Extract
Squandered Victory
A great injustice occurred during the first six months after Pearl Harbor when tens of thousands of American fighting men were abandoned in the Philippines and other areas of the Far East by their government. This moral tragedy represented the breaking of a promise made at the highest levels of our government - a breach of trust that would ultimately cost the lives of thousands of men.
After the initial attack on Pearl Harbor, the Philippines, along with the British enclave at Singapore, had become the first land area targeted for invasion and conquest by the Japanese. Their ultimate goal was the riches of the Dutch East Indies, especially oil. The invaders could not allow a large Allied army in the rear of its supply lines, so the Philippines were targeted for invasion and conquest. The island nation with its large American security force began the difficult task of buying time, of holding out until reinforcements could arrive from the west coast. Political and military assurances were made to the American fighting men that, in keeping with the provisions of War Plan Orange, a great convoy of ships, troops, and planes would soon to...See the full content of this document
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