LUZON, Philippines -- General Douglas MacArthur came back to Luzon today over much the same route he followed when he left in a small torpedo boat three years ago as the first drama of the Philippines was nearing the final tragic act on Corregidor.
But today he road aboard a warship with a great American armada which had brushed aside Japanese attempts at interference en route.
The convoys never deviated from their course despite attacks by submarines and planes.
"Man battle stations to repel submarine attack." loudspeakers blared when we were about three days from Luzon.
MacArthur barely paused in his measured pacing and never missed a puff from his deep-barreled corncob pipe as a nearby destroyer brought a midget submarine to the surface with depth charges and finished it off by head-on ramming.
The following morning a single Japanese plane dropped a bomb between us and a destroyer.
As we steamed north off Luzon that night, three Japanese destroyers dashed from Manila Bay. One of our destroyers went after them, sinking two and forcing the third to flight.
In the small landing craft which took us to the beach with Mac-Arthur were his aides. Colonel Lloyd Lehrbas of Pocatello. Idaho, Lieutenant-Colonel Roger Egeberg of Cleveland, Ohio, and three of the men who had accompanied him on his dash from Corregidor Lieutenant-General Richard K. Sutherland, Major-General Richard Marshall and Warrant Officer Paul Rogers.
There also was one marine. Sergeant Adam Shorter of Altoona, Pa who had stood guard outside MacArthur's cabin on the warship. Learning that Shorter had a brother with one of the Army divisions taking part in the landing, the general obtained permission for Shorter to land and look for the brother.
Troops were still on the alert on the beach when MacArthur waded ashore but the general set off immediately in a jeep to find the nearest divisional command post.
When the Jeep broke down MacArthur walked across the sand dunes and in a few minutes was firing questions and nodding his head In approval as commanders reported the progress made.
