Our Arklahoma Heritage: An iconic and decorated savior of the Philippines in WWII was a native of Wilburton

Lt. Col. Edward Ernest McClish

When it comes to World War II heroism, few stories capture the grit of guerrilla warfare quite like that of Lt. Col. Edward Ernest McClish, a Choctaw warrior from the heartland of Oklahoma who turned the jungles of Mindanao into a fortress of resistance against Japanese occupation.

Born into a modest Native American family in the early 20th century, McClish's journey from rural Wilburton to the frontlines of the Pacific theater--and back to a quiet retirement in Missouri--embodies the bravery of Indigenous Americans who served their country with unparalleled valor.

Though his name may not echo as loudly as some Medal of Honor recipients, McClish's leadership of Filipino guerrilla forces saved countless lives and paved the way for Allied victory.

Edward Ernest McClish entered the world on February 22, 1909, in Wilburton, a small coal-mining town in Latimer County, southeastern Oklahoma. At the time, Oklahoma had just achieved statehood two years prior, and the region was still deeply tied to its Native American heritage, particularly the Choctaw Nation, which had been forcibly relocated there during the Trail of Tears in the 1830s.

McClish was a proud member of the Choctaw tribe, his identity shaped by a legacy of survival and adaptation in the face of adversity.

His parents, Ross Enzire McClish and Minnie Lee Mosteller, embodied the hardworking spirit of early 20th-century Oklahoma. Ross, born around 1880 in the Choctaw Nation Indian Territory (now Oklahoma), was a farmer and laborer who navigated the challenges of post-allotment life after the Dawes Act fragmented tribal lands.

He married Minnie on July 19, 1903, in the Choctaw Nation Reservation. Minnie, born in 1887 in Arkansas, came from a family of settlers and became the steadfast matriarch of their household. Together, they raised a large family--three sons and four daughters--in a rural setting where education and opportunity were hard-won.

Young Edward, the eldest son (or at least among the older siblings), grew up amid the dusty plains and forested hills of Latimer County, learning the values of community and perseverance from his Choctaw roots.

Details of his childhood are sparse, as was common for many Native families of the era, but records indicate a focus on education as a path forward. McClish attended local schools before enrolling at Haskell Institute (now Haskell Indian Nations University) in Lawrence, Kansas--a federal boarding school established for Native American youth. There, he honed his intellect and leadership skills, graduating in 1929.

He continued his studies at Bacone College in Muskogee a Baptist-affiliated institution with strong ties to Indigenous communities, earning his degree in 1931. These institutions, pivotal in Native education, equipped McClish with the discipline and knowledge that would later define his military prowess.

Little is known about his pre-war civilian life, but as a young Choctaw man in Depression-era Oklahoma, McClish likely worked in agriculture or local industries while staying connected to his tribal heritage. His early experiences instilled a sense of duty that propelled him into service when the world edged toward war.

McClish's military career began unassumingly but escalated into one of WWII's most daring chapters. Called to active duty with the Oklahoma National Guard in 1940, he was deployed to the Philippines in early 1941 as a captain. Initially commanding a company of elite Philippine Scouts--Filipino soldiers under U.S. Army command--he quickly rose to mobilize and train units of the Philippine Army.

By the time of the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941, McClish was leading a battalion, thrust into the chaos of Japan's invasion of the Philippines

.The early months were brutal. Wounded during fierce fighting on Mindanao, the southernmost major island, McClish was hospitalized but managed a daring escape before Japanese forces overran the facility. Refusing surrender after Gen. Jonathan Wainwright's capitulation in May 1942, he vanished into the jungle, evading capture and linking up with scattered Filipino and American fighters.

What followed was a masterclass in guerrilla warfare.

By fall 1942, McClish had rallied about 300 men, arming them with scavenged weapons and consolidating forces across the island. Facing not only Japanese troops but rival bandit gangs and logistical nightmares, he organized the eastern provinces of Mindanao into the 110th Division--a makeshift army of several regiments and a division staff.

To sustain his troops, McClish launched innovative projects: farms for vegetables and sugarcane, ranches for pigs and poultry, and small factories producing sugar, soap, alcohol, and coconut oil. This self-sufficiency turned his guerrillas into a deadly force.

Over three years, the 110th Division engaged the enemy in more than 350 actions--ambushes, raids, patrols, and assaults on garrisons. McClish's men inflicted an estimated 3,600 Japanese casualties while suffering over 100 killed and many wounded.

His leadership earned him promotions to lieutenant colonel and widespread respect. Collaborating with Col. Wendell Fertig, another guerrilla commander, McClish's intelligence reports--relayed via submarine contacts with Allied forces in Australia--provided crucial data for Gen. Douglas MacArthur's 1944 liberation of the Philippines.

At one point, he was rumored to have been shot by a non-military sniper. The truth was he had gone underground in the jugles of the Phillipimes to continue protecting and aiding the native population.

For his heroism, McClish received numerous awards, including the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Philippine Legion of Honor. His Choctaw heritage, often highlighted in wartime narratives, symbolized the vital contributions of Native Americans in the war effort--over 25,000 served, many as code talkers or in combat roles.

In April 1945, after more than three years in the shadows, McClish returned to the U.S., hailed as a hero. His story inspired books like Ira Wolfert's American Guerrilla in the Philippines and was chronicled in military reports.

McClish's personal life remained private, a quiet counterpoint to his wartime exploits. Upon returning home, he reunited with his family in Okmulgee--about 100 miles from Wilburton--where they had steadfastly refused to believe reports of his death.

His parents, Ross and Minnie, had passed away by then (Ross in the 1940s, Minnie in 1965), but siblings and extended kin awaited him. Genealogical records show he had several brothers and sisters, though specific names are not publicly detailed.

Okmulgee- 1942

McClish married, though details on his spouse are elusive in available records--no name or marriage date emerges from historical accounts. Similarly, there are no confirmed reports of children, suggesting he may have focused on his military and post-war life without a large immediate family.

After the war, he settled in the Midwest, eventually in the Kansas City area, where he lived out his days away from the spotlight. His Choctaw roots remained a source of pride, connecting him to a community that honored Indigenous veterans.

Edward E. McClish passed away on October 26, 1993, at age 84, in Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri. The cause of death is not publicly documented, but obituaries from the time, such as one in The Star Herald of Belton, Missouri (published November 4, 1993), noted his peaceful passing after a life of service.

He had retired from military life decades earlier, living modestly in Raymore, a suburb south of Kansas City.

McClish was laid to rest in Green Lawn Cemetery, a serene burial ground in Kansas City, Missouri. The cemetery, known for its historic sections and veteran memorials, serves as a fitting tribute to his legacy. No grand monument marks his grave, but his interment there—amid fellow servicemen—honors the Choctaw soldier who once led from the shadows

.Today, McClish's story endures in military histories and Native American narratives, a reminder of the unsung heroes who fought for freedom far from home. As one wartime report put it, his guerrilla command was "an extraordinary tale of accomplishment against great odds."

From the red dirt of Oklahoma to the eternal rest in Missouri soil, Edward E. McClish's life stands as a testament to courage, culture, and quiet strength