MANILA, Philippines – In February 1945, American and Imperial Japaneseforces fought street by street through Manila during one of the most destructive urban battles of World War II. Artillery and small-arms fire tore through Intramuros, the centuries-old walled city that served as the political and cultural heart of the Philippines.
More than 80 years later, Marines and Sailors withMarine Rotational Force – Southeast Asia, I Marine Expeditionary Force, walked those same streets during a staff ride examining the decisions, sacrifices and consequences that shaped the liberation of the Philippines.
The Manila staff ride marked the third and final event in MRF-SEA’s staff ride series focused on the Philippines campaign during World War II. More than a battlefield tour, staff rides combine historical study with visits to the terrain where events occurred, allowing participants to examine the decisions commanders made, the circumstances that shaped them and the human consequences that followed. The experience reinforces a lesson often associated with the study of military history: those who fail to learn from the past risk repeating it.
“A staff ride is not about memorizing what happened on a battlefield or determining whether a commander made the ‘right’ decision,” said Col. Robert S. Bunn, commanding officer of MRF-SEA. “It’s about understanding the information, constraints and competing priorities leaders faced at the time. Often, there is no right answer. Developing leaders means learning how to think critically, weigh risk and make sound decisions when every option carries consequences.”
The series began in Bataan, where American and Filipino forces fought for months against the Japanese invasion before surrendering in April 1942, leading to the Bataan Death March. The second staff ride took participants toCorregidor, the fortified island at the entrance of the Manila Bay that served as a key command post during the defense of the Philippines and became the site of the final organized U.S. resistance in the Manila Bay area in 1942.
The final staff ride brought the group to Manila and to the culmination of the campaign to liberate the Philippines.
MRF-SEA Marines and Sailors began at San Agustin Church in Intramuros, one of the few major structures within the walled city to survive the Battle of Manila. There, participants examined the difficult decisions facing American commanders as they sought to liberate a densely populated city defensed by determined Japanese forces.
U.S. Army Gen. Douglas MacArthur initially restricted the use of airpower and heavy artillery in Manila in an effort to limit civilian casualties and preserve the city. As American forces encountered increasingly fortified Japanese positions, however, ground commanders relied on artillery and direct fire to support their advance. The resulting battle devastated much of Intramuros and contributed to the destruction that engulfed Manila.
A local tour guide used historical photographs to show participants what the area looked like before, during and immediately after the battle. Damage still visible on San Agustin Church provided a tangible reminder of the fighting that occurred around the historic site.
“Seeing the horrors of war that befell the city we’ve been living in for the past few months put things in perspective for me,” said U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Brandon Ramos, an intelligence specialist with MRF-SEA. “The Filipino people are resilient and seeing how they rebuilt after one of the greatest urban battles of the Second World War really emphasizes that. It reinforces the mission we’re doing out here, working shoulder-to-shoulder with our Philippine Allies.”
From San Agustin, the group moved through Intramuros to Casa Manila, a museum that recreates a Spanish colonial-era home. The stop provided participants an opportunity to examine the architecture and culture that characterized prewar Manila and better understand what was lost in the battle.
Marine and Sailors then visited Fort Santiago, a Spanish colonial fortification along the Pasig River that Japanese forces used as a prison and detention site during their occupation of Manila. As American and Filipino forces closed on the city in 1945, civilians throughout Manila became victims of widespread atrocities committed by Japanese forces. The human cost of the battle became a central theme of the staff ride and prompted the discussion about the relationship between military decisions, civilian populations and strategic outcomes.
“MacArthur sent a powerful message by trying to minimize civilian casualties and structural damages,” said Capt. Mackenzie Margroum, a communication strategy and operations officer with MRF-SEA. “As COMMSTRAT professionals, we think about the power of narrative and the impact of operations. The actions we take affect more than those who are immediately involved. What we do, and how we do it, will resonate for generations.”
The staff ride concluded at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, where 16,859 U.S. service member are buried. The cemetery also memorializes more than 36,000 missing American and Filipino service members whose remains were never recovered or identified. For the Marines and Sailors of MRF-SEA, the cemetery connected the three staff rides into a single story, from the defense of Bataan and Corregidor in 1942 to the return and liberation of the Philippines three years later.
Participants walked through the memorial and museum detailing the campaigns across the Pacific before moving among the rows of white headstones. That evening, two Marines were selected to participate in the cemetery’s flag-lowering ceremony.
U.S. Marine Corps Pfc. Ryan Wickinski, a data systems administrator with MRF-SEA, and 1st Lt. Paul Goldman, an intelligence officer with I MEF rotation, MRF-SEA, folded the American flag and escorted it to its resting place for the evening.
“Participating in Taps and being able to walk amongthe graves of our fallen brethren was an honor,” said Wickinski. “It was my first time participating in a ceremony like that, and to do it here, in a place with so much history and sacrifice, is something I will reflect on for the rest of my life.”
The ceremony marked the end of the Manila staff ride and MRF-SEA's three-part examination of the defense, fall and liberation of the Philippines.
For Marines and Sailors serving in the Philippines today, the series provided more than a study of past battles. Walking the ground where American and Filipino forces fought together offered perspective on the history underlying the relationship they continue to build with their Philippine counterparts.
As the Marines and Sailors departed the cemetery, words attributed to FleetAdm. Chester W. Nimitz and inscribed at the memorial offered a final reflection on that history:
“They fought together as brothers in arms; they died together and now they sleep side by side. To them, we have a solemn obligation – the obligation to ensure that their sacrifice will help make this a better and safer world in which to live.”