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Douglas MacArthur Biography
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Biography: Life of General Douglas MacArthur
Born 1880, Died 1964
Douglas MacArthur was born on January 26, 1880 in Little Rock, Arkansas. He was the son of General Arthur MacArthur and grew up on military posts.
In 1903 Douglas MacArthur graduated first in his class at West Point Military Academy. During World War I MacArthur served as chief of staff of the Rainbow Division. He was promoted to brigadier general and was the most decorated American of World War I.
Douglas MacArthur was named Chief of Staff of the Army in 1930 and was promoted to general.
Having previously served in the Philippines, in 1935 Douglas MacArthur was assigned as military adviser to the Philippines to organize their defenses in preparation for their independence. In 1937 MacArthur retired from the Army, but remained as an adviser to the Philippine military.
Douglas MacArthur was recalled to active duty in 1941 and given command of the United States Army Forces in the Far East. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese attacked the Philippines. Despite fierce resistance, in late December Manila was taken and Douglas MacArthur was ordered to retreat to the Bataan peninsula. Fighting a superior Japanese force, without air support and cut off from supplies and reinforcements, MacArthur’s troops held back the Japanese for weeks. This defense gave the United States time to organize its forces.
On February 22, 1942, Douglas MacArthur was ordered to leave Bataan and report to Australia. MacArthur ran the Japanese blockade, advising the Filipinos, “I shall return”. MacArthur was given command of the United Nations forces as Supreme Allied Commander of the Southwest Pacific Area.
Through brilliant campaigns of island hopping, including landings at Guadalcanal and Okinawa, the Japanese were slowly rolled back. On October 20, 1944, Douglas MacArthur kept his promise to the Philippines when he waded ashore with his forces on Leyte Island.
On September 2, 1945 Douglas MacArthur accepted the Japanese surrender onboard the U.S.S. Missouri. MacArthur subsequently headed the allied occupation of Japan.
In 1950 Douglas MacArthur became commander of the United Nations forces during the Korean War. On April 11, 1951 MacArthur was relieved of his command by President Harry S. Truman when they disagreed on how the war should be conducted.
Douglas MacArthur announced his retirement from the active military quoting from an old ballad, “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away”. MacArthur died on April 5, 1964 in Washington, D.C.
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