Manarawat: The 11th Airborne's Plateau in the Pacific in WWII

Down From Heaven - The 11th Airborne Division in World War II & Beyond

Down From Heaven - The 11th Airborne Division in World War II & Beyond
Manarawat: The 11th Airborne's Plateau in the Pacific in WWII
Jan 15, 2026 Season 3 Episode 1
Jeremy C. Holm

In this episode, 11th Airborne Division historian Jeremy C. Holm takes us on a journey back to 1944 during the height of the Angels' vicious battles to retake the island of Leyte from the grip of Imperial Japan in World War II.

During this campaign, the 11th Airborne setup a crucial forward position on a plateau that the locals called "Manarawat". Without this critical location, the Angels' drive across the island would have stalled and the Division would have suffered more losses. 

On Manarawat, the Angels hacked and blasted out an airstrip, setup a field hospital, a resupply dump, communications, and more, all while fending of enemy attacks and night infiltrations. Countless American lives were saved because of the facilities at and defenders of Manarawat.

As one after action report noted, Manarawat “deserves to live in the memory of the Division forever.”

Dive in to this in-depth look at the 11th Airborne Division's "Million Dollar Village", Manarawat. 


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Down From Heaven Comes Eleven! Airborne All the Way!

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