Philippine Campaign 1944/45

"I came through and I shall return." - General Douglas MacArthur at Terowie railway station in South Australia, on 20 March 1942.

The 67^th Engineer Topographic Company created this thematic map to tell the story of the United States liberation of the Philippines. The campaign fulfilled General MacArthur’ 1942 promise to return to the archipelago after leaving on a patrol torpedo boat in March of that year. The campaign started with the invasion of eastern Philippine Island of Leyte on October 20, 1944. The campaign, executed by the Eighth Army (blue arrows) and the Sixth Army (green arrows), lasted until the end of the Second World War with the unconditional surrender of Japan on August 15, 1945. The map depicts the “island hopping” operations along with airborne operations with the dates of each operation.

Upon landing on Leyte Island October 20, 1944 General MacArthur addressed the Philippine People:

“People of the Philippines: I have returned. By the grace of Almighty God our forces stand again on Philippine soil—soil consecrated in the blood of our two peoples. We have come dedicated and committed to the task of destroying every vestige of enemy control over your daily lives, and of restoring upon a foundation of indestructible strength, the liberties of your people.”