| | General '''Douglas MacArthur''' was one of the great military strategists in [[World War II]], and responsible for governing and rebuilding [[Japan]] during the [[Allied]] occupation. A career military officer, he spent his entire adult life in the military. | | General '''Douglas MacArthur''' was one of the great military strategists in [[World War II]], and responsible for governing and rebuilding [[Japan]] during the [[Allied]] occupation. A career military officer, he spent his entire adult life in the military. |
| − | The son of the senior [[U.S. Army]] general, MacArthur graduated first in his class at [[West Point]] in 1903. After earning a chestful of medals for bravery in [[Mexico]] and the Western Front in [[World War I]], his meteoric career included a stint as superintendent at West Point in the 1920s, where he promoted athletics and modernized the curriculum. He served two terms as the Army's chief-of-staff under Presidents [[Herbert Hoover]] (a pacifist) and [[Franklin Roosevelt]] (a Navy man). In his 30s, he retired in 1937, then set out to create a new army for the [[Philippines]], which was in transition to independence. He was recalled to active duty in mid-1941 as war with Japan loomed. Driven out of the Philippines in 1942, he assumed command in [[Australia]] of the Southwest [[Pacific]] Theater. He battled the Japanese through [[New Guinea]] and the Philippines, and was in charge of the invasion of Japan scheduled for late 1945. Instead, he received Japan's surrender in a dramatic ceremony aboard the battleship [[Missouri]] in Tokyo Bay. As supreme commander of the forces occupying Japan, he democratized and reformed Japan, rebuilding the nation and creating a lasting friendship between the former enemies. Unexpectedly given command of [[United Nations]] forces at the outbreak of the [[Korean War]] in 1950, he landed troops at Inchon in a daring amphibious assault that led to a routing of the invading enemy. Ordered to unify Korea, his advance was halted by Communist [[China]] in warfare that saw the [[America]]ns and their allies retreat. In the wake of bitter disagreements with President [[Harry Truman]] about American strategy, he was recalled, his celebrated career abruptly ended. He is considered a hero by [[conservative]]s, and a dangerous enemy by [[liberal]]s. | + | The son of the senior [[U.S. Army]] general, MacArthur graduated first in his class at [[West Point]] in 1903. After earning a chestful of medals for bravery in [[Mexico]] and the Western Front in [[World War I]], his meteoric career included a stint as superintendent at West Point in the 1920s, where he promoted athletics and modernized the curriculum. He served two terms as the Army's chief-of-staff under Presidents [[Herbert Hoover]] (a [[pacificism|pacifist]]) and [[Franklin Roosevelt]] (a Navy man). In his 30s, he retired in 1937, then set out to create a new army for the [[Philippines]], which was in transition to independence. He was recalled to active duty in mid-1941 as war with [[Japan]] loomed. Driven out of the Philippines in 1942, he assumed command in [[Australia]] of the Southwest [[Pacific]] Theater. He battled the Japanese through [[New Guinea]] and the Philippines, and was in charge of the invasion of Japan scheduled for late 1945. Instead, he received Japan's surrender in a dramatic ceremony aboard the battleship [[Missouri]] in Tokyo Bay. As supreme commander of the forces occupying Japan, he democratized and reformed Japan, rebuilding the nation and creating a lasting friendship between the former enemies. Unexpectedly given command of [[United Nations]] forces at the outbreak of the [[Korean War]] in 1950, he landed troops at Inchon in a daring amphibious assault that led to a routing of the invading enemy. Ordered to unify Korea, his advance was halted by Communist [[China]] in warfare that saw the [[America]]ns and their allies retreat. In the wake of bitter disagreements with President [[Harry Truman]] about American strategy, he was recalled, his celebrated career abruptly ended. He is considered a hero by [[conservative]]s, and a dangerous enemy by [[liberal]]s. |
| | Douglas MacArthur was the third son of Arthur MacArthur, a senior officer in the U.S. Army and winner of the [[Medal of Honor]] for actions at Missionary Ridge during the [[American Civil War]]. His oldest brother, Arthur III (1876-1923), had a distinguished career in the U.S. Navy, seeing action in the [[Spanish-American War]] of 1898, the [[Boxer Rebellion]], and the First World War. Second son Malcolm was born in 1878, and died at the age of five, which left a mark that Douglas could never forget. "His premature death left a gap in my life which has never been filled," he would write some forty years later. [https://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0126.html] | | Douglas MacArthur was the third son of Arthur MacArthur, a senior officer in the U.S. Army and winner of the [[Medal of Honor]] for actions at Missionary Ridge during the [[American Civil War]]. His oldest brother, Arthur III (1876-1923), had a distinguished career in the U.S. Navy, seeing action in the [[Spanish-American War]] of 1898, the [[Boxer Rebellion]], and the First World War. Second son Malcolm was born in 1878, and died at the age of five, which left a mark that Douglas could never forget. "His premature death left a gap in my life which has never been filled," he would write some forty years later. [https://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0126.html] |