MacArthur Landing Memorial National Park

Last updated
MacArthur Leyte Landing Memorial National Park
MacArthur Landing Memorial sculputres.jpg
MacArthur's Landing, by Anastacio Caedo
Philippines relief location map (square).svg
Red pog.svg
Location Palo, Philippines
Nearest city Tacloban, Leyte
Coordinates 11°10′20″N125°00′44″E / 11.1722°N 125.0122°E / 11.1722; 125.0122
Area6.78 hectares (16.8 acres)
EstablishedJuly 12, 1977
Governing body Department of Environment and Natural Resources

The MacArthur Leyte Landing Memorial National Park (also known as the Leyte Landing Memorial Park and 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 (Also the world's largest naval battle in terms of gross tonnage sunk) 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. It was declared a national park on 12 July 1977 through Letter of Instructions No. 572 signed by President Ferdinand Marcos. [1]

Contents

Description

The photograph by Gaetano Faillace that served as the basis for the statues. Douglas MacArthur lands Leyte1.jpg
The photograph by Gaetano Faillace that served as the basis for the statues.
The national park. MacArthur Landing Memorial National Park in Leyte.jpg
The national park.

The MacArthur Landing site sits on a 6.78-hectare (16.8-acre) coastal plain in the barangay of Candahug, some 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) south of Leyte's provincial capital Tacloban. [2] It was formerly named Imelda Park after former First Lady Imelda Marcos who hails from Leyte Province. [2] The park's focal point are the seven double-life-sized bronze statues on a shallow manmade pool depicting MacArthur and his entourage during the historic A-Day Landing 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, aide and orderly to Gen. MacArthur, and CBS Radio correspondent William J. Dunn. [3] [4] [lower-alpha 1] Designed by sculptor Anastacio Caedo and inaugurated during the 37th anniversary of A-Day in 1981, the statues mark the spot where MacArthur fulfilled his promise of "I shall return" at Red Beach, so-called for the codename assigned by the US Sixth Army to the stretch of beach from Marasbaras to Palo that was designated as one of the landing areas. [10] [11] In front of the statues, two historical markers in English and Filipino can be found explaining the significance of the scene being depicted. 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. [12]

Palo's regional government center is located right across from the memorial. Other notable structures nearby include the Rock Garden of Peace inaugurated during its 50th anniversary in 1994 when the memorial was also declared a national historic landmark by the National Historical Commission; [13] and The Oriental Leyte. Another hotel, the MacArthur Park Beach Resort built by Imelda Marcos in 1983 used to be on the site of The Oriental Leyte hotel. [14] [15] The park is accessible via the Pan-Philippine Highway (AH26) from Tacloban and the Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport.

Stories

The official story of October 20, 1944 was of MacArthur waiting and watching aboard the USS Nashville. The general was said to have waded in knee-deep waters as his craft grounded to a halt due to the shallow sea, sporadic fire from the enemy notwithstanding. [8] There had been rumors that the landing photo had been staged as it was reported by the New York Times that Osmeña had landed on Leyte on October 21, one day after the reported MacArthur landing date. There were also the three photographs taken at varying angles of their landing, furthering the impression that everything had been rehearsed. [16] In fact, there was no "staged photo op" at Leyte in October 1944 that resulted in the most famous photograph. The confusion was the result of MacArthur landing on three completely different beaches for four days in a row, where he talked to all the different frontline commanders at each beach, until he re-installed the Filipino government and firmly established headquarters on Filipino territory on October 23. The Leyte beach landing area was not safe at all due to Japanese mortars and machine guns for MacArthur to stay permanently until the fourth day. There were so many photos taken on those four days that confusion persists to the present day. [17] [18]

Recent events

Philippine Marine Corps personnel honoring the Macarthur landing. 2004 US Navy 041020-N-0493B-003 Backed by a monument marking the location of Gen. Douglas MacArthur's return to the Philippines 60 years ago, a Philippine Marine Corps honor guard stands at attention during the playing of Taps.jpg
Philippine Marine Corps personnel honoring the Macarthur landing. 2004

The park is the site of the annual memorial rites and reenactment of the historic Leyte landing attended by local and foreign dignitaries together with war veterans and their families. On November 8, 2013, the memorial was damaged by Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) (The world's strongest recorded Supertyphoon) with one of its seven statues, the Carlos Romulo statue, knocked from its base. [12] It was immediately repaired by the government and the statue of Carlos P. Romulo was restored within twenty days with assistance from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority. [19]

Notes

  1. ↑ The person identified as Francis Saveron in William Dunn's book Pacific Microphone is called in other sources like The New York Times and Filipinos in Washington, D.C. as Francisco Salveron. [3] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leyte</span> Island in the Philippines

Leyte is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leyte (province)</span> Province in Eastern Visayas, Philippines

Leyte, officially the Province of Leyte, is a province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region occupying the northern three-quarters of Leyte Island. Its capital and largest city is Tacloban, administered independently from the province. Leyte is thus north of Southern Leyte, south of Biliran, and west of Samar Island. To the west across the Camotes Sea is the province of Cebu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sergio Osmeña</span> President of the Philippines from 1944 to 1946

Sergio Osmeña Sr. was a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the fourth President of the Philippines from 1944 to 1946. He was Vice President under Manuel L. Quezon. Upon Quezon's sudden death in 1944, Osmeña succeeded him at age 65, becoming the oldest person to assume the Philippine presidency until Rodrigo Duterte took office in 2016 at age 71. A founder of the Nacionalista Party, Osmeña was also the first Visayan to become president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tacloban</span> Highly-urbanized city and capital of Leyte, Philippines

Tacloban, officially the City of Tacloban, is a highly urbanized city on Leyte island in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, Tacloban has a population of 251,881, making it the most populous city in the Eastern Visayas. The city is located 360 miles (580 km) southeast from Manila.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Courtney Whitney</span> American general

Major General Courtney Whitney was a lawyer and United States Army commander during World War II who later served as a senior official during the American occupation of Japan (1945–1951). He played a major role in the liberalization of Japanese government, society, and economy during the occupation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MacArthur, Leyte</span> Municipality in Leyte, Philippines

MacArthur, officially the Municipality of MacArthur, is a 5th class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 21,578 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palo, Leyte</span> Municipality in Leyte, Philippines

Palo, officially the Municipality of Palo, is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 76,213 people, making it the most populous municipality (non-city) in the province.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tolosa, Leyte</span> Municipality in Leyte, Philippines

Tolosa, officially the Municipality of Tolosa, is a 5th class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 20,708 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippines campaign (1944–1945)</span> Aspect of WWII history

The Philippines campaign, Battle of the Philippines, Second Philippines campaign, or the Liberation of the Philippines, codenamed Operation Musketeer I, II, and III, was the American, Mexican, Australian and Filipino campaign to defeat and expel the Imperial Japanese forces occupying the Philippines during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport</span> Airport serving Tacloban, Leyte, Philippines

Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport, also known as Tacloban City Airport, is an airport serving the general area of Tacloban, a highly urbanized city in the Leyte island of the Philippines. It is the main gateway from Manila and Cebu to Eastern Visayas. It is classified as a Class 1 principal airport by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines. In 2022, Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport served 1.48 million passengers, making it the seventh-busiest in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruperto Kangleon</span> Filipino politician (1890–1958)

Ruperto Cadava Kangleón was a Filipino military officer and politician. He was a native of the municipality of Macrohon in the province now named Southern Leyte.

The legislative districts of Leyte are the representations of the province of Leyte, the independent component city of Ormoc, and highly urbanized city of Tacloban in the various national legislatures of the Philippines. The province, together with the independent cities are currently represented in the lower house of the Congress of the Philippines through their first, second, third, fourth, and fifth congressional districts.

Anastacio Tanchanco Caedo was a Filipino sculptor. His style of sculpture was classical realist in the tradition of his mentor, Guillermo Tolentino.

1944 in the Philippines details events of note that happened in the Philippines in the year 1944.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leyte Provincial Capitol</span> Capitol building of Leyte province in the Philippines

The Leyte Provincial Capitol was the seat of government of the Philippine province of Leyte until 2019. The historic building situated in Tacloban also served as the temporary national capitol in 1944 to 1945 during the World War II era.

The Oriental Hotel Leyte, also known as The Oriental Leyte, is a hotel in the town of Palo in Leyte, Philippines. It is the only four-star rated hotel in the Eastern Visayas according to the Department of Tourism's National Accommodation Standards.

The MacArthur Park Beach Resort was a resort hotel in the town of Palo in Leyte, Philippines. It was built by then-First Lady Imelda Marcos, the wife of president Ferdinand Marcos, although the hotel was run privately. It was seized by the Philippine government in 1986 and later demolished in 2009 to make way for a new hotel, The Oriental Leyte which opened in 2012.

Edgar Ray Woolbright was an American entrepreneur who planned and developed the Beverly Hills subdivision of Lahug, Cebu City in the Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redoña Residence</span>

The Redoña Residence was a historic house along T. Claudio Street in Tacloban, Philippines.

References

  1. ↑ "Letter of Instructions No. 572". Chan Robles Virtual Law Library. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Region 8 - Protected Areas". Biodiversity Management Bureau. Archived from the original on 30 October 2014. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  3. 1 2 McCallus, Joseph P. (30 April 2010). The MacArthur Highway and Other Relics of American Empire in the Philippines. Potomac Books: Washington, D.C. ISBN   9781597974974 . Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  4. ↑ Dunn, William J. (10 June 2009). Pacific Microphone. Texas A&M University Press. ISBN   9781603441575 . Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  5. ↑ Goldstein, Richard (1 September 1998). "Francisco Salveron, MacArthur's Aide, Dies at 88". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
  6. ↑ Cacas, Rita M.; Lott, Juanita Tamayo (2009). Images of America: Filipinos in Washington, D.C. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN   9780738566207 . Retrieved 12 November 2014.
  7. ↑ "Francisco Salveron: Aide to MacArthur". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 2 September 2014. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
  8. 1 2 Goldstein, Richard (1998-09-01). "Francisco Salveron, MacArthur's Aide, Dies at 88". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  9. ↑ "Studio portrait of Sergeant Francisco J Salveron, United States Army, and his Australian de facto ..." www.awm.gov.au. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  10. ↑ "Ceremony on Tuesday to Recall MacArthur's Philippine Landing". Reading Eagle. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  11. ↑ "The Sunniest Day in October". Manila Bulletin . Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  12. 1 2 "MacArthur memorial also damaged by 'Yolanda'". Manila Bulletin . Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  13. ↑ "Remembering the Leyte Gulf Landing". Philippine Information Agency . Archived from the original on 13 November 2014. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  14. ↑ "Leyte takes over Imelda-built resort". Philippine Daily Inquirer . Archived from the original on 18 December 2014. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  15. ↑ "Leyte SP happy with Leyte Oriental's reconstruction". Philippine Information Agency . Archived from the original on 13 November 2014. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  16. ↑ "LEYTE | The Story Behind the MacArthur Landing Memorial National Park at Palo". Lakad Pilipinas. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
  17. ↑ "MacArthur and the Leyte Landing Photograph". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  18. ↑ "Proclamation of General Douglas MacArthur to the People of the Philippines, October 23, 1944 | GOVPH". www.officialgazette.gov.ph. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  19. ↑ "After 20 days, Romulo statue upright again, wading ashore with MacArthur". Interaksyon . Retrieved 27 September 2014.[ permanent dead link ]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.