Back to Corregidor: America Retakes the Rock

The three-and-a-half-mile-long island of Corregidor, which guards the entrance to Manila Bay, was captured by the Japanese in May 1942. Devlin's ( Silent Wings ) stirring account describes how the Americans reclaimed it three years later in a spectacular operation executed mainly by the U.S. Army's 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment and the 2nd Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment. Though heavily outnumbered by the Japanese marine garrison, the GIs methodically overcame their defenses between February 16 and March 2, 1945, killing more than 6000 defenders while losing fewer than 200 of their own troops. Devlin recounts the continuous small-unit action, including individual feats of heroism, in a way that conveys the special fascination of combat in a constricted battleground. Especially well done is his brooding description of how the GIs dealt with hundreds of Japanese die-hards holed up in caves and tunnels throughout the island. The narrative concludes with a moving account of Gen. Douglas MacArthur's return to Corregidor and the poignant flag-raising ceremony there. Photos. (June)