In the center of a park in the center of a series of roadways.

A white concrete obelisk, about 20 feet tall, with an eagle mounted on top; an explanatory marker is located in front of the obelisk.

The Battle of Manila (was a major battle of the Philippine campaign of 1944-45, during the Second World War. It was fought by American forces from both the U.S. mainland and the Philippines against Japanese troops in Manila, the capital city of the Philippines. The month-long battle (Feb-Mar 1945), which resulted in the death of over 100,000 civilians and the complete devastation of the city, was the scene of the worst urban fighting in the Pacific theater. Japanese forces committed mass murder against Filipino civilians during the battle. Along with massive loss of life, the battle also destroyed architectural and cultural heritage dating back to the city's founding, and Manila became one of the most devastated capital cities during the entire war, alongside Berlin and Warsaw. The battle ended the almost three years of Japanese military occupation in the Philippines (1942–1945). The city's capture was marked as General Douglas MacArthur's key to victory in the campaign of reconquest. It is the last of the many battles fought within Manila's history.

LIBERATION OF MANILA

FEBRUARY 3 - MARCH 3, 1945

LATE IN THE AFTERNOON OF FEBRUARY 3, 1945

THE TWO FLYING COLUMNS OF THE 1ST CAVAL

RY DIVISION LIBERATING THE AMERICAN CIVI-

LIAN PRISONERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SANTO

TOMAS AND 37TH INFANTRY DIVISION RESCUING

OTHER AMERICAN WAR PRISONERS AT BILIBID AND

TAKING POSSESSION OF MALACANANG PALACE. THE

37TH INFANTRY DIVISION, THE 44TH TANK BATTA-

LION AND THE 11TH AIRBORNE DIVISION SPEAR-

HEADED THE ATTACK AGAINST THE JAPANESE

IMPERIAL FORCES ON FEBRUARY 3: COMPLETED

THE ANNIHILATION OF THE JAPANESE IMPERIAL

FORCES IN INTRAMUROS BY FEBRUARY 24.

IN A SOLEMN CEREMONY IN MALACANANG AT

ELEVEN O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING OF FEBRUARY

27, 1945, GENERAL DOUGLAS MACARTHUR RESTO-

RED THE SEAT OF THE COMMONWEALTH GOVERN-

MENT - MANILA, THE CAPITAL OF THE PHILIPPINES,

TO PRESIDENT SERGIO OSMENA, SR.

AFTER THE GRUESOME CARNAGE OF CIVILIANS

NUMBERING ABOUT 100,000 AND THE COSTLY

PHYSICAL DEVASTATION OF THE CITY, THE BAT-

TLE OF MANILA ENDED ON MARCH 3, 1945.

TO ALL THESE INNOCENT VICTIMS OF WORLD

WAR II, THE MOST IMPORTANT LEGACY THEY

BEQUEATHED TO US IS THE REAL MEANING OF

PEACE AND FREEDOM.