11. FDR recalled MacArthur to active duty in the summer of 1941
In July 1941, MacArthur was recalled to active duty and the Philippine Army federalized, making it part of the United States Army Forces of the Far East (USSAFFE). MacArthur was named to command USSAFFE and promoted to Lieutenant General. Supplies to the Philippines became a priority. The 22,000-man Philippine Army was reinforced with another 8,500 men. The US Navy established a Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron, believing the untested concept of the PT Boats would be effective in the archipelago. Equipment bound for the Philippines began to clog the warehouses and piers of west coast ports, with insufficient shipping to move it quickly across the Pacific.
MacArthur was brought back to active duty to place him firmly in the American chain of command, but he continued to act as if he was independent of orders from Washington. He informed his superiors in the War Department that only he had a true understanding of the situation in the Philippines and how to defend them in the event of a Japanese invasion. The defense of Luzon and Manila was to his mind the key to holding the islands and repelling a Japanese invasion. The defensive fortifications at Corregidor were strengthened. They would provide MacArthur’s headquarters during part of the defense of the Philippines.