The battle marked the end of the Imperial Japanese Navy as a major fighting force and secured a foothold for the Allies in the Philippines, setting the stage for Japan's eventual defeat in World War II.
When the battleship U.S.S. California was sunk during the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, several Marine Corps detachment M1903 rifles still in her hull were salvaged after the attack, as revealed thanks to the efforts of the Archival Research Group.