Douglas MacArthur    

MacArthur was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, and was the son of the Civil War Medal of Honor winner Lieutenant General Arthur MacArthur and of Mary Pinkney Hardy MacArthur of Norfolk, Virginia.

Douglas MacArthur's older brother, Arthur, attended the United States Naval Academy and died in 1923, as a Captain. His other brother, Malcolm, died in 1883.

MacArthur grew up on Army bases. He entered the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1898 and graduated first in his class in 1903, as a 2nd Lieutenant of engineers.

During World War I MacArthur served in France, first with the 42nd Division and, upon his promotion to Brigadier General (the youngest ever in the United States Army), as commander of the 84th Infantry Brigade.

He spent most of the inter-war period on different assignments in the Philippines. He left the U.S. Army in 1937 to command the Philippines Army, but returned in July of 1941 as commander of US Army Forces - Far East. During World War II, MacArthur fought in Southeast Asia against Japan: after the defeat of his forces in the Philippines, he became Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in the Southwest Pacific and took command of Australian, American, Dutch and other Allied forces defending Australia, fighting mainly in and around New Guinea. MacArthur's forces eventually achieved success, overrunning Japanese resistance in 1943 and 1944; afterwards, American forces under MacArthur's command took back the Philippines in October 1944. In September 1945 MacArthur received the formal Japanese surrender which ended World War II; He then served as Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers (SCAP) in Japan until June 1950.

After the surprise attack of the Communist North Korean army in June 1950 started the Korean War, the United Nations General Assembly authorized a United Nations (UN) force to re-unify the Korean peninsula in October. MacArthur led the U.N. coalition (primarily made up of American military) counter-offensive, noted for an amphibious landing behind North Korean lines at Inchon. As his forces approached the Korea-China border, the Chinese warned they would become involved and on October 25, 1951, the People's Liberation Army attacked across the Yalu River, forcing the U.N forces to embark on a lengthy retreat. MacArthur sought an extension of the conflict into China, but President Truman relieved him of his duty in April 1951.

Recently declassified documents indicate that MacArthur planned to drop 26 nuclear bombs on China (some sources put this number at 50). Truman did not agree. General Matthew B. Ridgeway replaced MacArthur and stabilized the situation near the 38th parallel.

MacArthur made his last public appearance in a farewell address to Congress, interrupted by thirty ovations.

On his return from Korea, after his relief by Truman, MacArthur encountered massive public adulation, which aroused expectations that he would run for the US presidency as a Republican in 1952. However, a Senate Committee investigation of his removal, chaired by Richard Russell, contributed to a marked cooling of the public mood and, once his presidential hopes had died away, MacArthur spent the remainder of his life quietly in New York.

Military Career * 1899 -- attends the United States Military Academy, West Point, New York

June 11, 1903 -- graduates first in his class, commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers and assigned to the Philippines 

April 23, 1904 -- promoted to 1st Lieutenant

1905 - 1906 -- serves as an aide to his father in the Far East

1907 -- aide-de-camp to President Roosevelt

February 27, 1911 -- promoted to Captain

1914 -- military expedition to Veracruz, Mexico  --serves on the General Staff

1917 - 1919 -- joins the 42nd Infantry Division and is credited with naming the Division, "The Rainbow Division" serves as divisional Chief of Staff, 84th Infantry Brigade Commander, and as the divisional commander  June 26, 1918 -- promoted to Brigadier General (National Army)

1919 -- becomes Superintendent of the US Military Academy

1922 - 1930 -- serves in the Philippines, commanding the District of Manila and the 23rd Brigade

January 17, 1925 -- promoted to Major General (Regular army)

January 1925 -- returns to US as a corps area commander

1928 -- leads the US Olympic Team to Amsterdam o returns to Manila as commander of the Philippine Department

October 1930 -- commander of the Ninth Corps Area

November 1, 1930 - 1935 -- Chief of Staff of the United States Army

1935 -- serves as the Military Advisor to the Commonwealth Government of the Philippines

December 31, 1937 -- retires from the US Army and becomes Field Marshal of the Philippine Army o April -- marries Jean Faircloth

February 21, 1938 -- Arthur MacArthur IV born

July 26, 1941 -- returns to active duty as the Major General in command of USAFFE o July 27 -- promoted to Lieutenant General * December 18, 1941 -- promoted to General

February 22, 1942 -- President Franklin Delano Roosevelt ordered MacArthur out of the Philippines as the American defense of the nation collapsed. Upon leaving he promises to return.

February 5, 1945 -- He fulfils a promise and returns to liberated Manila.

September, 1945 -- Becomes military governor of Japan

July 8, 1950 -- Named commander of UN forces in Korea

September 15, 1950 -- Leads highly successful Battle of Inchon

April 11, 1951 -- After he publicly criticizes White House policy in Korea, Harry Truman sacks him

April 19, 1951 -- As farewell address before Congress, gives famous Old Soldiers Never Die speech