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Americans in the Philippines during WW2

6/7/2022

1 Comment

 
by Grace Wong
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After the Spanish-American War at the end of the 19th century, the United States gained the Philippines as a colonial possession and established a political and military presence there. The archipelago remained under American control until World War II, when the Japanese invaded it on December 8, 1941 – just hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Previously, General Douglas MacArthur had been sent to the Philippines to train a national army in case of a Japanese attack. He helped establish the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE). However, training was difficult, primarily because of language and cultural barriers and a lack of supplies. The Japanese attacked before efforts were complete, forcing the American headquarters to move from Manila to Corregidor. By spring of 1942, they had been forced to the Bataan Peninsula, the last stronghold of the Allies in the Pacific. American and Filipino troops worked together to defend the peninsula. Still, months of fighting had done their damage, and by summer, the Japanese Army had occupied all of the Philippines. 
MacArthur was forced to evacuate with much of his American staff, famously vowing, "I shall return." He would fulfill this vow in 1944, but in the meantime, those left in the Philippines went through a long ordeal. Some felt abandoned, yet they fought as much as they could. Those who surrendered were forced to make the infamous Bataan Death March, a 65-mile-long journey by foot to a prison camp. The conditions along the way were not only harsh and extreme in terms of weather and logistics, but Japanese treatment of the POWs was inhumane. The Japanese killed many POWs who were too weak or sick along the route. Those who tried to help them along the way – both citizens and fellow soldiers – were also beaten or killed.
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POWs on the Bataan Death March courtesy of the National Archives.
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Route of the Bataan Death March, April 9–April 17, 1942 Source: https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/196797/bataan-death-march/
Another atrocity involving Americans was the Palawan Massacre in December of 1944. As the Allied offensive approached the Philippines, the Japanese used many POWs as slave labor to strengthen defenses. They then locked many POWs in the air raid shelter at the Palawan Prison Camp and set it on fire, killing most of them. Those who tried to escape were tortured and brutally murdered by Japanese soldiers.
However, some Americans avoided capture or escape the prison camps, and many of them worked with the Filipino guerrilla resistance known as the Hukbalahap (the Huk) against their common enemy. The Huk acted as guides assisting American soldiers and also did espionage work. Together with the Americans, they also established means of communication between the underground resistance and the Allied forces outside of the Philippines.
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General MacArthur's return Source: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C35238
When MacArthur finally fought his way across the Pacific and back to the Philippines in late 1944, American soldiers once again worked with Filipino fighters to plan the campaign to take back the islands. Then in 1946, a year after the Allied victory, the Philippines gained its complete independence. Many atrocities were committed against both Americans and Filipinos during World War II, and it is important to acknowledge both equally. Additionally, it is crucial to recognize the role of American imperialism in the Philippines during this time. Yet the two groups were able to unite and work together to fight for a common goal, which is something worth remembering.






Works Cited:
Gaerlan, Cecilia. "Liberating the Philippines: 75 Years after by Cecilia Gaerlan: The National WWII Museum: New Orleans." The National WWII Museum, The National WWII Museum | New Orleans, August 31, 2020, www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/liberation-of-philippines-cecilia-gaerlan. 
Salinas, Stacey Anne Baterina, and Klytie Xu. Philippines' Resistance: The Last Allied Stronghold in the Pacific. Pacific Atrocities Education, 2017. 
​​Wrynn, V. Dennis. "American Prisoners of War: Massacre at Palawan." HistoryNet, HistoryNet, 13 Feb. 2019, www.historynet.com/american-prisoners-of-war-massacre-at-palawan.htm. 


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1 Comment
ASG
2/19/2023 04:40:23 pm

THATS GAY

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  • Home
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        • Summer Research Relocation Fund
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      • Black Hearts (2021)
    • Blog
    • Podcast: Forgotten History
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    • Summer 2017 Internship >
      • 2017 Summer Showcase & Fundraiser
  • Books
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  • Resource Page
    • Supplementary Research Guides >
      • Unit 731 - Guide >
        • Background of Biochemical Warfare Development
        • Imperial Japan's Chemical Warfare Development Program
        • Map of Unit 731
        • Personnel of Unit 731
        • Duties of Unit 731
        • Human Experimentation
        • [GRAPHIC] Germ Warfare Attacks
        • Cover Ups After the War
        • [OLD] Cover Ups After the War
      • Philippines' Resistance - Guide >
        • Philippines World War II Timeline
        • The Japanese Invasion & Conquest of the Philippines
        • Bataan Death March
        • Formation of Underground Philippines Resistance
        • Supplies of the Guerrilla Fighters
        • The Hukbalahap
        • Hunter's ROTC
        • Marking's Guerrillas
        • United States Army Forces in the Philippines of Northern Luzon (USAFIP-NL)
        • The Aetas
        • Chinese and Filipino-Chinese Nationalist Guerrilla Units
        • The Female Faces of the Philippine Guerrillas
      • Rising Sun Flag - Guide >
        • History of the Rising Sun Flag
        • Atrocities Committed Under the Flag
        • Rising Sun Flag in Pop Culture
      • Pinay Guerrilleras - Guide >
        • Japanese Occupation of the Philippine Islands: Pinays Answering the Call to Arms
        • The Fierce Heneralas and Kumanders of the Hukbalahap Guerrillas
        • Amazons of the Pacific Theater
        • Filipina American Veterans: Recovering the Extraordinary Feats of the Ordinary Pinays
        • The Legacy of the Asian Women Soldier
      • Fall of Singapore - Guide >
        • Singapore World War II Timeline
        • History of World War II in the Pacific
        • History of Singapore
        • Japan's Conquest in Asia
        • Japan's Invasion of the Malay Peninsula
        • Sook Ching Massacre
        • Double Tenth Incident
        • Social Changes and Challenges in Singapore
        • Voices from Syonan
        • Return to British Rule
      • Three Years and Eight Months - Guide >
        • Hong Kong before WW2
        • Buildup to World War 2
        • The Battle of Hong Kong
        • Life during 3 Years and 8 Months
        • East River Column Guerrilla Fighters
        • Prisoners of War Camps
        • End of Japanese Occupation
        • War Crimes Trials
      • Siamese Sovereignty - Guide >
        • The Land of Smiles
        • The Thai-Japanese Relationship
        • Phibun’s Domestic and International Policies
        • The Free Thai Resistance Movement
        • Post WW2 Aftermath of Thailand
      • The Khabarovsk War Crimes Trial - Guide >
        • Defendants of Khabarovsk War Crime
        • The Japanese Empire and USSR in WW2
        • The Employment of the Bacteriological Weapon in the War
        • Planning of Japan invasion to USSR
      • Unit 731 Cover-up : The Operation Paperclip of the East - Guide >
        • Establishing Manchukuo
        • The Development of Unit 731
        • Plan Kantokuen and Bacteriological Warfare
        • The Downfall of the Japanese WW2 Era
        • Three Stages of Interrogations
        • Lasting Impacts
      • Marutas of Unit 731 - Guide >
        • How did Ishii Shiro start unit 731?
        • A Beta Testing Site
        • Establishing Pingfan
        • Experiences at the Human Experimentation Complex
        • Vivisection at the Unit 731
        • Anta Testing Grounds
        • Overall Advance from the Laboratory Creations
        • The End of the War
      • Prince Konoe Memoir - Guide >
        • Who is Prince Konoe?
        • Preparation to Tripartite Pact
        • Emperor Hirohito and Prince Konoe
        • The End of Prince Konoe
      • Competing Empires in Burma - Guide >
        • What was the China-Burma-India Theater?
        • When did the China-Burma-India Theater Happen?
        • Who Fought in the China-Burma-India Theater?
        • The Second Sino Japanese War
        • Japan in the South
        • Operation U-Go
      • Battle of Shanghai - Guide >
        • The Battle of Shanghai. Background
        • Shanghai Before War
        • The First Battle of Shanghai 1932
        • Battle of Shanghai 1937
        • Aftermath of Battle for Shanghai
      • Ishi Shiro - Guide >
        • History of Biological Weapons and The Young Ishii Shiro
        • Establishment in Manchuria
        • Pingfang District - Harbin
        • Failures and Corruption
        • Post War
      • Taiwan The Israel of the East - Guide >
        • Background of Formosa
        • Industrialization of Japan
        • China During WWII
        • Taiwan under Kuomintang
        • New Taiwanese National Identity
      • Seeking Justice for Biological Warfare Victims of Unit 731 - Guide >
        • Introduction of Wang Xuan
        • Colonel Memorandum
        • The Beginning of Biological Warfare
        • The Bacteriological Warfare on China
        • Victims in Zhejiang’s Testimonies
        • After the War
      • Rice and Revolution - Guide >
        • The French Colonial Period
        • Anti-Colonial Resistance
        • The Rise of the Communist Movement
        • Imperial Japan’s Entry into Indochina
        • The Portents of Famine
        • The Famine (1944-45)
        • Legacy of the 1944-45 Vietnam Famine
      • Clash of Empires - Guide >
        • Japan’s Imperialist Origins
        • Japan’s Competition against the West: Nanshin-ron and Hokushin-ron
        • Japanese Imperialism Through the Lens of French Indochina
        • The U.S.-Japan Relations and the Pearl Harbor Attack
      • Hunger for Power and Self-SufficiencyI - Guide >
        • The Influence of War Rations on Post-War Culinary Transformations
        • How World War II Complicated Food Scarcity and Invention
        • American Military Innovations
        • Government-Sponsored Food Inventions in Europe during World War II
        • Feeding the Army: The Adaptation of Japanese Military Cuisine and Its Impact on the Philippines
        • Mixed Dishes: Culinary Innovations Driven by Necessity and Food Scarcity
    • Lesson Plans >
      • Reparations
      • Ethics in Science
      • Writing the Narrative of a Pinay Fighter
      • Privilege Journal
      • Environmental Injustices
      • Female Guerrillas
      • Hunter's ROTC
      • Scientific Advancements
      • Seeking Justice: A Humanities Lesson Plan
      • The Hukbalahap
      • Trading Immunity
      • Bataan Death March
      • Biochemical Warfare Development
Contribute