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In the midst of all the confusion at home and in the Pacific, the heroic defense of the Philippines stood out
like a beacon of hope for the future. There we proved that the Japanese soldier was far from invincible.
Although his vastly superiod forces finally took over the Philippine Islands, the American and Philippine
forces under Generals MacArthur and Wainwright executed a terrible toll of the Japanese forces during the
stubborn defense of Bataan and Corregidor before our half-starved, malaria-ridden, garrison was finally
forced to surrender on May 6, 1942. It is, of course, a story of defeat. and in defeat there is a natural human
tendency to hunt for scapegoats. But to do that here would be merely deluding ourselves. The mistakes that were made at the beginning of the Philippine campaign, as well as the defeat that inevitably terminated
it, were all implicit in the situation existing there immediately before the war. The poverty in weapons, or
in more than one case the actual and abject lack of them, had its roots in the situation at home, and for this
situation, the people of the United States must hold themselves accountable. The situation in the Philippines
was a close reflection of the situation at home. Undeniably, there were officers stationed in the Philippines during the prewar years who only wanted to let things ride along in the old, familiar, easy groove. Many of
them had opinions that had completely failed to digest the lessons of the war in Europe, nor were they willing
to accept opinions of other men who clearly foresaw what was going to happen when the Japanese chose
to strike. Too often we were willing to elect legislators who were accustomed to bind America by the limits
of their own constituencies and pinch pennies at the expense of the national safety. In the last analysis, it
was such "economy" that was responsible for the pitiful and desperate lacks that reached their consum-
mation on Bataan and then Corregidor. The men sent out to rectify the situation in the final months had
neither means nor time. The reinforcements and material rushed to them were not enough, arrived too late.
or did not reach the Philippines at all. One convoy, caught at sea by the outbreak of hostilities, had to be
diverted to Australia. It is not meant as a "glorious chapter" in our history. Glory is mostly a civilian word
and unhappily it is too often used to cover up deficiencies. In the beginning of the war we went hero-hunting,
if we did not have planes and guns, at least we could have heroes. So we had to have heroes, and we began
to think of Bataan and Corregidor in terms of the courage of our men, and the two names have become
symbols in the popular mind for something approaching victory. INCREASINGLY, HOWEVER, HISTORIANS
REVIEWING THOSE FATEFUL DAYS, REALIZE THAT THE DEFENSE OF THE PHILIPPINES AGAINST THE OVER-
WHELMING POWER OF THE JAPANESE ARMED FORCES, BOUGHT FOR OUR COUNTRY ADDED TIME FOR
WHICH TO MOBILIZE OUR STRENGTH AND RETURN FOR OUR FINAL VICTORY. WITHOUT THAT TIME, THE
OUTCOME OF THE WAR IN THE PACIFIC MIGHT HAVE BEEN DISASTROUSLY DIFFERENT, AND THE COURSE
OF MODERN EVENTS WOULD HAVE TAKEN A TURN FROM WHICH WE WOULD HAVE LONG SUFFERED. THE
BRAVERY AND HEROIC EFFORT OF THOSE DEFENDING THE PHILIPPINES HELPED AMERICA TRIUMPH IN WORLD WAR II AND PRESERVE THE WAY OF LIFE THAT WE HOLD SO DEAR. The total sacrifice of patriotic
men and women such as those that defended the Philippines at the outbreak of World War II can never be
measured, nor can we ever fully comprehend their precious gift of freedom. Because these patriots of the
past believed enough in a free United States of America to safeguard , with their lives if necessary, its
spirit of freedom, the citizens of the United States today enjoy that legacy.