NO phrase is, perhaps, as famous as “I shall return,” words uttered by Gen. Douglas MacArthur in 1942 as he fled to Australia to escape pursuing Japanese forces. So immortal are these words that they are inscribed on the memorial at Red Beach in Palo, Leyte, commemorating his return in 1944.
The tableau of larger-than-life bronze statues has graced countless postcards, posters and calendars, paying tribute to the more than 100,000 Allied forces, who landed with MacArthur on October 20, 1944 to liberate the Philippines from Japan.
This oft-repeated phrase reverberates seven decades later, as the Province of Leyte led the national commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Leyte Gulf Landing relived a momentous occasion, which changed the tide of the Second World War in the Pacific.
Held from October 18 to 20, the observance put the spotlight on the historic events surrounding MacArthur’s triumphant return.
The highlight of the celebration was the 70th Leyte Gulf Landings anniversary program, which was attended by World War II veterans and their descendants, Veterans Federation of the Philippines President Col. (ret) Bonifacio de Gracia, Philippine Veterans Affairs Office Administrator Lt. Gen. (ret) Ernesto Carolino, Energy Secretary Jericho L. Petilla, Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas, National Historical Commission Executive Director Ludevico Badoy, Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla, Palo Municipal Mayor Remedios Petilla, and local chief executives of the province.
Diplomats from the countries that figured in the epic battle—the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Japan—also graced the occasion as part of their commitment to the pursuit of peace.
In attendance were US Ambassador Philip Goldberg, Australian Ambassador Bill Twedell, UK Ambassador Asif Ahmad, New Zealand Chargé d’Affaires Estefan Corbett, Japanese Chargé d’Affaires Tetsuro Amano and Canadian political counselor Elizabeth Baldwin-Jones.
President Benigno Aquino III, the event’s guest of honor, paid tribute to the heroism of the combatants and the resistance fighters and communities in providing support for the liberation forces.
The annual event, he said, is a constant reminder to the participants of the Pacific War to pursue peace and renounce war to ensure stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific.
The three-day observance kicked off with Signal Day in Tolosa town, which relived the bravery of Boy Scout Valeriano Abello, who helped US warships redirect their artillery to Japanese troops with his semaphore skills.
Along with friends Antero Zunia and Vicente Tiston, he paddled to the nearest Allied naval ship amid Japanese artillery shelling. Using white cloth diapers as semaphore flags, the 20-year-old scout signaled the message: “Don’t bomb beaches. There are civilians. If possible let me direct shelling.”
His valiant act saved Tolosa from friendly fire and helped soften the enemy position. A monument at the seaside village of Telegrafo marks the spot where Abello launched his boat and earned his place in history.
Another historical event recalls the first hoisting of the American flag at Hill 120 in Dulag town. Lt. Clifford Mills of the US Army seized the moment as he climbed a coconut tree and placed the American flag, the first time it has been flown on Philippine soil after the US surrendered in Bataan and Corregidor two years earlier.
The tree has been preserved and a statue of Mills attaching the flag has been fastened to recreate this pivotal wartime scene. Damaged by storm surges last year, the tableau has been restored to its former glory.
Atop the 120-meter hill is a memorial park dedicated to the 96th Infantry Division of the US Army that landed at Blue Beach.
In a nearby coastal village is the Liberation Park, where the first batch of Allied Forces belonging to the US 7th Division landed at about 10 a.m. on October 20. This sparked a long-standing rumor that it was here where MacArthur and his troops waded ashore.
The war veterans, now in their twilight years, and their descendants, were honored as they reminisced their moments of uncommon valor.
Leyte Gov. Leopoldo Dominico Petilla lauded the resiliency of the Leyteños in bringing back their lives to normalcy despite the hardships brought about by Supertyphoon Yolanda, which struck a vast portion of the province.
He said that World War II-related spots form core of Leyte’s tourism circuit, which continues to attract both domestic and foreign visitors.
Seventy years after the monumental Leyte Gulf Landing, the province is a place worth returning to, not only by MacArthur, but also by all freedom-loving peoples of the world.