Douglas MacArthur

DOUGLAS MACARTHUR d1964. American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He was Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930 and he played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during WW2. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the Philippines campaign. This made him along with his father Arthur MacArthur Jr the first father and son to be awarded the medal. He was one of only five to rise to the rank of General of the Army in the US Army and the only one conferred the rank of field marshal in the Philippine Army. In the fighting on the Western Front during WW1, he rose to the rank of brigadier general, was again nominated for a Medal of Honor and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross twice and the Silver Star seven times. From 1919 to 1922, he served as Superintendent of the US Military Academy at West Point, where he attempted a series of reforms. His next assignment was in the Philippines where in 1924 he was instrumental in quelling the Philippine Scout Mutiny. In 1925, he became the Army's youngest major general. He served on the court-martial of Brigadier General Billy Mitchell and was president of the American Olympic Committee during the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. In 1930, he became Chief of Staff of the United States Army. As such, he was involved in the expulsion of the Bonus Army protesters from Washington DC in 1932 and the establishment and organization of the Civilian Conservation Corps. In 1935 he became Military Advisor to the Commonwealth Government of the Philippines. He retired from the US. Army in 1937 and continued being the chief military advisor to the Philippines. He was recalled to active duty in 1941 as commander of United States Army Forces in the Far East. A series of disasters followed, starting with the destruction of his air forces on 8th December 1941 and the Japanese invasion of the Philippines. His forces were soon compelled to withdraw to Bataan, where they held out until May 1942. In March 1942, his family and his staff left nearby Corregidor Island in PT boats and escaped to Australia where he became supreme commander, Southwest Pacific Area. Upon his arrival, he gave a speech in which he promised "I shall return" to the Philippines. After more than two years of fighting, he fulfilled that promise. For his defense of the Philippines, he was awarded the Medal of Honor. He officially accepted the surrender of Japan on 2nd September 1945 (aboard the USS Missouri) which was anchored in Tokyo Bay and he oversaw the occupation of Japan from 1945 to 1951. As the effective ruler of Japan, he oversaw sweeping economic, political and social changes. He led the United Nations Command in the Korean War with initial success ; however the invasion of North Korea provoked the Chinese, causing a series of major defeats. He was contentiously removed from command by President Harry S Truman on 11th April 1951. He later became chairman of the board of Remington Rand. He died in Washington, DC on 5th April 1964 at the age of 84