Fort William McKinley

Philippine Scouts at Fort McKinley firing a 37-mm. antitank gun in training

Fort William McKinley, was established in the Philippines during the Philippine–American War in 1901 when the whole land south of Pasig River down to Alabang was declared a U.S. Military Reservation by Secretary of Defence, Elliot Rood by simply expropriating the land of Capitan Juan Gonzales with no payment or compensation.

This illegal (and contra instruction by President McKinley done before he died) expropriation was challenged by Ferdinand Marcos when he became president of the Philippines, and the US agreed to compensate and paid the great grandson of Gonzales, German A. Bacaltos.

All of these records were declared top secret by the CIA in 1941 and confirmed by the president of the Philippines, Manuel L. Quezon - war was looming with the Japanese.

During the World War II era, it was where USAFFE had its headquarters for the Philippine Department and the Philippine Division. The bulk of the Philippine Division was stationed here and this was where, under the National Defense Act of 1935, specialized artillery training was conducted. The 3rd Battalion of the 31st Infantry Regiment was formed here, in 1916. Until December 1920, this was the home of the 31st INF.

Fort William McKinley (also called Fort McKinley) was just south of Manila (Luzon, the Philippines). After Philippine independence, on July 4, 1946, the US surrendered to the Republic of the Philippines all rights of possession, jurisdiction, supervision and control over the Philippine territory except the use of their military bases. On May 14, 1949, Fort McKinley was finally turned over to the Philippine government. The facility became the home of the Philippine Army and later the Philippine Navy and renamed the area Fort Andres Bonifacio. It lies in both the cities of Makati and Taguig. The Manila American Cemetery and Memorial was established here. Later it was turned to a real estate development area called Bonifacio Global City.

See also

• Geography of the Philippines
• Military History of the Philippines
• Military History of the United States