General Douglas MacArthur returns to Philippines, October 20, 1944
“As Ripley says, believe it or not, we’re here, ” MacArthur says from the rail of the USS Nashville. He gazes at his beloved Philippines, which have just been invaded by more than 100,000 US Army troops under his command. The most humiliating defeat of MacArthur’s storied career came when the Japanese took the islands two years ago. He promised that he would one day come back to retake the islands. Now, he is setting forth to make good on that vow. Almost a thousand days after fleeing the Philippines, MacArthur orders the landing craft to set sail for shore. He has returned.