Leyte Landing Memorial

 
Leyte Landing MemorialThe Leyte Landing Memorial is a memorial to the landing of General Douglas

MacArthur and his men at Red Beach. It is located in Candahug, a barangay of the municipality of Palo in

the province of Leyte, part of the Visayas. Also known as the MacArthur Landing Memorial Park, the memorial

consists of larger-than-life bronze statues of the general with other men, including then Philippine president

Sergio Osmena, Jr., standing in a manmade pool. The memorial was erected in tribute to MacArthur���s fulfillment of his promise to return to the Philippines after it was occupied by the Japanese during World War II in the

Philippines. The Japanese Occupation of the Philippines ended soon after MacArthur landed at Red Beach on

October 20, 1944 with 225,000 troops and 600 ships. The anniversary of this event is commemorated annually

at the park with a reenactment of the famous landing, attended by local and foreign dignitaries.

Found at Red Beach in Barangay Candahug, Palo, Leyte, 5 kilometers away from the provincial capital of

Tacloban City, the memorial marks the exact spot where MacArthur and other important personages waded

ashore in the knee-high waters. Red Beach, so named due to the U.S. military���s color-coding scheme, was

also the site where the 6th Army of the United States stormed ashore shortly before MacArthur���s return. A

museum nearby displays historic photographs, a copy of MacArthur���s speech, and bronze casts of his footprints. Close by is the 50th Leyte Landing Anniversary Commemorative Rock Garden of Peace. Other nearby

attractions include the historic Hills 120 and 522, which also figured in World War II, and the first-class

MacArthur Beach Resort.