Today in Philippine History: MacArthur Announces the Liberation of the Philippines

Today in Philippine History:
JULY 5, 1945
Gen. Douglas MacArthur in a GHQ communiqué announced that “the Philippines had been liberated and all operations ended.” This was announced even though Japanese Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita, the Tiger of Malaya was still held out in northern Luzon. The fighting went on as the Japanese continued to resist until Yamashita surrendered in Ifugao on the same day Gen. Yoshijiru Umezu formally surrendered for Japan on September 2, 1945 onboard the USS Missouri. MacArthur was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for defending the Philippines.

Photo credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/

Today in Philippine History: Bataan Falls

APRIL 9, 1942

The Battle of Bataan began on January 7, 1942 and ended on April 9, 1942. On this day Maj. Gen. Edward King, commander of the Bataan forces composed of men suffering from diseases and malnutrition surrendered after months of fighting Lt. Gen. Masaharu Homma’s 14th Army. Earlier, after Gen. Douglas MacArthur left for Australia, the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) made up of Americans and Filipinos was reorganized and became the United States Forces in the Philippines (USFIP) under Maj. Gen. Jonathan Wainwright.