Promises Kept by JAA USA/Philippines Collection

[CSJournals-migration]

The United States is not the only nation that celebrates the fourth of July as their Independence Day. The Republic of the Philippines was born on July 4, 1946.

 

When the United States defeated Spain in the Spanish-American war of 1898, the Philippines became a United States possession.

 

During the Spanish Colonial Period (1565 -- 1898) Spain maintained a very one sided relationship with the Philippines and showed no interest in preparing the Philippine people for self governance. (Shafer 1961, pages 6-7)

 

Unlike other colonial powers the U.S. always had intentions of giving the Philippine Islands full independence once the inhabitants were given educational opportunities and the basis for good government was established.

 

On July 4, 1901 William Howard Taft, became the first U. S. Civil Governor of the Philippines and the process of "Nation Building" started in earnest. Taft was Governor-General of the Philippines from July 4, 1901 -- February 1, 1904. Later he would serve as the 27th President of the United States (1909 -- 1913) and 10th Chief Justice of the United States (1921-1930).

 

Under the leadership of Taft and his successors an elected legislative assembly was established (October 1907), and more and more Filipinos were appointed to judicial positions.

 

In 1935 a Constitution for the Philippines was approved and the Philippines were granted Commonwealth status and the promise of full independence in 1946. With Commonwealth status a Philippine president became the Chief Executive of the Government of the Philippines. A U.S. High Commissioner served in a supervisory capacity with specific instructions to prepare the Philippines for independence.

 

An important step in the nation building process is developing a nation's capacity to defend itself. The model adopted for the Philippines was for a small standing army backed up by ten reserve divisions of citizen soldiers that could be mobilized when needed. Since the early days of U.S. sovereignty Filipinos served in the Philippine Scouts (a regular division of the U.S. Army) and the Philippine Constabulary.

 

An officer's school of the Philippine Constabulary was established on February 17, 1905. The Philippine Legislature on September 8, 1926 passed Act No. 3496 renaming the school the 'Philippine Constabulary Academy' and lengthened its course from nine months to three years with provisions to strengthen the faculty and revise its curriculum. On December 21, 1936, Commonwealth Act No. 1 (also known as the National Defense Act) was passed. The law formally created the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) and authorized it to confer a Bachelor of Science degree on its graduates after they successfully complete the four-year course.

 

In 1922 a Philippine Reserve Officers Training Corps was established at the University of the Philippines (UP). In 1925 the U.S. Senate incorporated the UP ROTC program into the ROTC of the United States. On December 21, 1936, Commonwealth Act No. 1 (also known as the National Defense Act) established ROTC programs at all of the major universities in the Philippine islands.

 

By 1941 the creation of a cadre of trained regular and reserve officers was progressing very satisfactorily and many very competent young Filipino officers were serving as company and field grade officers in the Philippine Army and the Philippine Division of the U.S. Army (the Philippine Scouts).

 

Since the organization and training of the Philippine Army's reserve divisions was not projected to be completed until 1946 training had barely gotten underway when Japan attacked the Philippines on December 8, 1941. On December 18, 1941 the regular and reserve divisions of the Philippine Army were inducted into the U.S. Army. Although poorly equipped and greatly outnumbered by the invading Japanese the superbly lead Philippine divisions fought with great gallantry during the defense of the Philippines.

 

America's pre-war strategy for the defense of the Philippines, War Plan Orange 3, called for U.S. and Philippine forces to fight a delaying action on the beaches and the Central Plains of Luzon while withdrawing to a final defensive position on the Bataan Peninsula and the island fortress of Corregidor. From there it was felt that the defenders could hold out until the Pacific Fleet and reinforcements from the United States could arrive. With the Pacific Fleet decimated at Pearl Harbor the hoped for reinforcements never came dooming the defenders of Bataan and Corregidor.

 

On February 22, 1942 President Roosevelt ordered General Douglas MacArthur, the U.S. commander in the Philippines, to break through the Japanese lines and proceed from Corregidor to Australia for the purpose of organizing the American offensive against Japan. Upon his arrival in Australia MacArthur made his famous promise "I Shall Return".

 

After a courageous defense Bataan fell on April 9, 1942. On May 6, 1942 Corregidor was overrun and Major General Jonathan Wainwright was coerced into ordering the surrender of all United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE).

 

The Japanese high command had planned to conquer Luzon in fifty days, it took them five months. The sacrifice of the hero's of Bataan and Corregidor disrupted the Japanese timetable and bought time for America's industrial might to churn out the planes, munitions, and engines of war needed by General MacArthur to check the Japanese advance in the Jungles of New Guinea and fight his way back to the Philippines.

 

MacArthur kept his promise to return. The Liberation of the Philippines began in October 1944 with the invasion of Leyte and the Battle of Leyte Gulf. In January 1945 U.S. forces landed on the island of Luzon and by March 1945 the Commonwealth seat of government had been re-established at Malacanan Palace in the liberated City of Manila. By July 5, 1945 all of the Philippines had been completely liberated.

 

On July 4th 1946 the Republic of the Philippines became a free and independent nation keeping America's promise of full independence for the Philippines.

 

The attached picture of Malacanan Palace, the seat of government for the Commonwealth of the Philippines, was taken by my father shortly after the Battle of Manila (February 3, 1945 - March 3, 1945). During World War II my father served in the U.S. Army, in the Pacific, and was an eye witness to the liberation of the Philippines.

 

See more journals by JAA USA/Philippines Collection

[Jack Robinson]

 

 

Great write up. Thanks for sharing.

 

[SPHansen]

I was watching an episode of Pawn Stars, where a guy came in with his grandfather's army uniform. He said that his GF was stationed in the Philippines and had fought int he Spanish-American war there. However, when questioned further, the grandfather would have been too young to be there at that time. They questioned the truth of the guy's story, but brought in an expert. The uniform was indeed from the Philippines, and had a stripe that showed action in combat. Turned out the expert said there was some sort of insurrection or something going on there against the US... turns out the guy's story was true, just a bit muddled as to the facts.

 

Do you know anything about this insurrection?

 

Oh, and when I heard of the Philippines connection, I actually thought of you

[mkman123]

A mini history lesson here! Great stuff and thanks for taking your time to write this up for us

[JAA]

Prior to the Spanish American War the Filipions. under the leadership of Emilio Aguinaldo, had already begun an insurrection against Spain. When the Phillippines came under U.S. sovereighty the insurrection continued against the U.S occupation forces. The Philippine Insurrection ended a year after the capture of Aguinaldo and the final surrender of the Philippine Guerilla forces. Eventually the Guerillas became fast friends of the Americans. In 1935 Manuel L. Quezon, one of the Guerillas who fought against the United States during the Philippine Insurrection, became the first President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines.

 

 

[nunfa0]

Awesome history lesson!!

[coinsbygary]

For the most part we are a nation of our word. My familiarity with the Philippines is with Subic Bay and Manila during my enlistment with the US Navy in the early 80's. When the lease for Subic Bay expired in 1992 and not renewed by the Filipino government we left the base according to our word. Thus 1992 marked the first time in hundreds of years that there had been no foreign military presence in the Philippines.

Gary

[RWB]

McArthur refused to allow US bombers to attack Japanese air bases on Taiwan on Dec 8. The US air fleet, much of which should have been in the air or attacking Taiwan, was thus caught on the ground and wiped out. This gave Japan full air superiority over the Philippines and much of SE Asia.

 

McArthur had an ego bigger than a B29 and had no problem leaving Wainwright to take the punishment of defeat. My Dad, and others who served there, were disgusted with McArthur’s actions and did not trust him.

 

[JAA]

There is certainly no question about the size of MacArthur’s ego. Unfortunately this was the generals greatest weakness and would lead to several tactical and strategic errors over his career as well as his eventual dismissal by President Truman during the Korean War. He could also be very two faced such as when he accepted the Medal of Honor for himself while blackballing a Medal Of Honor for General Wainwright. Allowing his air units to be caught on the ground after receiving eight hours warning was inexcusable.

 

Despite the Generals personality flaws he remains one of Americans greatest generals. There is no doubt that if it were not for MacArthur the navy would have had its way and the Philippines would have been bypassed.