This 1945 photograph captures the Port Area of Manila in the aftermath of its liberation from Japanese occupation. Twisted steel wreckage in the foreground bears witness to the intense urban combat and demolition that devastated the city, while rows of U.S. Army vehicles fill a nearby staging lot, reflecting the rapid military buildup that followed. An American flag flying atop a surviving Art Deco building signals the return of Allied control to the Philippine capital. Project: 218424