Historical Picture of the Day- Battle of Leyte Gulf.

        Today marks the 72nd anniversary of the start of the battle of Leyte, when Army General Douglas MacArthur, returned to liberate the Philippine Island chain from the Imperial Japanese. In today's picture, U.S. Army soldiers clear out a fortified Japanese pillbox from a strategic position on the island of Leyte. My Grandfather was in the battle of Leyte, fighting with the Americal Division of the U.S. Army; and, would be awarded the silver star, after he destroyed a pillbox, singlehandedly, that was threatening his platoon. The southern pincer of U.S. forces in the Pacific to defeat the Japanese differed greatly in contrast to the northern flank, in that it involved more fighting in heavy jungle environments, whereas the the northern pincer consisted of mostly marines on the islands of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, respectively.