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Post by OneZero on Oct 20, 2006 22:54:54 GMT -5
 General Douglas MacArthur and his staff come ashore at Leyte Island in the Philippines on October 20, 1944 to begin his first objective in his Philippine campaign. Photo: National Archives |
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Post by legionnaire on Oct 21, 2006 2:05:18 GMT -5
Leyte, Philippines, Oct. 20, 1944
``People of the Philippines; I have returned.
``By the grace of Almighty God, our forces stand again on
Philippine soil consecrated in the blood of our two people. We have
come, dedicated and committed to the task of destroying every
vestige of enemy control over your daily lives, and of restoring
upon a foundation of indestructible strength, the liberties of your
people.
``The hour of your redemption is here. Your patriots have
demonstrated an unanswering and resolute devotion to the principles
of freedom that challenge the best that is written on the pages of
human history. I now call upon your supreme effort that the enemy
may know, from the temper of an aroused people within, that he has a
force there to contend with now less violent than is the force
committed from without.
``Rally to me. Let the indomitable spirit of Bataan and Corregidor
lead on. As the line of battle rolls forward to bring you
within the zone of operation, rise and strike. Strike at every
favorable opportunity. For future generations of your sons and
daughters, strike! In the name of your sacred dead, strike! Let no
heart be faint. Let every arm be steeled, the guidance of Divine God
points the way. Follow in His name to the Holy Grail of righteous
victory.''
DOUGLAS MacARTHUR
General of the Army, U.S.A.
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Post by legionnaire on Oct 21, 2006 2:28:00 GMT -5
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kalbs
History Buff
Hair is over rated
Posts: 100
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Post by kalbs on Oct 21, 2006 6:49:59 GMT -5
Isn't that Gregory Peck above from the movie?
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Post by legionnaire on Oct 23, 2006 16:07:17 GMT -5
Yes! I had to include him. ;D
BTW "Flags of Our Fathers" also opened this Friday Oct. 20, 2006
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kalbs
History Buff
Hair is over rated
Posts: 100
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Post by kalbs on Oct 23, 2006 22:17:21 GMT -5
Did you see the Movie? I can't wait till it comes to Hong Kong
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Post by legionnaire on Oct 23, 2006 23:35:17 GMT -5
Saw Flags and I like it. Do not compare this to Saving Private Ryan as this is based on the book and given the Eastwood style of directing.
What I want to see is the second film diected by Eastwood too. "Letters from Iwo Jima" from the Japanese point of view with Ken Watanabe as Gen Kurobayashi.
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kalbs
History Buff
Hair is over rated
Posts: 100
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Post by kalbs on Oct 24, 2006 0:14:53 GMT -5
Oliver North had this story (Flags) on "War Stories" this weekend. Nice story and well told by Fox News
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ronin
New Member
Posts: 9
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Post by ronin on Oct 25, 2006 0:56:27 GMT -5
After watching the dvd "They Were Expendable" (with McArthur in it), my sisters been bugging me to post this question in this board:
What was the exact cause of McArthur's death?
Anybody?
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Post by VeeVee on Oct 25, 2006 6:19:16 GMT -5
Old age... multiple ailments... liver and kidney failure, coma. (?)
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Post by OneZero on Oct 25, 2006 6:22:27 GMT -5
i thought 'old soldiers never die..' maybe he just faded away... ;D
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kalbs
History Buff
Hair is over rated
Posts: 100
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Post by kalbs on Oct 25, 2006 8:56:05 GMT -5
After watching the dvd "They Were Expendable" (with McArthur in it), my sisters been bugging me to post this question in this board: What was the exact cause of McArthur's death? Anybody? Guilt killed him....and rightly so. |
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Post by legionnaire on Oct 25, 2006 9:36:16 GMT -5
Guilt killed him....and rightly so.
I 'm not sure what you are trying to say. He did return didn't he?
Philip
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Post by VeeVee on Oct 25, 2006 12:23:56 GMT -5
After reading many history books, I've personally concluded that MacArthur was to blame for a number of things. Among them, the destruction of the Far East Air force on the ground. And the lack of supplies in Bataan. Having said that, even if the FEAF wasn't destroyed and even if there were ample supplies in Bataan. It would only have prolonged the campaign possibly by a month or two. The fact is that the US needed 3+ years to fight its way back to the Philippines, and Bataan and Corregidor wouldn't have lasted that long. MacArthur fought to come back even if he didn't have to. The US could have hit Formosa instead and got closer to Japan even more for a fraction of the cost of recapturing the Philippines. I've long thought of who was to blame... of whose guilt is biggest. Well it should be the US Government, for not having the means to protect its commonwealth and abandoning it to the enemy. For that matter, the guilt and blame really should be on the Japanese for attacking and conquering other countries to begin with. For being inhumane. If only they treated conquered people and armies humanely, then the guilt would be less for everybody. That being said, I'm sure MacArthur lived the rest of his life with guilt at the back of his mind anyway. But yeah... he died of old age. Incidentally, this thread has photos of him in old age, visiting the Philippines in the 60's. pinoyhistory.proboards22.com/index.cgi?board=photos&action=display&thread=1154313852 |
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kalbs
History Buff
Hair is over rated
Posts: 100
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Post by kalbs on Oct 25, 2006 23:50:27 GMT -5
I'm sorry for being so negative. I always believe that the Captain goes down with the ship.
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Post by VeeVee on Oct 26, 2006 6:23:06 GMT -5
All's fair in love and war  Jonathan Wainright was also racked by guilt... for surrendering Corregidor. He did go down with the ship. I need to read his book, the "Jonathan Wainright Story"... |
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Post by legionnaire on Oct 27, 2006 1:24:29 GMT -5
I always believe that the Captain goes down with the ship.
But on the ORDERS of Pres. Roosevelt C in C that MacArthur had to leave Corregidor. He was prevented from "going down with the ship" or be captured and paraded by the Japanese. Remenber he was ready to stay and possible die until the insistence and DIRECT orders from Roosevelt. This were documented facts.
And it was ONLY MacArthur who insisted and argued against better military strategy that the liberation of the Phillipines be his priority and kept his word to the Filipino people.
Philip
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kalbs
History Buff
Hair is over rated
Posts: 100
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Post by kalbs on Oct 27, 2006 5:14:35 GMT -5
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Post by VeeVee on Oct 27, 2006 6:56:53 GMT -5
He's very charistmatic, I give him that. But in the beginning of the war he made a lot of mistakes almost as blatant as the commanders in Hawaii when Pearl Harbor was attacked. I can get past mistakes because nobody's perfect but the one thing that I thought was unforgiveable was that he only visited the troops once in the entire campaign (before the attacks began in earnest).
Wainwright would risk life and limb to visit the troops and boost morale because in his word he couldn't give them more food. He couldn't give them more ammunition, but he could give them a boost in morale.
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mish
History Buff
Kalayaan
Posts: 135
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Post by mish on Jul 14, 2008 14:12:16 GMT -5
He was vain, and he was imperious.
TBH, I've never really understood the fixation with the "I shall return" stuff. To those utterly mesmerized with Mother America, the promise held a powerful pull. But to be accurate and honest, by the time The American Caesar came back to the Philippines, most of the work of routing and putting the Japanese on the defensive was already a fait accompli, thanks in most part to homegrown guerillas; whether under the sway of the Moscow-leaning Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas-Hukbo ng Bayan Laban sa Hapon (PKP-HMB), USAFFE-personnel-led guerilla units and other independent guerilla/partisan groups.
He was a rallying point for certain quarters, to be sure; but this image must not be allowed to drown out the indigenous, independent, self-reliant units that worked long and hard to rid us of the Japanese. No, not to "prepare for the return of the Americans," but to independently fight for a free Philippines.
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