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After the tremendous and complete naval victory in Leyte Gulf, it was time for the American
forces headed by General Douglas MacArthur to land in the southern Philippines. It was MacArthur
who said, "I Shall Return", after he was forced to leave the Philippines and his army to Japanese in
December of 1941. In late October 1944, the American GI's finally landed in full force. Through
the Filipino archipelago, through 7,000 island, through jungles and swamps, the Allies marched
north towards Manilla and the liberation of the island country. The Japanese tried to strike back
by attacking the landing forces and ships with the Kamikaze airplanes. Once the Americans landed
on the main island of Luzon in January 1945, it was a 100-mile march to Manilla. In Manilla, the
3rd US Army had to fight street to street and building to building to vanquish the Japanese. The
enemy was doomed when their naval forces failed in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. The people of the
Philippines finally got their freedom after 2 1/2 years of tyranny rule from the Imperial empire.
The end is now in sight as the Americans will next land on Iwo Jima in the coming months.
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