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I shall return

Cultural  
  1. Words of General Douglas MacArthur in 1942 as he left the Philippine Islands during World War II. Japanese forces were about to conquer the Philippines, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt had transferred MacArthur to another location in the Pacific. MacArthur returned at the head of an American army in 1944 and freed the Philippines from Japanese control.


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

I am certain that I shall return.

From Los Angeles Times

MacArthur had plenty of memorable quotes — “I shall return!” when he left the Philippines during World War II being the pithiest — but not that one.

From Washington Post

I shall return shortly with line-ups and the opinions of Guardian geniuses more knowledgeable than I. If you want to add your voice to the conversation, feel free to shoot me an email or tweet @JPHowcroft.

From The Guardian

Army Gen. Douglas MacArthur left the Philippines for Australia, where he vowed on March 20, “I shall return” - a promise he kept more than 2½ years later.

From Washington Times

He would leave office gracelessly, of course, because it would make better TV to stand on the White House steps making a Douglas MacArthur style "I shall return!" promise before flying off in Marine One for the last time.

From Salon