liberation of corregidor

80th Anniversary of the Liberation of Corregidor Commemorated


The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) joined the Provincial Government of Cavite, the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office, the Department of Tourism, the City Government of Cavite, and the Embassy of the United States of America in commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the Liberation of Corregidor Island through a wreath-laying program at the Pacific War Memorial.


Atty. Rodolfo D. Uy III, representing Cavite Governor Athena Bryana D. Tolentino, served as the Guest of Honor with the guard of honor rendered by the Philippine Navy - Philippine Marine Corps.


Corregidor Island served as the headquarters of the United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) Command under General Douglas MacArthur during the Philippine Campaign of 1941-1942. The island, officially called Fort Mills, was part of the Coastal Defenses of Manila Bay and alongside the defense of the Bataan Peninsula formed the core area of resistance during the Japanese invasion of the Philippines. After the Fall of Bataan on 9 April 1942, the Filipino-American defenders of Corregidor fell under an intensified bombardment by Japanese forces. On 5 May 1942, Japanese forces landed on Corregidor and after stiff resistance, the island surrendered on 6 May 1942. Three years later, on 16 February 1945, fresh from the landings at Lingayen and the ongoing battles to liberate Manila and its surrounding areas, allied forces returned to "The Rock" led by the US Army 503rd Parachute Regimental Combat Team and elements of the US Army 24th Division after more than two week of bombardment by the US Army Air Force and the US Navy. Fighting on the island persisted until 26 February 1945 when it was declared secured.


This program is part of the 80th Anniversary of the End of World War II in the Philippines.


Photos by Jovan C. Soriano, Alvin D. Lorena, & Josef Alec Geradila / NHCP Communications


Source: nhcpofficial (follow at Instagram)


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