A 3-cent violet stamp issued on September 27, 1944, paid tribute to the final resistance of Philippine and American defenders on Corregidor. This island fortress, located at the entrance to Manila Bay, served as headquarters for American forces until its capture by the Japanese in 1942. The twenty-seven-day struggle by the defenders against overwhelming enemy forces thwarted Japanese plans to advance on Australia. General Douglas MacArthur and his forces recaptured Corregidor in 1945, making good his promise, "I shall return!"
Gordon T. Trotter
