United flies WWII veterans to Manila to mark 80th year of Philippine liberation

United Airlines flew two World War Two veterans to Manila International Airport (MNL) as the country marks its 80th year of liberation.

World War Two Army veteran John Hodges, aged 101, and Navy veteran Arthur Grabiner, aged 99, were flown by the airline under Operation Pacific Tribute, spearheaded by two United Airlines pilots, who raised funds to bring the two veterans back to the Philippines, where they fought alongside Filipino soldiers to liberate the country from Japan.

On April 9, 1945, the Battle of Manila was nearing its end after two months of destructive urban warfare where troops from the United States and the Philippines fought against the Imperial Japanese Army to reclaim the capital of the Philippines from Japan.

Approximately 35,000 US troops, including 12,500 sailors and marines and 4,500 soldiers, fought in the Battle of Manila, alongside 3,000 Filipino guerrillas.  

Though the Allied forces were successful in liberating the Philippines from Japan, the battle ended up with 100,000 civilian deaths, the complete destruction of Manila, then known as the “Stalingrad of Asia” due to it being one of the most devastated capital cities of World War Two, alongside Berlin and Warsaw. 

Hodges and Grabiner received a warm welcome in Manila, where they attended a memorial ceremony at the Manila American Cemetery.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by ABMC (@usabmc)

View this post on Instagram A post shared by ABMC (@usabmc)

RELATED

American Airlines to fly US veterans to France to mark D-Day 80th anniversary    

The post United flies WWII veterans to Manila to mark 80th year of Philippine liberation appeared first on AeroTime.

Go to Source