To the west , American and Australian forces Hostile_encounter under General Douglas MacArthur had moved up Motion through the Southwest Pacific , isolating Removing or overrunning Destroying many Japanese strong points as part of Operation Cartwheel .

Facing brutal conditions including disease , torture , and malnourishment , the prisoners feared they would be executed Killing by their captors before the arrival of General Douglas MacArthur and his American forces returning to Luzon .

The rescuers were awarded Award commendations by MacArthur , and were also recognized Know by President Franklin D. Roosevelt .

These factors were compounded Cause_to_amalgamate by repeated demands Request from General Douglas MacArthur , Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in the Southwest Pacific Area , for a rapid conclusion Process_end to the battle .

The demands Request were more to politically secure Preventing_or_letting MacArthur 's command Control than for any strategic need .

The parachute drop was carried out Military_operation by the US Army 's 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment and elements of the Australian Army 's 2/4th Field Regiment into Nadzab , New Guinea in the Markham Valley , observed by General Douglas MacArthur , circling Motion overhead in a B-17 .

In response Response to the successful Chinese First Phase Campaign Military_operation against the United Nations ( UN ) forces , General Douglas MacArthur launched Process_start the Home-by-Christmas Offensive Attack to expel Removing the Chinese forces from Korea and to end Process_end the war Military_operation .

The city 's capture Conquering was marked Recording as General Douglas MacArthur 's key to victory in the campaign Military_operation of reconquest .