I first came upon the National Colors of the 26th Cavalry when Sergeant [Gaetano] Bato of the 26th Cavalry came to me in July 1943 at which time another American, Frank Gyovai, and I were attempting to establish a headquarters two miles south of Clark Field on the island of Luzon. We had been involved in several encounters with Japanese occupational forces, who were busy searching out American and pro-American Filipinos, who were actively causing them problems. As the saying goes, the heat is on, and we were forced to retreat into the jungle; regroup our small force, and establish food supplies.

Sergeant Bato had heard about us and made his way into the jungle with his flag under his shirt. I enjoyed spending the day with him while he shared with us the detailed story of his escape from Bataan, following the surrender, with the singular purpose of securing the 26th Cavalry Banner. He had secured permission from the General, whose name now escapes my mind, but was warned that he would certainly be killed, if captured carrying the American colors. It took weeks for him to clear the northern mountain areas of Bataan, but in spite of perilous rivers, cliffs, pestilence, malaria, and hunger, somehow Bato made it to his former home at Stotsenburg where his wife awaited him. She secured the flag in a pillow shortly before Bato was discovered and taken by the Japanese to O'Donnell Prison Camp.

Several days later his body was thrown against the perimeter fence along with hundreds of others and shortly thereafter removed by his wife, who discovered him to be alive. This time she secured him in a hide-a-way near her home and nursed him back to health. Months later he approached the Japanese for a job and was assigned to dig defensive tunnels in the mountains around Clark Field and Stotsenburg. All night he drew maps of their gun emplacements and gained detailed information of their supplies; all of which he gave to us and subsequently became information to guide the returning American forces to accurately bomb and destroy these areas.

Lt. Conner would later hand over the National Colors to Lt. Gen. Oscar Griswold of the XIV Corps at Angeles, Pampanga. Bob Welch details that very moment.

"Conner stepped forward to make the presentation on behalf of his men. He handed Griswold the flag, finally home after it's nearly three-year journey from Morong.

"'Sir, we're proud to tell you,' said Conner, 'that this flag, despite the surrender, never ceased to fly over Luzon.' His slightly revisionist history captured the spirit, if not the letter, of the law, though Griswold was astute enough to see beyond any such technicalities, to the unique moment this was. Conner, he would later note, had 'tears in his eyes.'

"Griswold looked at the flag, then scanned the eight men in from of him. Lieutenant generals do not often grow misty-eyed. Griswold did, said witnesses. "'This,' he said, 'is one of the most touching incidents in the war. I accept the flag for the United States government in humility, in the presence of the brave soldiers who carried it.'"

- From Resolve: From the Jungles of WW II Bataan, the Epic Story of a Soldier, a Flag, and a Promise Kept by Bob Welch