General Douglas MacArthur and his family left the Philippine island of Corregidor on this day in history, March 11, 1942.
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt ordered MacArthur to leave the island after it became clear that it was no longer safe for MacArthur to remain with his troops, the History Channel website notes.
Deeply distraught, MacArthur had to leave 90,000 soldiers behind, according to the same site.
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From 1935 to 1946, the Philippines was a community of the United States.
In mid-1941, Japan was believed to have set out to invade the Philippines.
On July 26, 1941, Roosevelt issued a presidential order “calling into the service of the United States of America all organized military forces of the Government of the Commonwealth of the Philippines,” according to the Filipino Veterans Education and Recognition Project website ( FilVetREP).
General Douglas MacArthur, pictured, came out of retirement in July 1941 to lead the newly created United States Armed Forces in the Far East. (Keystone/Getty Images)
MacArthur, who had retired from the military four years earlier, was appointed general in charge of the newly created United States Armed Forces in the Far East.
However, “the task MacArthur faced seemed impossible,” the FilVetREP website states.
The forces suffered from a lack of equipment and manpower, compared to the invading Japanese army.
By March of the following year, it was clear that the Japanese would overpower the troops in the Philippines and that MacArthur would have to go.
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The journey to safety was treacherous.
During the more than 500-mile boat trip to the island of Mindanao, MacArthur faced mines, rough seas and the threat of the Japanese Navy, the History Channel says.
While in Australia, MacArthur received the devastating news that troops still in the Philippines would receive no aid.
Arriving in Mindanao more than a day after setting sail from Corregidor, MacArthur praised the work of the ship's commander, John D. Bulkeley.
“You have pulled me from the jaws of death and I will not forget it,” MacArthur said.
Several days after arriving in Mindanao, MacArthur and his family flew to northern Australia. They then took another flight and a train to Melbourne, the History Channel says.
General Douglas MacArthur promised to return to the Philippines, a promise he kept more than two years after he was ordered to leave. (Getty Images)
On June 30, 1942, in Melbourne, MacArthur received the Medal of Honor for his “conspicuous leadership in preparing the Philippine Islands to resist conquest, for bravery and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action against the Philippine forces.” Japanese invaders, and for his heroic conduct of defensive and offensive operations on the Bataan Peninsula,” the Congressional Medal of Honor Society website stated.
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“He mobilized, trained and led an army that has received worldwide praise for its brave defense against tremendous superiority of enemy forces in men and weapons,” the same source said.
“His complete disregard for personal danger under intense fire and aerial bombardment, his calm judgment in every crisis, inspired his troops, galvanized the spirit of resistance of the Filipino people and confirmed the faith of the American people in their Armed Forces,” says the appointment. She also said.
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While in Australia, MacArthur received the devastating news that troops still in the Philippines would receive no aid.
Speaking of the Philippines, MacArthur promised the press, “I'll be back,” a phrase that “would become his mantra for the next two and a half years,” the History Channel website noted.
General Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964) received the Medal of Honor for his services in the Philippines. (Getty Images)
The American and Filipino troops still on Corregidor were left without food or support, and their other supplies were quickly overwhelmed by the Japanese, that site notes.
“Bataan fell in April and the 70,000 American and Filipino troops captured there were forced to embark on a death march in which at least 7,000 died,” the website states.
On October 20, 1944, MacArthur fulfilled his promise to return to the Philippines.
Corregidor surrendered in May and an additional 15,000 American and Filipino troops were captured.
Since the war in Europe was absorbing most of the resources, the Philippines was not a priority at the time.
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On October 20, 1944, MacArthur fulfilled his promise to return to the Philippines, landing on the island of Leyte and then making a radio broadcast announcing to the country that he had returned.
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Only about 30,000 of the 90,000 soldiers left in the Philippines on March 11, 1942, lived to see MacArthur's return in 1944, the History Channel said.
“I was a little late,” he told the troops, “but we finally arrived.”
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