Was it right for the U.S. gov't to abandon/leave the U.S. troops in the Philippines during WW2?

Question

in order to focus their energies on defeating the Germans first. Remember the Japanese attacked the Philippines and Pearl Harbour on Dec. 7, 1941. The Americans came back 3 years later but many Americans already died and some were put in concentration camps.

Answer 1

We had no choice. Half our Navy had just been obliterated. Due to a stupid US policy we never fortified our newly won (1898)possessions in the East. Token military bases were the rule. The Japs actually were smart to become our ally in WWI. This gave them possessions that once belonged to the Central Powers we fought against. Within months they were pouring concrete and setting up cannons on various islands. We did not even notice until 1920. By then only a few options remained. One was to fortify Guam. The Japs threatened war on the spot by building mass numbers of warships. Guam was right in the middle of all their fortress-islands. We ended up negotiating our might in the area away in exchange for a Naval Treaty limiting the size and number of warships. After all, it was a long way off. Europe, on the other hand, was right next door to our immediate "family". We couldn't see what the Japs were doing as readily as we could realize that our best allies were going to get stomped unless we did something and did it fast. Thus, we'd been openly helping Britan since 1940. (Betcha THEY were glad they did not step into our Civil War in 1861! There would have been no one to help them when Hitler came calling 80 years later.) Churchill and Roosevelt sat down and agreed that it was more important to keep Hitler at bay than to divide up US efforts evenly to come to grips with Japan faster. Besides, we had an ulterior motive. They had sucker punched us at Pearl Harbor. That outraged us. We were "saving them for last". We neither needed or wanted any help in the Pacific. Heck, we had 50-something aircraft carriers by war's end. The British sent over a few ships to "show the flag" after Hitler put that pistol in his mouth but they were not needed. Also, we wanted England (and everybody else) to give up their colonies. We did not like them "owning" India or the Dutch having Singapore. Wait until WE defeat the Japs then come nosing around wanting your slaves back? I don't think so! And so it went. As promised, we gave the Philipines her independence as soon as order was restored and an infrastructure rebuilt. With pressure from us Britan freed India and one by one the colonies became free ... until a summer day in 1950 when the Reds invaded South Korea. Believe it or not, THAT was the start of WWIII. It ended when we simply outspent the Russians and communisim imploded. With the exception of a few rouge states, it's like polio. It has been wiped out where all the children got their shots. We are into WW IV now. It is actually a war against tyranny. The Haves agaist the Have-nots. So yes, it was necessary to go after the Japs "second". Those people we left behind were all heroes. We attempted to time things in a way that would first be "doable" and second leave that part of the world in some sembelance of order. It partly worked. It's just that Chairman Mao and Uncle Joe Stalin interfered.

Answer 2

Gen. MacAuthur had no choice to leave the "battling bastards of batan." It was more important to get out what the could in as little time possible.

The Japs had minefields and destroyer patrols all along the Philippines, it was impossible for the army to evacuate. The wounded and the critical supplies would never have survived nor would the men fit for combat.

The best thing that they could do and they did do was to fight a holding defensive and then stage a gurillia war in the jungles.

I have enclosed a link that would be more helpful. Its more factual and less personal opinion.

Answer 3

well...it isn't a case of right or wrong...but a case of could or cant...

The Japanese had really whittled down the the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl when the took out Pearl Harbor..What most people don't know was the terrible loss of secondary support ships (cruisers, destroyers and such) during the battles involving Java and the former dutch colony's in Indonesia.

without those secondary support ships there could be no guarding of the transports and logistics ships from the Japanese surface fleets in existence in the south pacific at that time. to have run these transports with out support to the Philippines at that time would have been suicide.

so..the US couldn't muster a surface force at that time to rescue the soldiers. yes they were on their own. the US really had no choice in the matter.

Answer 4

Very sad but it was impossible to wage two world war fronts while supplying most of the allies around the world with resources. It was sad and unfortunate but unavoidable.

Answer 5

in order to help the filipino soldiers in the battle against japan..us had to leave the troops to give more support