell rings and
the last taps are sung. It is only then
that the warriors’ journey is complete.
Truly, the ‘Iron Men’ is a story of
brotherhood forged in the cauldron of
uncommon circumstances.”
When Lt Col Yunque was finally able
to go home to his family after months
in Marawi, he recalled that it was a
very joyous homecoming. “My wife, of course, was quite relieved that I was okay. My son was as
enthusiastic as ever. My daughter, who is usually very reserved
about showing affection, hugged me so tight,” he recalled.
Lt Col Yunque eventually went back to Marawi under a less hostile
setting. Despite the post-battle wreckage and chaos, he saw the
charm that remained in the city. “Marawi is beautiful,” he said. “It
is tragic that it had to become a battle site.”
In light of this, Lt Col Yunque believes that the military has a bigger
responsibility towards the people in Marawi.
“We have to reach out to them and let them know we are all on
one side. We cannot let terrorists or any foreigner destroy our
country,” he stated. “This is why we are actively participating in
projects for the community. They should see that soldiers are also
against war. It is part of our mission to let them know that. Lasting
peace, inclusive progress, and sustainable prosperity are what
we want for our country and people.”
---NO MAN LEFT BEHIND (2018)
*To understand the big picture, please read the full story.
