Leyte Gulf - Red Beach- MacArthur Landing Memorial National Park
Details:
A park located along the water edge sea wall known as “Red Beach”.
The park's focal point are the seven double-life-sized bronze statues (about 12 feet tall) on a shallow manmade pool depicting MacArthur and his entourage during the historic A-Day Landing on “Red Beach” as captured in the iconic photo by Gaetano Faillace. They were President-in-exile Sergio Osmeña, Lieutenant General Richard Sutherland, Brigadier General Carlos P. Romulo, Major General Courtney Whitney, Sergeant Francisco Salveron and CBS Radio correspondent William J. Dunn. The park also includes a Philippines Historic Marker and several brass inscribed plaques. A museum stands adjacent to the site which contains historic photographs and other memorabilia of General MacArthur including a copy of his speech upon landing and a bronze cast of his footprints
The Battle of Leyte (17 October - 26 December 1944) in the Pacific campaign of World War II was the amphibious invasion of the island of Leyte in the Philippines by American forces and Filipino guerrillas under the command of General Douglas MacArthur, who fought against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Philippines led by General Tomoyuki Yamashita. The operation, codenamed King Two, launched the Philippines campaign of 1944–45 for the recapture and liberation of the entire Philippine Archipelago and to end almost three years of Japanese occupation.
Key Leaders in this Operation:
General Douglas MacArthur was located in light cruiser Nashville US Seventh Fleet;
Vice Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid in amphibious command ship USS Wasatch-TF 77 Commander;
Lieutenant General Walter Krueger, 6th Army was the ground Force Commander;
Lieutenant General George C. Kenney, USAAF commanded the Allied Air Forces
From the Phillipines Tourist Board:
The MacArthur Landing Memorial National Park (also known as the Leyte Landing Memorial Parkand MacArthur Park) is a protected area of the Philippines that commemorates the historic landing of General Douglas MacArthur in Leyte Gulf at the start of the campaign to recapture and liberate the Philippines from Japanese occupation on 20 October 1944. This event led to the largest naval battle of World War II and Japan's eventual defeat and surrender after almost three years. The war memorial is located in the municipality of Palo on Leyte island in Eastern Visayas and is one of the region's major tourist attractions.
The MacArthur Landing site sits on a 6.78 hectares (16.8 acres) coastal plain in the barangay of Candahug, some 5 kilometers south of Leyte's provincial capital Tacloban. 1, the statues mark the spot where MacArthur fulfilled his promise of "I shall return" at Red Beach.
Monument Text:
The text on the historical marker is in Filipino and in English:
Panel 1 (Text in Filipino):
Sa pook na ito sa Palo, Leyte nagbalik sa Filipinas si Heneral Douglas MacArthur noong 20 Oktubre 1944 at personal na nanguna sa mabilisang pagtataboy sa hukbong Hapones na nasa Pilipinas. Ang Pangulong Sergio Osmeña at ilang kagawad ng nagdestiyerong pamahalaan ay dumating kasamg ni Hen. MacArthur at kumilos para sa muling pagtatatag, pagpapanumbalik, at pangangasiwa sa pamahalaang Komonwelt ng Filipinas.
Ipinahayag ng pambansang tandang pangkasaysayan, 2004.
Panel 2 (Text in English):
On this spot, Palo, Leyte, General Douglas MacArthur returned to the Philippines on 20 October 1944 and personally led the swift drive against the Japanese forces in the Philippines. President Sergio Osmeña and some members of the government-in-exile arrived with General MacArthur and proceeded to organize, restore and administer the government of the Commonwealth of the Philippines.
Declared a National Historical Landmark, 2004
Statues include:
General MacArthur; President-in-exile Sergio Osmeña, Lieutenant General Richard Sutherland, Brigadier General Carlos P. Romulo, Major General Courtney Whitney, Sergeant Francisco Salveron and CBS Radio correspondent William J. Dunn.
Other Inscribed Brass plaques: See pictures
Commemorates:
People:
Units:
11th Airborne Division
13th Air Force
1st Cavalry Division
21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division
24th Infantry Division
25th Infantry Divsion
503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment
5th Air Force
6th Infantry Division
6th Ranger Battalion
6th US Army
77th Infantry Division
7th Infantry Division
7th US Fleet
96th Infantry Division
South West Pacific Area (Command)
Task Force 77
U.S.S. Nashville (CL-43)
U.S.S. Wasatch (AGC-9)
United States Navy
US Army Air Corps
Wars:
WWII
Battles:
Battle of Leyte Gulf
Leyte (1944-1945)
Musketeer III (Operations Love and Mike)
Pacific Theater
Philippines Campaign (1944–1945)
Other images :