Sword & Fire Manila

Manila, on the Philippine island of Luzon, was known throughout the world as "The Pearl of the Orient" for its lush gardens, modern buildings, and vibrant nightlife. It was also a strategically critical naval base, featuring the largest deep-water port in the Pacific. With the fall of the Philippines in 1942, the Japanese turned Manila into an enormous supply depot serving as a hub from which supplies could be shipped to bases across the Pacific, all the while ruling the Philippines with an iron fist. After more than two years of brutal Japanese occupation, General Douglas MacArthur "returned"…