One of the most common stories people hear about the Ateneo ROTC was about the corps’ heroic stand during World War II. Then President Quezon ordered all ROTC units to disband, but the Atenean cadets disobeyed the order, volunteering to fight in Bataan. Their heroism is now permanently etched in Ateneo history, their story told on the memorial marker erected in the Church of the Gesu:

Upang manatiling maalab sa amin ang inyong pamanang kagitingan.

Fr. Jose S. Arcilla, S.J., in an article in Business World Online, recounts a story about Ateneans praying the Rosary at sundown during the war. He also tells a story of Atenean compassion.

“One time, at a lull during the fight, an Atenean heard a soldier desperately calling for water to quench his thirst. Without hesitation, the Ateneo cadet gave him his last supply of drinking water from his canteen” (Arcilla 2009).

Now on its 91st year, the Ateneo Reserve Officers Training Corps strives to uphold its esteemed legacy, keeping a tradition of honor, excellence, loyalty, and duty. Its most recent call to duty was in the aftermath of typhoon Ondoy. The storm had wrought havoc on lives and property, but the corps steadfastly rose to the challenge and answered the government’s call for deployment volunteers. ROTC cadets and officers helped out in the distribution of relief goods and clean-up operations in heavily affected areas.

The history of the corps goes back to 1918, when the cadet corps was established in Ateneo. They were instructed by Major Morrisey of the 27th Inf. Regt., USA; Col. Robert Hill, Chief of Staff of the Philippine Department; and Lt. William A. Knapp, 27th Inf. Regt., USA.

On October of that year, the corps made its appearance in the Liberty Loan Parade and won the Carnival Cup. This marked the first of the series of accolades that the corps was to receive.

During the years 1924 to 1925 they made their first public appearance on the Fourth of July parade, where they bested the University of the Philippines and National University corps. Their excellence prompted many invites to exhibition drills.

The Ateneo Corps was hailed the “West Point of the Philippines” by Governor General Leonard Wood on February 3, 1926. He had been impressed by the corps’ form and excellence during the parade and review. As with previous years, more competitive drills followed.

Gen. MacArthur, too, was impressed. He arranged to have materials such as chairs, tables, and ammunition provided for the corps during their summer training in Baguio camps.

In November 1935 the Commonwealth Government was inaugurated. In this period interest in military training was spurred, influenced in part by Gen. MacArthur serving as adviser to former President Manuel Quezon.

December 1941 saw the outbreak of war. While other ROTC units disbanded, the Atenean cadets decided to stay on and fight bravely.

On June 15, 1952 Major General Calixto Duque, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, designated the Ateneo de Manila ROTC as the Ateneo de Manila Air  Reserve Officers Training Corps, changing the term ‘battalion’ to squadron and ‘company’ to flight.

Ateneo ROTC in a Glimpse