The Lost Evidence

On 9th January 1945, General Douglas MacArthur led an American Army back to Luzon in the heart of the Philippines. The islands had fallen into Japan’s hands following a surprise attack launched in December 1941.On President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s orders, MacArthur withdrew to Australia, where he made the now famous ‘I came out of Bataan and I shall return’ speech. When he fulfilled this pledge at the beginning of 1945, Macarthur’s forces faced a quarter of a million Japanese troops. The campaign that followed was like no other battle of the Pacific War. The bitter and prolonged fight spanned jungles, paddy fields, mountain fortresses and a major city.