17/06/2026
Fidel V. Ramos: From Battlefield Leader to Philippine President
Fidel V. Ramos served as a highly decorated infantry officer in the Korean War and as a military engineer in the Vietnam War, experiences that forged his reputation as a skilled tactician, disciplined leader, and humanitarian-minded commander long before he became the 12th President of the Philippines. His early military career exemplified courage under fire and strategic competence, establishing him as one of the Armed Forces of the Philippines' most respected figures.
During the Korean War (1951–1952), Ramos served as an Infantry Reconnaissance Platoon Leader with the 20th Battalion Combat Team of the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea (PEFTOK). He is best remembered for his daring leadership on May 21, 1952, when he commanded a 44-man assault to capture and sabotage the heavily fortified Hill Eerie. In intense close-quarters and hand-to-hand combat against a numerically superior Chinese force, Ramos’s platoon successfully took the strategic position while suffering only one wounded soldier. For his gallantry and battlefield leadership, he was awarded the Military Merit Medal and the United Nations Service Medal.
In the Vietnam War (1965–1968), Ramos deployed with the Philippine Civic Action Group – Vietnam (PHILCAG) in a non-combat role as Chief of Staff and civil-military engineer. His unit focused on nation-building efforts—constructing infrastructure, establishing refugee camps, and delivering humanitarian assistance amid the conflict. Notably, he commanded the advance party into the dangerous War Zone Z (Alligator Jaw) near the Cambodian border. His service there earned him the Vietnam Service Medal.
These formative experiences, combined with his later founding of the elite Special Forces of the Philippine Army, helped shape Ramos into a formidable military leader. They propelled him to the position of Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and ultimately to the presidency, where his tactical acumen and commitment to service continued to define his legacy.
