Deeply disappointed, he issued a statement to the press in which he promised his men and the people of the Philippines, “I shall return.” The promise would become his mantra during the next two and a half years, and he would repeat it often in public appearances.
What did MacArthur say when he returned to the Philippines?
On October 20, 1944, a few hours after his troops landed, MacArthur waded ashore onto the Philippine island of Leyte. That day, he made a radio broadcast in which he declared, “People of the Philippines, I have returned!” In January 1945, his forces invaded the main Philippine island of Luzon.
Why did MacArthur lose the Philippines?
MacArthur made several errors which hastened the fall of the Philippines. These included ill-trained men, poor equipment and his underestimation of the power of the Japanese. Unlike Perret, Beck believes that MacArthur had sufficient time prior to the Japanese attack to protect the aircraft on the Philippines.
Why did the United States lose the Philippines to the Japanese?
Instead, most of these were caught on the ground during Japan’s initial air sorties against the Philippines. Later historians describe it thus: “The destruction of the FEAF bombers and fighters after a single day of combat unraveled all efforts to defend the islands.
Who was sent to attack Japanese forts in the Philippines?
The US Far East Air Forces (FEAF) lost nearly 100 aircraft on Dec. 8, 1941, when the Japanese attacked bases on the Philippine island of Luzon.