The Battle of Leyte occurred from 17 October to 26 December 1944 when the US Army landed on the eastern Philippine island of Leyte, beginning the liberation of the Philippines. General Douglas MacArthur fulfilled his promise to return to the Philippines and liberate the islands, with the US Sixth Army pushing back the IJA 35th Army and linking up with local resistance fighters to recapture Leyte from Japan. On 20 October 1944, MacArthur announced "I have returned" to the Philippine people, but it would not be until March 1945 that the last pockets of Japanese resistance on the island under Shiro Makino surrendered.
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