Douglas MacArthur's escape from the

Philippines
On 11 March 1942, during World War II, General Douglas
MacArthur and members of his family and staff left the Philippine
island of Corregidor and his forces, which were surrounded by the
Japanese. They traveled inPT boats through stormy seas patrolled by
Japanese warships and reached Mindanao two days later. From there,
MacArthur and his party flew to Australia in a pair of Boeing B-17
Flying Fortresses, ultimately arriving in Melbourne by train on 21
March. In Australia, he made his famous speech in which he
declared, "I came through and I shall return". PT-32, one of the four PT-20 class motor torpedo
boats involved
MacArthur was a well-known and experienced officer with a
distinguished record inWorld War I, who had retired from the United
States Army in 1937 and had become a defense advisor to the Philippine government. He was recalled to active duty with the United
States Army in July 1941, a few months before the outbreak of the Pacific War between the United States and theEmpire of Japan, to
become commander ofUnited States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE), uniting the Philippine and United States Armies under
one command.

By March 1942, the Japanese invasion of the Philippineshad compelled MacArthur to withdraw his forces onLuzon to Bataan, while
his headquarters and his family moved to Corregidor. The doomed defense of Bataan captured the imagination of the American
public. At a time when the news from all fronts was uniformly bad, MacArthur became a living symbol of Allied resistance to the
Japanese.

Fearing that Corregidor would soon fall, and MacArthur would be taken prisoner, President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered
MacArthur to go to Australia. A submarine was made available, but MacArthur elected to break through the Japanese blockade in PT
boats under the command of Lieutenant (junior grade) John D. Bulkeley. The staff MacArthur brought with him became known as
the "Bataan Gang". They would become the nucleus of his General Headquarters (GHQ)
Southwest Pacific Area(SWPA).

Contents
Background
Decision
Washington
Corregidor
Escape
Preparations
PT boat voyage
Aircraft
Aftermath
Notes
References
Background
Douglas MacArthur was a well-known and experienced officer. The son of Lieutenant General Arthur MacArthur Jr., who was
awarded the Medal of Honor for his services in the American Civil War, MacArthur had graduated at the top of the United States
Military Academy class of 1903.[1] He was an aide-de-camp to his father from 1905 to 1906, and to President Theodore Roosevelt
from 1906 to 1907.[2] During World War I he commanded the 84th Brigade of the 42nd (Rainbow) Division in the fighting on the
Western Front. After the war he served as Superintendent of the United States Military Academy, and as Chief of Staff of the United
States Army. He retired from the United States Army in 1937, and became afield marshal in the Philippine Army.[1]

MacArthur's job was to advise the Philippine government on defense matters, and prepare the Philippine defense forces when the
Philippines became fully independent, which was to be in 1946.[3] The Philippine Army, almost entirely manned and officered by
Filipinos with only a small number of American advisors, was raised by conscription, with two classes of 20,000 men being trained
each year, starting in 1937. In addition, there was a regular U.S. Army garrison of about 10,000, half of whom were Filipinos serving
in the U.S. Army known as Philippine Scouts.[4] When MacArthur was recalled from retirement in July 1941 to become commander
of United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) at the age of 61, he united the Philippine and United States Armies under
one command.[1]

In getting the Philippine Army ready for war, MacArthur faced an enormous task.[5]
On a visit to the United States in 1937, MacArthur lobbied the Navy Department for
the development of PT boats—small, fast boats armed with torpedoes—for which he
believed that the geography of the Philippines, with its shallow waters and many
coves, was ideally suited.[6][7] The nascent Philippine Navy acquired three, known
as "Q" boats, after President Manuel L. Quezon.[8] In August 1941, the U.S. Navy
created Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three, under the command of Lieutenant
(junior grade) John D. Bulkeley. It was a half-strength squadron, with only six PT
boats instead of the normal twelve, numbered 31 to 35 and 41.[7] It arrived at Manila
in September 1941.[9] It was understood that a fleet consisting of more than PT boats
MacArthur became a symbol of Allied [4]
would be required for a successful defense of the Philippines.
resistance to the Japanese
As early as 1907, U.S. naval and military planners had concluded that it would be
impractical to repel an invasion of the Philippines. The best that could be hoped for
was that the garrison could hold out on theBataan peninsula until help arrived. In the 1920s it was estimated that they could do so for
about 60 days. By the 1930s, the planners had become decidedly pessimistic in view of the increased capability of aircraft, and by
1936 they were agreed that the Philippines should be written off.[10] But in July 1941, this decision was abruptly reversed, and it
became the policy of the U.S. government to defend and hold the Philippines. This was based, at least in part, in the belief that
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortressbombers could deter or defeat an invading force.[11]

Soon after the Japanese invasion of the Philippines in 1941, MacArthur, in accordance with the pre-war plan, declared Manila an
open city, and ordered his forces on Luzon to withdraw to Bataan. The Philippine government, the High Commissioner's office and
MacArthur's USAFFE headquarters moved to Corregidor Island.[12] Although the dependents of U.S. military personnel had been
sent back to the United States, MacArthur was, until his recall from retirement, a Philippine government employee, so his family had
remained in the Philippines.[13] MacArthur's wife, Jean MacArthur, and young son, Arthur MacArthur IV, went with him to
Corregidor.[14] Arthur celebrated his fourth birthday on Corregidor, on 21 February 1942.[15] When an aide asked about Arthur's
[16]
possible fate, MacArthur replied: "He is a soldier's son."

Most of the United States Asiatic Fleet retired to the south of the Philippines. A small force was left behind under the command of
Rear Admiral Francis W. Rockwell consisting of the submarine tender USS Canopus, the submarine rescue ship Pigeon, gunboats
Oahu, Luzon and Mindanao, minesweepers Finch, Tanager and Quail, five tugboats, three small patrol boats, and the PT boats of
Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three.[17] The loss of Manila and the U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay meant that fuel and spare parts
became scarce. The PT boats relied on Canopus and the floating dry dock USS Dewey for assistance with maintenance. Despite this,
Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three continued to patrol. On 17 December, PT-32, PT-34 and PT-35 rescued 296 survivors from SS
Corregidor, which had been carrying refugees to Australia when it struck a mine and sank in Manila Bay. A week later, PT-33 ran
aground while patrolling south of Manila Bay, and was set on fire to prevent her being salvaged by the Japanese. PT-31 met a similar
fate a month later, after its engines failed and it drifted onto a reef.[17] The PT boats attacked enemy barges off Luzon on the night of
23 January 1942, a small Japanese warship on 1 February , on 17 February.[18]
, and a small vessel, probably a fishing trawler

Decision

Washington
In a message to President Franklin D. Roosevelt in Washington, D.C., on 11 February, MacArthur announced that he and his family
intended to "share the fate of the garrison".[19] This meant surrender at best; MacArthur knew that death from artillery fire or an air
raid was also likely.[20] Three days later, the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, George C. Marshall, urged MacArthur to send
his family away, but MacArthur ignored this part of the message. Singapore, once considered impregnable, fell on 15 February, and
in Washington, the possibility that Corregidor would also fall and MacArthur would be taken prisoner was considered. MacArthur
was America's most experienced general, but would be of little use in a prisoner of war camp.[21] Moreover, he had become a living
symbol of Allied resistance to the Japanese. The brave but doomed defense of Bataan had captured the imagination of the American
public,[22] who saw MacArthur as the only Allied general who knew how to fight the Japanese.
[16] Walter R. Borneman noted that:

in a fragile period of the American psyche when the general American public, still stunned by the shock of Pearl
Harbor and uncertain what lay ahead in Europe, desperately needed a hero, they wholeheartedly embraced Douglas
MacArthur—good press copy that he was. There simply were no other choices that came close to matching his
[23]
mystique, not to mention his evocative lone-wolf stand—something that always resonated with Americans.

Secretary of State Cordell Hull raised the possibility of MacArthur's evacuation.[21]

Brigadier General Dwight Eisenhower wrote in his diary:

I cannot help thinking that we are disturbed by editorials and

reacting to "public opinion" rather than to military logic. "Pa"
Watson is certain we must get MacArthur out, as being worth "five
Army corps".[24]

The President considered sending MacArthur to Mindanao to coordinate the defense

The Chief of Staff of the United
of the Philippines from there, but another consideration arose. The fall of Singapore
States Army, George C. Marshall
sealed the fate of the American-British-Dutch-Australian Command (ABDA), of (left) confers with the Secretary of
which MacArthur's command was nominally a part. Discussions were held with the War, Henry L. Stimson, in January
British about future command arrangements. A broad agreement was reached that 1942
the United States would assume responsibility for the Southwest Pacific. A senior
American officer was required, and MacArthur was the obvious choice.[25] On 23
February, MacArthur received a message that had been drafted by the President,Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson and Marshall.[26]
It read:

The President directs that you make arrangements to leave and proceed to Mindanao. You are directed to make this
change as quickly as possible … From Mindanao you will proceed to Australia where you will assume command of
all United States troops … Instructions will be given from here at your request for the movement of submarine or
plane or both to enable you to carry out the foregoing instructions. You are authorized to take your chief of staff
General Sutherland.[27]
Corregidor
MacArthur responded with a request that he might select the time of his departure. "Unless the right moment is chosen for this
delicate operation", he wrote, "a sudden collapse might occur."[24] "With regard to the actual movement", he went on, "I deem it
advisable to go to Mindanao by combined use of surface craft and submarine, and thence by air, further movement by submarine
being too time consuming."[24] Marshall replied that the President would allow him to choose the time and method of his
departure.[26] ABDA was dissolved on 27 February, and MacArthur nominally came under Dutch command, but was ordered to
continue communicating directly with theWar Department.[25]

MacArthur inspected the PT boat squadron on 1 March. With air cover provided by his four remaining Curtiss P-40 Warhawks,
MacArthur and his wife Jean took a half-hour ride on PT-41. Although the sea was tranquil, Jean still felt queasy.[26] Ostensibly, the
purpose of MacArthur's visit was presenting Bulkeley with the Distinguished Service Cross for sinking an "unidentified 5,000-ton
enemy ship with torpedoes without serious damage to his ship or casualty to his crew",[28] but afterwards MacArthur took Bulkeley
aside and asked him if it would be possible to make the 600-mile (970-kilometer) journey through uncharted waters at night in PT
boats.[29] Bulkeley told him that it would be "a piece of cake."
[30]

When some days passed without any further word on the matter, follow-up messages were sent on 6 and 9 March.[26] By 10 March,
MacArthur had decided that the Bataan front was not in danger of imminent collapse,[31] and replied that he planned to depart on 15
March,[26] when the submarine USS Permit was scheduled to arrive at Corregidor. Radio broadcasts in the United States calling for
MacArthur to be placed in charge in Australia had been picked up by MacArthur's headquarters in Corregidor, and it had to be
assumed that the Japanese had heard them too. There were ominous signs: Japanese surface patrols had been stepped up in the Subic
Bay area, and there were reports of Japanese destroyers heading north from the southern Philippines.[32] MacArthur therefore elected
not to wait for the Permit, but to leave as soon as possible, by PT boat on the night of 11 March.[26] Major General Jonathan M.
Wainwright was left in command on Bataan and Corregidor. "When I get back", MacArthur told him, "if you're still on Bataan, I'll
[33]
make you a lieutenant general." Wainwright replied: "I'll be on Bataan if I'm still alive."

Of the decision to depart by PT boat rather than wait for the submarine, Lieutenant Robert B. Kelly, executive officer of Motor
Torpedo Boat Squadron Three, and commander ofPT-34,[34] later recalled:

Having served with Lieutenant Bulkeley as his second in command on this and a prior assignment, I was privy to
much of what transpired during his conferences with General MacArthur during the decision making process.
MacArthur's decision to use the PT boats for the evacuation of his party dramatically emphasized to the American
public the overwhelming odds against which the United States was fighting in the Philippines. It evened an old score
with the United States Navy. And since he had a tendency towards claustrophobia and did not relish making the trip
on a submerged submarine with a commander whom he did not personally know, it provided an acceptable alternative
which he elected to exercise.[35]

Escape

Preparations
Bulkeley and his crews overhauled the PT boats for the voyage. All of the engines had performed hard war service, and had been
operated for double the recommended mileage without overhaul. As a result, they were reduced to operating at half speed. Since
there were no replacement parts, the gaskets, which normally would have been discarded, had to be carefully cleaned and replaced.
Each PT boat would carry twenty 55-gallon drums of additional fuel on the deck. This reduced the top speed of the boats to about 30
knots (56 kilometers per hour; 35 miles per hour).[36] To make room for the passengers, Bulkeley had to leave 32 of his men behind,
who would be sent to fight as infantry on Bataan.[37]
MacArthur's chief of staff, Major General Richard K. Sutherland, drew up the
passenger lists.[38] Rockwell and his chief of staff, Captain Herbert J. Ray, were
ordered to accompany MacArthur.[32] They were already under orders to return by
submarine, but this was switched to accompanying MacArthur when his date of
departure was brought forward.[37] A United States Army Air Corps officer,
Brigadier General Harold H. George, was included at the request of the United
States Army Air Forces.[38]

MacArthur was accompanied by his family: his wife Jean, four-year-old son
Arthur,[39] and Arthur's Cantonese amah, Ah Cheu. MacArthur later defended his
decision to take her instead of an American nurse.[33] "Few people outside the
Orient", he wrote, "know how completely a member of the family an amah can
become, and Ah Cheu had been with us since Arthur's birth. Because of her
relationship to my family, her death would have been certain had she been left
behind."[40] Lieutenant J. D. Bulkeley,
commander of Motor Torpedo Boat
In case a doctor was needed, Major Charles H. Morhouse was summoned from Squadron Three
Bataan to accompany the party. The remaining thirteen were members of
MacArthur's staff, who were loyal and experienced; some had been with MacArthur
for years. Creating a new staff in Australia would have taken time, while taking his existing one would enable him to commence
work soon after arrival in Australia. They would be more valuable there than in the Philippines, where they would have been taken
prisoner. Sutherland included two of his own men: his assistant, Lieutenant Colonel Francis H. Wilson, and his stenographer, Master
Sergeant Paul P. Rogers. Promoted from private that day, Rogers was the only enlisted man on the list, which he typed. A number of
men gave him letters to post.[38]

Because there was no food for the passengers on the PT boats, Jean and MacArthur's aide-de-camp, Lieutenant Colonel Sidney L.
Huff, packed tins of food into four duffel bags, one for each boat.[33] Huff removed the four-star rank number plates from
MacArthur's car so they could be used in Australia, and took a mattress for the MacArthurs to lie on. Stories later circulated that it
was full of cash or gold. Other stories had it that furniture from MacArthur's residence in the Manila Hotel had been loaded on board
the PT boats, even, in one version of the story, the piano.[40] In fact, each passenger was limited to one piece of luggage weighing 35
pounds (16 kilograms) or less. Jean took a small suitcase with some clothes.[41] It sported a label from the Hotel New Grand in
Yokohama, where she stayed during her honeymoon.[42] Ah Cheu wrapped her possessions in a handkerchief. MacArthur took
nothing.[41]

PT boats and passengers[43]

Boat Skipper Other officers Passengers
Lieutenant Brigadier General Spencer B. Akin, Brigadier GeneralHugh J.
PT- (junior grade) Ensign Cone Casey, Brigadier General William F. Marquat, Brigadier General
32 Vince Johnson Harold H. George, Lieutenant Colonel Joe R. Sherr , Major Curtis L.
Schumacher Lambert
Lieutenant
PT- Ensign Iliff D. Rear Admiral Francis W. Rockwell, Brigadier General Richard J.
Robert B.
34 Richardson Marshall, Colonel Charles P. Stivers, Captain Joseph McMicking
Kelly
Lieutenant (junior
Ensign Colonel Charles A. Willoughby, Lieutenant Colonel LeGrande A.
PT- grade) Henry
Anthony Diller, Lieutenant Colonel Francis H. Wilson, Master Sergeant Paul .P
35 Brantingham, Ensign
Akers Rogers
Bond Murray
Lieutenant General Douglas MacArthur, Jean MacArthur, Arthur MacArthur IV,
PT-
John Ensign George Cox Ah Cheu, Major General Richard K. Sutherland, Captain Herbert J.
41
Bulkeley Ray, Lieutenant Colonel Sidney L. Huff, Major Charles H. Morhouse
PT boat voyage
Only PT-41, which carried MacArthur and his family, departed from Corregidor's North Dock. The passengers of the remaining boats
were taken to Bataan in launches and boarded their PT boats there.[44] While his family boarded, MacArthur spoke to Major General
George F. Moore, the commander of theHarbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays. "George", he told him, "keep the flag flying. I'm
coming back."[45]

PT-41 departed at 19:45 on 11 March and joined the other three 15 minutes later.[45] A navy minelayer led the PT boats through the
protective minefield in single file.[46] The boats then assumed a diamond formation, withPT-41 in the lead and PT-34 bringing up the
rear.[47] If attacked by the Japanese, PT-41 was to flee while the other three boats engaged the enemy.[48] The seas were moderate,
[49] MacArthur later recalled:
but most of the passengers quickly became seasick.

The weather deteriorated steadily, and towering waves buffeted our tiny, war-weary, blacked-out vessels. The spray
drove against our skin like stinging pellets of birdshot. We would fall into a trough, then climb up the steep water
peak, only to slide down the other side. The boat would toss crazily back and forth, seeming to hang free in space as
though about to breach, and would then break away and go forward with a rush. I recall describing the experience
.[50]
afterward as what it must be like to take a trip in a concrete mixer

During the night, the four boats became separated. Bulkeley spent time looking for
the other three boats, but was unable to find them in the darkness. At dawn he gave
up, and headed for one of the alternative hiding places.[51] Kelly's PT-34 was the
first to reach the rendezvous point, a cove on Tagauayan Island, two hours late at
09:30. There was no sign of the other boats, and Rockwell, in the same boat with
Kelly, was far from convinced that Kelly had found the correct island. Some repairs
were made, and the boat was refueled by hand pumps from the drums. Two men
were posted atop the island's tallest hill to watch out for the Japanese and the other
boats.[52]

PT-32, which had only two good engines, had straggled behind the others. Around
dawn, Schumacher spotted what appeared to be a Japanese destroyer heading
towards him. He jettisoned his fuel drums so he could increase speed and run from
it.[53] He ordered his crew to man the .50-caliber machine guns and get ready to
Lieutenant John D. Bulkeley (left) at launch torpedoes. Akin prepared to toss a barracks bag filled with code books
the helm of a PT boat overboard. However, as the light improved, and the vessel drew closer, another look
through the binoculars revealed that it was not a Japanese destroyer at all, but PT-41,
carrying an angry Bulkeley. Schumacher was ordered to recover the drums he had
jettisoned, but this proved to be a time-consuming task, and a dangerous one in broad daylight, and it had to be abandoned after only
[54]
a few drums were recovered. Bulkeley had his gunners sink the rest. The two boats then hid for the day in a nearby cove.

In the afternoon, PT-41 and PT-32 made their way to Tagauayan, where they found PT-34. There was a discussion about whether to
proceed to Mindanao, or wait for Permit. Bulkeley warned that the seas might even be higher. But, since there was no assurance that
the submarine would make it, MacArthur decided to continue, departing in daylight at 18:00 so as to be sure to meet their air
transport there. Since PT-32 had no fuel to make Mindanao, its passengers were divided between PT-41 and PT-34.[55] Soon after
they had departed, PT-35 belatedly arrived at the rendezvous point. Akers found the crew of PT-32 there, and discovered that the
other two boats had been and gone. He therefore set out forCagayan de Oro as well.[56]

At 19:00, about an hour after they had left Tagauayan, PT-34 and PT-41 spotted a Japanese cruiser. Bulkeley made a sharp turn due
west, and headed at top speed, about 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph), into the setting sun. Whether because of the high waves, the glare
of the sun, or simple inattentiveness, the cruiser did not spot them.[57][53] After midnight, the weather began to worsen, with heavy
swells and sporadic squalls. Kelly later recalled:
 Big foaming waves fifteen or twenty feet high thundering over the
cockpit, drenching everybody. Our binoculars were full of water and
our eyes so continuously drenched with stinging salt that we couldn't
see, in addition to which it was pitch-black. We were making good
speed through strange waters with islands all around us. We could
see the outlines of the big ones—Negros and Mindanao—very dimly
against the horizon through the storm. But there were dozens of
small ones and probably hundreds of reefs.

You had to keep one hand in front of your eyes to avoid the slapping
force of the water and yet you needed both to hold on.

The Admiral was pretty wrought up. "I've sailed every type of ship
in the Navy except one of these MTBs", he shouted at me above the
wind, "and this is the worst bridge I've ever been on. I wouldn't do
duty on one of these for anything in the world—you can have
them."[58] Route of MacArthur's escape by PT
boat (red) and B-17 (blue)

By dawn, the winds and swells had subsided, but the delay caused by the bad
weather had slowed the two boats, and they now had to travel across the Mindanao
Sea in daylight. Cagayan was sighted shortly after 06:30 on 13 March. Although PT-34 had led all the way from Tagauayan, Kelly
now let Bulkeley take the lead, as he had the channel charts. PT-41 therefore pulled up at the wharf first, with MacArthur on the bow.
They were met by Colonel William Morse, an officer on the staff of the Brigadier General William F. Sharp, the commander of U.S.
forces on Mindanao. MacArthur told Bulkeley "I'm giving every officer and man here the Silver Star for gallantry. You've taken me
out of the jaws of death, and I won't forget it."[59]

A few hours later, PT-35 reached Cagayan. Willoughby later recalled:

We were behind schedule and reached the north coast of Mindanao in broad daylight. It was a clear, dazzling day.
Fortunately, no Japanese planes cut across the blue sky, though the enemy was known to make regular mail flights
[60]
from Mindanao to Luzon. We were pretty conspicuous as the hours dragged on.

USS Permit, under the command of Lieutenant Wreford G. Chapple, reached Tagauayan on 13 March, and found PT-32. With two of
his three engines out of action, Schumacher felt that his boat was no longer seaworthy
. He had Chapple destroy the boat withPermit's
deck gun. Chapple then took the fifteen PT-32 crewmen back to Corregidor. There, eight of the crew were disembarked, while
Chapple embarked forty more passengers, thirty-six of them codebreakers. Nonetheless, Chapple was ordered to conduct a regular
war patrol, which he did. He finally reached Australia on 7 April.[61] Unaware of this, Bulkeley attempted to locate PT-32.[62] Over
a and a P-40, in the hope of finding it.[63]
the next few days he flew over the area as a passenger in various aircraft, including P-35

Aircraft
The commander of U.S. Army Forces in Australia, Lieutenant General George H. Brett, received a radiogram from General Marshall
in Washington, D.C., alerting him that MacArthur would be requesting bombers to transport his party from Mindanao to Australia. A
subsequent message from MacArthur requested his "most experienced pilots, and the best available planes in top condition",[64] but
the only long-range aircraft that Brett had were Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 19th Bombardment Groupwhich had seen hard
service in the Philippines and the Dutch East Indies campaigns.[64] He therefore approached Vice Admiral Herbert F. Leary, the
commander of naval forces in the Anzac Area, to ask for a loan of some of twelve newly arrived Navy B-17s. Leary, who had a
[65]
reputation for refusing requests unless he could see how the Navy would benefit, turned Brett down.
 Brett therefore sent four of the 19th Bombardment Group's old planes. Two were
forced to turn back with engine trouble. One of the others accidentally dumped 300
US gallons (1,100 litres; 250 imperial gallons) of its fuel. The pilot flew on, and
nearly made it to Del Monte Field, but, just a few miles from his destination, the fuel
tanks ran dry and the engines stopped. The B-17 crash landed in the sea. Two of the
crew were killed, but the rest made it to shore, and thence to Del Monte Field. Only
one B-17, piloted by Lieutenant Harl Pease, reached Del Monte, and this B-17 was
in poor condition, with no brakes and a faulty supercharger. Sharp ordered it back to
Boeing B-17E Flying Fortresses
Australia before MacArthur arrived. Despite the lack of brakes, Pease made the
return trip, carrying sixteen passengers.[56][65]

Thus, with the arrival of PT-35, all of MacArthur's group had reached Mindanao safely, but there were no aircraft at Del Monte Field
to meet them. They were taken to the Del Monte Plantation, where they were lodged in the guest houses, and had breakfast in the
clubhouse. MacArthur sent a couple of sharp messages to Brett inMelbourne and Marshall in Washington. On their second day there,
a Filipino woman arrived who wanted to speak to MacArthur. Her son was fighting on Luzon, and she had walked 25 miles (40
kilometers) in the hope that the general would have some news about him. He did not, but the fact that she was aware of MacArthur's
presence was disturbing to the party, as the Japanese were only 30 miles (48 km) away, at Davao on the south coast of
Mindanao.[66][67]

Brett went back to Leary, expecting to be turned down again, but this time, Leary
gave Brett the aircraft he wanted. "Perhaps", Brett speculated, "Leary had heard
from Washington".[65] The newly formed 40th Reconnaissance Squadron manned
the bombers.[68] One B-17 turned back, but two made it to Del Monte Field on 16
March, landing in the dark on a runway lit by flares.[69] Lieutenant Frank P.
Bostrom, the pilot of the first plane, calculated that everyone could be carried in just
two planes if they left most of their baggage behind. They divided into two groups
and the two bombers took off at 01:30 on 17 March. MacArthur rode in the radio
operator's seat, which did not need to be manned as the aircraft were travelling under
MacArthur evacuation memorial at
radio silence.[70] For most of the passengers, the trip was dark and cold, with only a
the site of the Del Monte Field,
[71]
blanket between them and the metal skin of the aircraft. Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon,
Philippines
As the two planes approached Darwin, word was received that a Japanese air raid
was in progress there. The two B-17s therefore flew on to Batchelor Airfield, where
they touched down at 09:30. MacArthur awarded Silver Stars to the crews of the two bombers.[70] Brett's chief of staff, Brigadier
General Ralph Royce, was on hand to greet them, and Brett had sent two Australian National Airways DC-3s to bring them to
Melbourne.[65] However, Jean now refused to fly any further, so MacArthur asked for a motorcade to take them to the nearest railway
station, which was at Alice Springs, 1,000 miles (1,600 km) away. Sutherland had received word of an incoming Japanese air raid,
and asked Morhouse to intervene. Morhouse told MacArthur that Arthur, who had suffered badly from seasickness and airsickness,
was on an intravenous feed, and could not guarantee that he would survive the trip across the desert. MacArthur then agreed to take
the planes to Alice Springs. Sutherland had Huff hurry everyone onto the aircraft, which took off as the air raid siren sounded.[72]

At Alice Springs, the party split up. MacArthur, his family, Sutherland, Morhouse and Huff took a special train that Brett had
borrowed from the Australians, while the rest of the staff flew down to Melbourne via Adelaide in the DC-3s.[73] His famous speech,
in which he said, "I came through and I shall return", was first made at Terowie railway station in South Australia, on 20 March,
where he changed trains.[74][75] On 21 March, MacArthur's journey was completed when his train rolled into Melbourne's Spencer
Street station, where he was greeted by the AustralianMinister for the Army, Frank Forde.[76]

Aftermath
Roosevelt issued a public statement on 17 March:
 I know that every man and woman in the United States admires with me General MacArthur's determination to fight
to the finish with his men in the Philippines. But I also know that every man and woman is in agreement that all
important decisions must be made with a view toward the successful termination of the war. Knowing this, I am sure
that every American, if faced individually with the question as to where General MacArthur could best serve his
country, could come to only one answer.[77]

On Bataan, the reaction to MacArthur's escape was mixed, with many American and Filipino troops feeling bitter and betrayed.[78]
When Wainwright broke the news to his generals "they were all at first depressed by the news … But I soon saw that they understood
just as I understood."[79] Some people with family members in the Philippines were dismayed. One wrote to Roosevelt that "Nothing
you could have done would have broken their morale and that of their parents at home so thoroughly".[80] Wainwright held out on
Corregidor until 6 May.[81] To Joseph Goebbels, MacArthur was a "fleeing general", while Benito Mussolini labeled him a
coward.[82] Marshall decided that the best way to counter this was to award MacArthur the Medal of Honor
.[83]

In April 1942, Bulkeley led his squadron in an attack on the Japanese cruiser Kuma.
The PT boats scored a hit on the cruiser, but the torpedo was a dud, and failed to
explode. No damage resulted.[84] With the loss of Cebu City, there were no more
torpedoes, so the active careers of the remaining boats of Bulkeley's squadron came
to an end. MacArthur gave PT boat officers a high priority to be flown out from
Mindanao. Bulkeley was flown out on MacArthur's orders on 13 April.[85] Knox,
Kelly and Akers were evacuated on 23 April, and Brantingham also made one of the
.[86][87]
last flights out from Mindanao. Sharp surrendered on Mindanao on 10 May

MacArthur subsequently nominated Bulkeley for the Medal of Honor. The

Bulkeley (right) receives the Medal of
Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet, Admiral Ernest King was not going to let Honor from President FranklinD.
MacArthur award the Medal of Honor to a naval officer, so he wrote a citation for Roosevelt (left). Admiral William D.
Bulkeley on behalf of the Navy.[88] Roosevelt presented it to Bulkeley in a Leahy looks on.
ceremony in the Oval Office on 4 August 1942.[89] Bulkeley contributed to a book
about his PT squadron's exploits, entitled They Were Expendable. Parts were
serialized in Reader's Digest and Life magazines and it became a bestseller in 1942.[90] In 1944, it was adapted as a movie of the
same name, with Robert Montgomery playing a character based on Bulkeley, John Wayne one based on Kelly, and Donna Reed in the
role of an Army nurse with whom Kelly had a brief liaison.[91] Postwar analysis found that most of the book's claims were
exaggerated.[92]

The staff that MacArthur brought with him from Corregidor formed the nucleus of General Headquarters (GHQ) Southwest Pacific
Area (SWPA).[93] The "Bataan Gang", as they came to be called, remained with MacArthur for the duration, and were noted for their
fanatical loyalty to him.[94] So too was Bulkeley, who lauded MacArthur as "the greatest general as well as statesman since George
Washington", and hailed his decision to escape on PT boats as a stroke of genius.[91] MacArthur eventually kept his promise, and
[95]
returned to the Philippines. The Bataan Gang returned to Corregidor in March 1945 on four PT boats.

Notes
1. Morton 1953, pp. 18–19. 10. Miller 1991, pp. 53–61.
2. Manchester 1978, pp. 66–69. 11. Morton 1953, pp. 31–32.
3. James 1970, pp. 500–505. 12. Morton 1953, pp. 160–164.
4. Morton 1953, pp. 8–13. 13. Manchester 1978, pp. 179–180.
5. Morton 1953, pp. 25–30. 14. James 1975, pp. 74–75.
6. MacArthur 1964, p. 106. 15. Manchester 1978, p. 229.
7. Smith 2005, pp. 52–53. 16. Manchester 1978, p. 250.
8. Smith 2005, p. 70. 17. Bulkley 1962, pp. 6–11.
9. Bulkley 1962, p. 1. 18. Bulkley 1962, pp. 13–15.
19. Morton 1962, p. 194. 59. Manchester 1978, pp. 262–263.
20. Rogers 1990, p. 186. 60. Willoughby & Chamberlain 1954, p. 50.
21. Morton 1962, pp. 193–194. 61. Blair 1975, pp. 193–194.
22. Manchester 1978, p. 242. 62. Bulkley 1962, p. 19.
23. Borneman, Walter R. "Why Did MacArthur Become a 63. White 1942, p. 155.
Hero? In a Crisis We Are Desperate for Leaders" (htt 64. Brett 1947, p. 139.
p://historynewsnetwork.org/article/162625#sthash.5Zi
65. Brett 1947, p. 140.
DpA0V.dpuf). Retrieved 15 May 2016.
66. Rogers 1990, pp. 192–193.
24. Smith 2005, p. 166.
67. Manchester 1978, p. 263.
25. Morton 1953, pp. 356–357.
68. Watson 1948, p. 407.
26. Manchester 1978, pp. 252–254.
69. Willoughby & Chamberlain 1954, p. 52.
27. Smith 2005, p. 165.
70. James 1975, p. 106.
28. Bulkley 1962, p. 494.
71. Rogers 1990, p. 193.
29. Smith 2005, pp. 168–169.
72. Manchester 1978, p. 267.
30. Smith 2005, p. 169.
73. Rogers 1990, p. 194.
31. Morton 1953, p. 358.
74. "I Came Through; I Shall Return"(http://nla.gov.au/nla.
32. Bulkley 1962, p. 16.
news-article48749454). The Advertiser. Adelaide:
33. Manchester 1978, p. 256. National Library of Australia. 21 March 1942. p. 1.
34. Fowler, Glenn (28 January 1989)."Robert B. Kelly, 75, ISSN 1836-7682 (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1836-
Naval Officer Prominent in Storied PT Boat Unit" (http 7682). Retrieved 22 July 2012.
s://www.nytimes.com/1989/01/28/obituaries/robert-b-k 75. "I Came out of Bataan and I Shall Return"(http://monu
elly-75-naval-officer-prominent-in-storied-pt-boat-unit.h mentaustralia.org.au/australian_monument/display/51
tml). The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331 (https://w 790). Monument Australia. Retrieved 18 November
ww.worldcat.org/issn/0362-4331). Retrieved 8 June 2017.
2012.
76. "Own Troops Welcome MacArthur" (http://nla.gov.au/nl
35. Smith 2005, p. 171. a.news-article50116360). The Courier-Mail. Brisbane:
36. Smith 2005, p. 173. National Library of Australia. 23 March 1942. p. 3.
37. Smith 2005, p. 175. ISSN 1322-5235 (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1322-
5235). Retrieved 22 July 2012.
38. Rogers 1990, pp. 187–189.
77. Hurd, Charles (18 March 1942)."M'Arthur in Australia
39. MacArthur 1964, p. 107.
as Allied Commander; Move Hailed as Foreshadowing
40. MacArthur 1964, p. 141. Turn of Tide" (https://www.nytimes.com/learning/gener
41. Manchester 1978, pp. 256–257. al/onthisday/big/0317.html). The New York Times.
42. Smith 2005, p. 186. p. 1. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
43. Smith 2005, p. 266. 78. James 1975, pp. 125–126.
44. Smith 2005, p. 180. 79. James 1975, p. 125.
45. Smith 2005, p. 187. 80. James 1975, p. 126.
46. Manchester 1978, p. 257. 81. James 1975, p. 154.
47. Smith 2005, p. 189. 82. Manchester 1978, p. 275.
48. Smith 2005, p. 181. 83. James 1975, pp. 130–132.
49. Smith 2005, p. 190. 84. Bulkley 1962, pp. 21–24.
50. MacArthur 1964, pp. 143–144. 85. Smith 2005, p. 234.
51. Manchester 1978, p. 259. 86. Smith 2005, pp. 240–241.
52. Smith 2005, p. 193. 87. Morton 1953, pp. 574–578.
53. Bulkley 1962, pp. 17–18. 88. Smith 2005, p. 244.
54. Smith 2005, pp. 194–195. 89. Smith 2005, p. 250.
55. Smith 2005, pp. 196–197.
56. Rogers 1990, p. 191.
57. Smith 2005, p. 199.
58. Smith 2005, p. 201.
90. White, W. L. (26 October 1942)."They Were 91. Smith 2005, p. 257.
Expendable" (https://books.google.com/books?id=UE 92. Smith 2005, pp. 255–256.
EEAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA29&pg=PA114#v=onepage&q
93. Morton 1962, p. 253.
&f=true). Life. Time Inc. 13 (17): 114–124. ISSN 0024-
3019 (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0024-3019). 94. Smith 2005, p. 262.
Retrieved 22 November 2011. 95. Smith 2005, p. 253.

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00753-0. OCLC 821363.
Brett, George H. (October 1947). "The MacArthur I Knew".True. OCLC 270661854.
Bulkley, Robert J., Jr. (1962). At Close Quarters: PT Boats in the United States Navy. Washington: Naval History
Division. OCLC 4444071. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
James, D. Clayton (1970).The Years of MacArthur. Volume 1, 1880–1941. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 978-0-
395-10948-9. OCLC 60070186.
James, D. Clayton (1975).The Years of MacArthur. Volume 2, 1941–1945. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 978-0-
395-20446-7. OCLC 12591897.
MacArthur, Douglas (1964). Reminiscences of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur . Annapolis: Bluejacket
Books. ISBN 978-1-55750-483-8. OCLC 220661276.
Manchester, William (1978). American Caesar: Douglas MacArthur 1880–1964. Boston: Little, Brown.ISBN 978-0-
440-30424-1. OCLC 3844481.
Miller, Edward S. (1991). War Plan Orange: The U.S. Strategy to Defeat Japan, 1897–1945. Annapolis: United
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Morton, Louis (1953). The Fall of the Philippines(PDF). Washington, D.C.: Office of the Chief of Military History,
Department of the Army. OCLC 29293689. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
Morton, Louis (1962). Strategy and Command: The First Two Years (PDF). Washington, D.C.: United States Army
Center of Military History. OCLC 63151391. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
Rogers, Paul P. (1990). The Good Years: MacArthur and Sutherland. New York: Praeger Publishers.ISBN 978-0-
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Smith, George W. (2005). MacArthur's Escape: John "Wild Man" Bulkeley and the Rescue of an American Hero . St
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Watson, Richard L. (1948). "The Defense of Australia". In Craven, Wesley Frank; Cate, James Lea.Plans and Early
Operations (January 1939 to August 1942) V ol. I. The Army Air Forces in World War II. Chicago: University of
Chicago Press. pp. 403–426.OCLC 222565036.
White, William Lindsay (1942).They Were Expendable. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Co.OCLC 397892.
Willoughby, Charles Andrew; Chamberlain, John (1954).MacArthur, 1941–1951. New York: McGraw-Hill.
OCLC 366467.

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