80th Anniversary of the Battle of Leyte Gulf

The Battle for Leyte Gulf was the greatest naval battle of World War II, and the largest engagement on the high seas in history. This extraordinary battle could have easily been won by the Japanese Imperial Navy, but good luck, great leadership, and American Navy spirit won the day. The bravery and daring of the American fleet commanders saved the American fleets just when the Japanese had victorty within their grasp. The result was the ultimate downfall of the entire Japanese fleet. All of this takes place at the same time as MacArthur’s Amphibious landings at Leyte, with a force some say greater than Normandy. If America had lost the naval battle, MacArthur’s 200,000 man fighting force and both light carrier and transport support ships could have been annihilated. The errors and victories on both sides will be recounted. It’s a story rarely told, but a story filled with what makes American service men and women the greatest in the world.

Presenter: Lt. Col. Ralph-Roy Ramirez, Calif. State Defense Forces, (Ret)