11 March 1942
Douglas MacArthur leaves the Philippines.
MacArthur's defense of the islands was hamstrung by a lack of air and sea power. The Japanese invaded only two weeks after Pearl Harbor, and MacArthur organized a swift defense that was doomed from the start. On this day, he was finally persuaded to retreat, leaving behind the defenders, who surrendered to the Japanese a month later. In Adelaide a week after his retreat, MacArthur uttered his famous promise: "I shall return," and in October 1944 he kept his promise. However, at this point in the war, things were going poorly for the Allies, as the Philippines was added to a long list of defeats - Dunkirk, Pearl Harbor, Tobruk, Guam, Wake, and Singapore. Good thing that damned liberal media didn't get involved, or we'd all be speaking Japanese now!
MacArthur's defense of the islands was hamstrung by a lack of air and sea power. The Japanese invaded only two weeks after Pearl Harbor, and MacArthur organized a swift defense that was doomed from the start. On this day, he was finally persuaded to retreat, leaving behind the defenders, who surrendered to the Japanese a month later. In Adelaide a week after his retreat, MacArthur uttered his famous promise: "I shall return," and in October 1944 he kept his promise. However, at this point in the war, things were going poorly for the Allies, as the Philippines was added to a long list of defeats - Dunkirk, Pearl Harbor, Tobruk, Guam, Wake, and Singapore. Good thing that damned liberal media didn't get involved, or we'd all be speaking Japanese now!
Labels: Douglas MacArthur, This day in history
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