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General Douglas MacArthur Autograph Speech Signed, Being the First Handwritten Instance of His Famous Statement, "I shal...
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Description
"I Shall Return."
General Douglas MacArthur Autograph Speech Signed, Being the
First Handwritten Instance of His Famous Statement, "I
shall return." One page, written in pencil on stationery
from the Menzies Hotel in Melbourne, Australia, 10 x 8 inches (25.2
x 20.2 cm). Undated [but late-March 1942]. This hastily-handwritten
speech, contains the first handwritten instance of MacArthur's now
famous declaratory statement, one that would become synonymous with
the abrasive and charismatic general, and repeated throughout his
military career. It was a promise then and a promise now; the
ultimate representation of humanity's triumph over adversity.The missive reads, in full: "The President of the United states ordered me to break through the Japanese lines and proceed from Corregidor to Australia for the purpose, as I understand it, of organizing [sic] the America offensive against Japan, a primary objective of which is the relief of the Philippines. I came through and I shall return."
A mere three days after the attack on Pearl Harbor that brought the U.S. into World War II, the Japanese launched an invasion of northern Luzon, the largest island in the Philippines. In the following weeks, the Japanese rapidly advanced, forcing the Philippine government and General Douglas MacArthur to evacuate to the Bataan peninsula and the island of Corregidor (Fort Mills). By February, the troops were severely worn out and poorly supplied, and the possibility of reinforcement was short-lived as Japan swiftly took Singapore and numerous islands in the Dutch East Indies. On February 23, President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered MacArthur to evacuate the Philippines and relocate to Australia, there to evade capture and direct further operations in the Pacific Theatre.
At midnight on March 11/12, MacArthur, along with his family and a handful of staff (termed the "Bataan Gang") left Corregidor and Bataan in four PT boats. MacArthur summarized this harrowing journey in a contemporary letter thus, "This hazardous trip, by a Commanding General and key members of his staff, through enemy controlled territory undoubtedly is unique in military annals. I wish to commend the courage and coolness of the officers and men...who were engaged in this hazardous enterprise. It was due entirely to their invincible resolution and determination that the mission was successfully accomplished."
It was at the Terowie Train Station in South Australia, on March 20, 1942, that MacArthur gave this speech during an interview with two journalists from the Adelaide Advertiser newspaper regarding the Battle of the Philippines. The next morning, the Advertiser printed the interview and ran the headline, "I Shall Return."
MacArthur would eventually fulfill his promise, landing on Leyte Island in the Philippines on October 20, 1944, in what some have called a redeeming moment after the devastating losses suffered at Bataan and Corregidor.
Condition: Some discoloration and foxing in the margins, period folds, light soiling, remnants of tape adhered to top edge. From the Melvin "Pete" Mark, Jr. Collection
Auction Info
2022 December 1 Historical Platinum Session Signature® Auction #6267 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
December, 2022
1st
Thursday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 11
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