Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur was born on the 26th of January 1880 at Little Rock Barracks in Arkansas. His father Arthur MacArthur Jr. served as a U.S. Army captain and later received the Medal of Honor for actions during the American Civil War. The family lived on a succession of Army posts throughout the Old West where conditions were primitive. Malcolm, Douglas's brother, died of measles in 1883 while the family resided there. Douglas learned to ride and shoot before he could read or write according to his memoir Reminiscences. He remained extremely close with his mother Mary Pinkney Hardy MacArthur who dressed him in skirts until around age eight.
The family moved to Washington D.C. in July 1889 when Douglas attended Force Public School. His father was posted to San Antonio Texas in September 1893. While there Douglas attended the West Texas Military Academy where he won the gold medal for scholarship and deportment. He played tennis quarterbacked football and shortstopped baseball for the school. He graduated valedictorian with a final year average of 97.33 out of 100. His father and grandfather unsuccessfully sought a presidential appointment to West Point from Grover Cleveland and then William McKinley. Both rejections failed until Congressman Theobald Otjen appointed him after Douglas scored 93.3 on the examination.
MacArthur entered West Point on the 13th of June 1899. Hazing was widespread at the academy during this period. He and classmate Ulysses S. Grant III were singled out by Southern cadets as sons of generals whose mothers lived at Craney's Hotel overlooking the grounds. When Cadet Oscar Booz left after being hazed and died of tuberculosis a congressional inquiry followed. MacArthur testified against implicated cadets but downplayed his own hazing even though others gave the full story to the committee. Congress subsequently outlawed acts described as harassing or humiliating although hazing continued.
He served as corporal in Company B during his second year and first sergeant in Company A during his third year. In his final year he became First Captain. He earned 2424.12 merits out of a possible 2470.00 which represented 98.14 percent. This was the third-highest score ever recorded at the institution. He graduated first in his 93-man class on the 11th of June 1903. Top-ranking cadets were customarily commissioned into the Corps of Engineers so MacArthur received that commission as a second lieutenant.
MacArthur returned to the War Department where he was promoted to major on the 11th of December 1915. In June 1916 he assumed headship of the Bureau of Information under Secretary of War Newton D. Baker. Following Germany's declaration of war on the 6th of April 1917 Baker and MacArthur secured Wilson's agreement for National Guard use on the Western Front. MacArthur suggested sending a division organized from units of different states to avoid favoritism. The resulting formation became the 42nd Rainbow Division with Major General William Abram Mann as its commander.
Menoher replaced Mann who was ill old and bedridden after failing a physical examination on the 19th of December 1917. Menoher and MacArthur became great friends according to the general himself. The 42nd Division entered the Lunéville sector in February 1918. On the 26th of February MacArthur and Captain Thomas T. Handy accompanied a French trench raid capturing German prisoners. Major General Georges de Bazelaire decorated MacArthur with the Croix de Guerre marking the first such award given to an American Expeditionary Forces member.
On the 9th of March the 42nd Division launched three raids on German trenches in the Salient du Feys. MacArthur led a company of the 168th Infantry Regiment receiving the Distinguished Service Cross for his leadership. A few days later he was gassed while strict about men carrying gas masks but neglecting his own. He recovered in time to show Secretary Baker around the area on the 19th of March. At age thirty-eight he received promotion to brigadier general on the 26th of June making him the youngest general in the AEF at that time.
The division shifted to Châlons-en-Champagne opposing the Champagne-Marne offensive. Général d'Armée Henri Gouraud's defense plan succeeded and MacArthur earned a second Silver Star. During the Allied counter-offensive he received a third Silver Star on the 29th of July. Two days later Menoher replaced Brigadier General Robert A. Brown commanding the 84th Infantry Brigade with MacArthur. Hearing reports of enemy withdrawal MacArthur went forward on the 2nd of August to verify them personally. He confirmed the Germans had withdrawn earning a fourth Silver Star.
Shortly after returning home MacArthur's 84th Brigade demobilized at Camp Dodge Iowa on the 12th of May 1919. The following month he became Superintendent of West Point where General Peyton C. March felt the institution needed reform. Accepting this prestigious post allowed MacArthur to retain his temporary rank of brigadier general instead of reverting to major like many contemporaries. When he moved into the superintendent's house with his mother he became the youngest superintendent since Sylvanus Thayer in 1817.
MacArthur faced resistance from graduates and the academic board regarding his vision for officer training. Congress had set the course length at three years but MacArthur restored it to four years. The New York Times raised issues about student life being cloistered and undemocratic. Starting with Harvard University in 1869 civilian universities graded students solely on academic performance while West Point retained the whole man concept. MacArthur modernized the system expanding military character to include bearing leadership efficiency and athletic performance.
He formalized the unwritten Cadet Honor Code in 1922 forming the Cadet Honor Committee to review alleged violations. Elected by cadets themselves the committee acted as a grand jury reporting offenses without punishment authority. MacArthur attempted ending hazing by using officers rather than upperclassmen to train plebes. Instead of Fort Clinton summer camp cadets trained with regular army sergeants at Fort Dix then marched back to West Point with full packs.
In March 1935 MacArthur activated General Headquarters Air Force under Frank M. Andrews. He rapidly promoted Andrews from lieutenant colonel to brigadier general supporting endorsement of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers. This choice was controversial since most high-ranking generals supported twin-engine bombers like the Douglas B-18 Bolo. After MacArthur left his position as Chief of Staff in October 1935 his successor Malin Craig halted research into the B-17. Andrews used bureaucratic loopholes to covertly order development so that when President Franklin Roosevelt endorsed four-engine bombers in 1940 production began immediately.
When the Commonwealth of the Philippines achieved semi-independent status in 1935 President Manuel Quezon asked MacArthur to supervise creating a Philippine Army. Quezon and MacArthur had been personal friends since the latter's father served as Governor-General thirty-five years earlier. With Roosevelt's approval MacArthur accepted the assignment receiving field marshal rank alongside his major general salary making him the best-paid soldier globally.
MacArthur sailed from San Francisco on the President Hoover in October 1935 accompanied by his mother and sister-in-law. Jean Marie Faircloth an unmarried 37-year-old socialite also traveled aboard. Over two years MacArthur and Faircloth were frequently seen together. His mother became gravely ill during the voyage dying in Manila on the 3rd of December 1935. Quezon officially conferred the field marshal title at Malacañan Palace on the 24th of August 1936.
Eisenhower recalled finding the ceremony rather fantastic and pompous given the virtually nonexisting army situation. He later learned Quezon did not initiate the idea but MacArthur himself proposed the high-sounding title. The Philippine Army formed through conscription with training conducted by regular cadres. The Philippine Military Academy was created along West Point lines to train officers. Few camps existed initially so the first group of 20,000 trainees reported only in early 1937.
Equipment and weapons remained obsolete American cast offs while budgets proved completely inadequate. Requests for equipment fell on deaf ears though MacArthur and naval adviser Lieutenant Colonel Sidney L. Huff persuaded the Navy to develop PT boats. Hope rested heavily on the Philippine Army Air Corps yet its first squadron organized only in 1939. Article XIX of the Washington Naval Treaty banned new fortifications or bases in Pacific territories from 1923 to 1936.
On the 26th of July 1941 Roosevelt federalized the Philippine Army recalling MacArthur as major general commanding U.S. Army Forces in the Far East. He promoted him to lieutenant general the next day then to general on the 20th of December. By July 1941 the department held 22,000 troops including 12,000 Philippine Scouts under Major General Jonathan M. Wainwright. Initial plans called retreating to Bataan peninsula holding out until relief forces arrived.
MacArthur changed this strategy attempting to hold all Luzon using B-17 Flying Fortresses to sink approaching Japanese ships. Between July and December 1941 garrisons received 8,500 reinforcements despite years of parsimony. Much equipment shipped accumulated into a backlog of 1,100,000 shipping tons awaiting vessels in U.S. ports. Station CAST intercept station decrypted Japanese diplomatic messages sending output via Sutherland authorized only officer seeing it.
At 03:30 local time on the 8th of December 1941 Sutherland learned of Pearl Harbor attack informing MacArthur. At 05:30 General George Marshall ordered executing Rainbow Five war plan leaked three days prior by Chicago Tribune. Germany publicly ridiculed the plan the following day. On three occasions Major General Lewis H. Brereton requested attacking Formosa bases denied by Sutherland ordering defensive patrols instead.
Not until 11:00 did Brereton speak with MacArthur obtaining permission for Rainbow Five execution. Ten hours after Pearl Harbor Japan's 11th Air Fleet achieved complete tactical surprise attacking Clark Field and Iba Field destroying or disabling 18 of 35 B-17s caught refueling. Also destroyed were 53 of 107 P-40s plus more than 25 other aircraft. Casualties totaled 80 killed and 150 wounded leaving Far East Air Force all but destroyed over subsequent days.
On the 18th of April 1942 MacArthur appointed Supreme Commander Allied Forces Southwest Pacific Area SWPA. Lieutenant General George Brett became Commander Allied Air Forces while Vice Admiral Herbert F. Leary commanded Naval Forces. Since Australian land forces dominated the theater General Sir Thomas Blamey received command of Allied Land Forces though many Australians resented MacArthur as foreign general imposed upon them.
MacArthur established close relationship with Australian prime minister John Curtin becoming second most powerful person in country after him. He lacked confidence in Brett's abilities selecting Major General George C. Kenney to replace him in August 1942. Kenney's application of air power supporting Blamey's troops proved crucial. Staff built around nucleus escaping Philippines known as Bataan Gang remained predominantly American despite Roosevelt pressing for Dutch and Australian officers.
Initially located Melbourne GHQ moved to Brisbane northernmost city with necessary communications facilities in July 1942 occupying Australian Mutual Provident Society building renamed MacArthur Chambers post-war. MacArthur formed signals intelligence organization Central Bureau from Australian units and American cryptanalysts escaping Philippines forwarding Ultra information to Chief Intelligence Charles A. Willoughby.
After press release revealed Japanese naval dispositions during Battle Coral Sea turning back Port Moresby capture attempt Roosevelt ordered censorship imposition. Advisory War Council granted GHQ authority over Australian press restricting newspapers to daily GHQ communiqués drafted personally by MacArthur. Veteran correspondents considered these communiques total farce Alice-in-Wonderland information handed out at high level.
In the Korean War MacArthur led United Nations Command achieving initial success before suffering major defeats following China's entry into conflict on October 1950. His forces faced overwhelming odds after Chinese intervention altered battlefield dynamics significantly. The situation deteriorated rapidly causing strategic setbacks that challenged his command effectiveness throughout late 1950 and early 1951.
MacArthur contentiously removed from Korea command by President Harry S Truman in April 1951 due to disagreements over war strategy and conduct. The dismissal marked end of his active military career despite previous achievements across multiple theaters including World War II Pacific campaigns and occupation duties in Japan. Following removal he became chairman board Remington Rand until death Washington D.C. in 1964.
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Common questions
When was Douglas MacArthur born and where did he grow up?
Douglas MacArthur was born on the 26th of January 1880 at Little Rock Barracks in Arkansas. He grew up living on a succession of Army posts throughout the Old West with his family.
What were Douglas MacArthur's academic achievements at West Point?
Douglas MacArthur graduated first in his class of 93 men on the 11th of June 1903 after earning 2424.12 merits out of a possible 2470.00. This score represented 98.14 percent which was the third-highest ever recorded at the institution.
How old was Douglas MacArthur when he became a general during World War I?
Douglas MacArthur received promotion to brigadier general on the 26th of June 1918 making him the youngest general in the American Expeditionary Forces at that time. He was thirty-eight years old when this promotion occurred.
Why did President Franklin D. Roosevelt recall Douglas MacArthur from the Philippines in 1941?
President Franklin D. Roosevelt federalized the Philippine Army and recalled Douglas MacArthur as major general commanding U.S. Army Forces in the Far East on the 26th of July 1941. The department held 22,000 troops including 12,000 Philippine Scouts under Major General Jonathan M. Wainwright by July 1941.
When was Douglas MacArthur removed from command in Korea and why?
Douglas MacArthur was removed from Korea command by President Harry S Truman in April 1951 due to disagreements over war strategy and conduct. His dismissal marked the end of his active military career following China's entry into conflict on October 1950.