During the Japanese occupation, the town became an ideal hiding place of the local recognized guerrillas because of the town's hilly and wooden terrain. The Japanese Imperial Army took over the local government of San Jose del Monte from 1942 to 1943. In resistance, the municipality formed its own guerrilla unit. San Jose del Monte experienced large casualties when the Americans bombed the town center on 11 January 1945 and again on 14 January 1945. When the combined Filipino and American troops came, peace reigned but not for long.