lying ▁Fort ress es , ▁ultimately ▁arriv ing ▁in ▁Melbourne ▁by ▁train ▁on ▁ 2 1 ▁March . ▁In ▁Australia , ▁he ▁made ▁his ▁famous ▁speech ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁declared , ▁" I ▁came ▁through ▁and ▁I ▁shall ▁return ". ▁ ▁Mac Ar thur ▁was ▁a ▁well - known ▁and ▁experienced ▁officer ▁with ▁a ▁distinguished ▁record ▁in ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁who ▁had ▁retired ▁from ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Army ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 7 ▁and ▁had ▁become ▁a ▁defense ▁ad visor ▁to ▁the ▁Philipp ine ▁government . ▁He ▁was ▁re called ▁to ▁active ▁duty ▁with ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Army ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁a ▁few ▁months ▁before ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁the ▁Pacific ▁War ▁between ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁the ▁Empire ▁of ▁Japan , ▁to ▁become ▁commander ▁of ▁United ▁States ▁Army ▁Forces ▁in ▁the ▁Far ▁East ▁( USA FF E ), ▁unit ing ▁the ▁Philipp ine ▁and ▁United ▁States ▁Arm ies ▁under ▁one ▁command . ▁ ▁By ▁March ▁ 1 9 4 2 , ▁the ▁Japanese ▁invasion ▁of ▁the ▁Philippines ▁had ▁comp elled ▁Mac Ar thur ▁to ▁withdraw ▁his ▁forces ▁on ▁Lu zon ▁to ▁B ata an , ▁while ▁his ▁headquarters ▁and ▁his ▁family ▁moved ▁to ▁Cor reg idor . ▁The ▁do omed ▁defense ▁of ▁B ata an ▁captured ▁the ▁imagination ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁public . ▁At ▁a ▁time ▁when ▁the ▁news ▁from ▁all ▁front s ▁was ▁uniformly ▁bad , ▁Mac Ar thur ▁became ▁a ▁living ▁symbol ▁of ▁Al lied ▁resistance ▁to ▁the ▁Japanese . ▁ ▁F ear