On 7 December 1941, Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii] was attacked by the Japanese and the president of the United States [Annotator's Note: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States] called all reserve soldiers, including the recognized guerrillas, to be a part of the US Army. Nicanor Guzman was in the 31st Infantry Division [Annotator's Note: 31st Infantry Division (Philippines)] attached to the US Army. At first, he was in the guerillas. The Army did not know the terrain and needed them as guides. He was made a corporal with seven men under him. They fought the Japanese hand-to-hand with bayonets. His men killed about ten Japanese. The Americans came and needed officers. Guzman was promoted to Second Lieutenant. [Annotator's Note: The interviewer asks Guzman if he was on the Bataan Death March, the forcible transfer by the Imperial Japanese Army of 60,000 to 80,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war in April 1942.] He was. He was a prisoner of war when Japan controlled the Philippines [Annotator's Note: after the Fall of the Philippines, invasion by the Empire of Japan, 8 December 1941 to 8 May 1942]. He was in the middle of the march. He sensed that the guards were far apart. That was his chance to escape. [Annotator's Note: Guzman starts over from the beginning.] In the march, there were Filipino and American veterans. There were not many Japanese guards, and they were far apart. He escaped. He went to join his unit, the 31st Infantry Division, and was met by a Japanese guard with a fixed bayonet. Guzman stopped. The Japanese put his hand on his shoulder and the soldier asked him if he was in the military. He told him no. Guzman was in a uniform but said he was a teacher and that that was their outfit because it was the only clothing they had. Guzman said he had learned Japanese and spoke some to the soldier. The soldier continued to interrogate Guzman and then let him go free. He walked away very fast. He met another Japanese soldier who told him to halt. He told the same story to that one. He let him go as well. He met another two guards on the way to the mountains. He shared the same story and they let him go. He joined his unit. They continued to fight as guerillas. It was a hide-and-seek affair. Japan surrendered because the Americans dropped the atomic bomb [Annotator's Note: nuclear weapons dropped on Hiroshima, Japan on 6 August 1945 and Nagasaki, Japan on 9 August 1945]. Guzman had no chance of revenge. The Japanese became their servants then.

Nicanor Guzman was born in the Philippines in March 1918. He got his two year basic course in the Army. He also studied for a Master of Art degree. He was commissioned in the US Army as a second lieutenant after completing three months of training. The next year, he returned to school. He trained for another three months and then was promoted to captain. He served in the Army for four years. He was called back to serve in the Korean War [Annotator's Note: Korean War, 25 June 1950 to 27 July 1953] but was disqualified medically. He had a small scar in his lungs. That ended his Army career.

After Japan captured the Philippines [Annotator's Note: Fall of the Philippines, invasion by the Empire of Japan, 8 December 1941 to 8 May 1942], there was the Death March of Bataan [Annotator's Note: Bataan Death March, the forcible transfer by the Imperial Japanese Army of 60,000 to 80,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war in April 1942]. Nicanor Guzman was just being guarded on the march to the concentration camp. He was only a prisoner of war about one day because he escaped. When he was in the guerrillas and fighting the Japanese, some of his comrades were killed. Guzman was the only one spared. He raised his hands and surrendered which they accepted. They tortured him with the butt of their guns to his face and body. His face was so swollen he looked Japanese. [Annotator's Note: Guzman laughs.] He told them his mother was Japanese and his father was Filipino to gain their favor. They stopped maltreating him with that lie. They got fed with a half cup of food. No full meal. They helped him undress to urinate because his body was so swollen. They were very helpful. He knew the Americans were coming back, because airplanes flew over and dropped leaflets. The Japanese went into hiding. The Army came [Annotator's Note: Philippines Campaign, Operation Musketeer, or Liberation of the Philippines, 20 October 1944 to 15 August 1945] with General MacArthur [Annotator's Note: General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander, Southwest Pacific Area] to liberate them. He was still in the guerillas. He was promoted from corporal to sergeant [Annotator's Note: in the 31st Infantry Division (Philippines)]. He was told he would become an officer because he was qualified. He was commissioned by a colonel in the field.

Nicanor Guzman was commissioned in the field after the Americans returned to the Philippines [Annotator's Note: Philippines Campaign, Operation Musketeer, or Liberation of the Philippines, 20 October 1944 to 15 August 1945]. He was attached to the 31st Infantry Division [Annotator's Note: in the 31st Infantry Division (Philippines)]. The Americans bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki [Annotator's Note: nuclear weapons dropped on Hiroshima, Japan on 6 August 1945 and Nagasaki, Japan on 9 August 1945] and the Emperor of Japan surrendered. As a guerrilla, he was in the mountains and slept under the moon and sun. They were roaming around. They fought the Japanese when they had the chance and outnumbered them. He was in charge of seven men. They fought with their bayonets. They were fortunate because the US Army dropped leaflets that said they were coming. The Japanese went into hiding. Guzman met up with the Army after coming out of the mountains. General MacArthur [Annotator's Note: General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander, Southwest Pacific Area] recognized the guerrillas to be a part of the US Army. Guzman left the Army in 1945. He did not know Captain Carrington [Annotator's Note: US Marine Corps Captain James W. Carrington; Carrington's oral history is also available on this Digital Collections website] and only learned about him at the Museum [Annotator's Note: The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana].