History UsefulNotes / DouglasMacArthur

[=MacArthur=]'s health started to decline as he entered his 80s. On March 2, 1964, he underwent a medical examination at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center after complaints of serious long-term stomach pains. The examination showed that [=MacArthur=] had been suffering from untreated gallstones for several years (he admitted to having held off on seeking medical attention due to a personal distrust of doctors and hospitals) and had accrued quite a few secondary illnesses as a result, chiefly biliary cirrhosis. He underwent surgery for removal of his gallbladder and of gallstones on March 6, and the operation was successful. [=MacArthur=] appeared to be on the road to recovery, but on March 23, he started suffering from internal bleeding, necessitating a second round of surgery to stop the haemorrhaging, which was also successful. Having undergone two fairly extensive medical produces in such rapid succession at his advanced age, however, left [=MacArthur=] severely physically weakened and he eventually started suffering kidney and liver failure six days after his second operation, and he gradually slipped into a coma as a result. He never regained consciousness and ended up passed away on April 5, at the age of 84.

->''"I fired him because he wouldn't respect the authority of the President. I didn't fire him because he was a dumb son of a bitch, although he was, but that's not against the law for generals. If it was, half to three-quarters of them would be in jail."''

[=MacArthur=]'s health started to decline as he entered his 80s. On March 2, 1964, he underwent a medical examination at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center after complaints of serious long-term stomach pains. The examination showed that [=MacArthur=] had been suffering from untreated gallstones for several years and had accrued quite a few secondary illnesses as a result, chiefly biliary cirrhosis. He underwent surgery for removal of his gallbladder and of gallstones on March 6, and the operation was successful. [=MacArthur=] appeared to be on the road to recovery, but on March 23, he started suffering from internal bleeding, necessitating a second round of surgery to stop the haemorrhaging, which was also successful. Having undergone two extensive medical produces in such rapid succession, however, left [=MacArthur=] severely weakened and he eventually started suffering kidney and liver failure six days after his second operation, and he gradually slipped into a coma as a result. He never regained consciousness and eventually passed away on April 5, at the age of 84.

[=MacArthur=]'s health started to decline as he entered his 80s. On March 2, 1964, he underwent a medical examination at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center after complaints of serious long-term stomach pains. The examination showed that [=MacArthur=] had been suffering from untreated gallstones for several years and had accrued quite a few secondary illnesses as a result, chiefly biliary cirrhosis. He underwent surgery for removal of his gallbladder and of gallstones on March 6, and the operation was successful. [=MacArthur=] appeared to be on the road to recovery, but on March 23, he started suffering from internal bleeding, necessitating a second round of surgery to stop the haemorrhaging, which was also successful. Having undergone two extensive medical produces in such rapid succession, however, left [=MacArthur=] severely weakened and he eventually started suffering kidney and liver failure six days after his second operation, and he gradually slipped into a coma as a result. He eventually passed away on April 5, at the age of 84.

If you could describe him with one word, it would be "imperious". He was very much his own man, caring little -- if at all -- about any established power outside of his own, whether it was other nations or that of his superiors and carefully crafted his public image to attract as much attention as possible.[[note]]His trademark simple uniform (as seen in the page photo) was selected because he realized it would make him stand out among high ranking officers wearing more formal attire as well as making him seem more humble to rank-and-file soldiers. He also preferred to smoke cigars, but liked the look of the iconic corncob pipe better for photos and public appearances. After he was relieved in the Korean War and made a public speech in Chicago, the fact that he did so wearing a plain business suit did not go unnoticed.[[/note]] He disobeyed or ignored orders entirely, even getting into verbal clashes with Presidents UsefulNotes/FranklinDRoosevelt and UsefulNotes/HarrySTruman. He promoted soldiers based on their loyalty towards himself, and his influence extended through the Army and somewhat into the Air Force (but never in the Navy). He even recommended ''himself'' for a Medal of Honor (he didn't get it), and the circumstances and justification for the Medal of Honor that he was eventually awarded remain highly controversial to this day.[[note]]Here's a hint. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for "defense of the Philippines" during a Japanese invasion. As a great many people who opposed his being awarded the Medal argued, the Philippines ''fell'' to Japan. The Medal was awarded largely to counter Axis propaganda broadcasts accusing [=MacArthur=] (many would say legitimately, though this is rather unfair) of [[DirtyCoward cowardice]] for fleeing the Philippines and leaving his troops behind to fend for themselves. [=MacArthur=] was actually ordered out of the Philippines by Roosevelt, but initially refused, requesting transport only for his wife and infant son. When the President repeated the order, [=MacArthur=] replied that he would resign his commission and re-enlist as a private in order to stay. Roosevelt called his bluff and responded with an ultimatum: [=MacArthur=] could leave the Philippines under orders as the commanding general or under arrest pending court-martial for insubordination and dereliction of duty[[/note]]. During the UsefulNotes/KoreanWar, [=MacArthur=] commanded the U.N. offensive into Korea, though was eventually relieved of command by President Truman due to insubordination. This prove to be a public relations disaster, though Truman defended his decision, stating:

If you could describe him with one word, it would be "imperious". He was very much his own man, caring little -- if at all -- about any established power outside of his own, whether it was other nations or that of his superiors and carefully crafted his public image to attract as much attention as possible.[[note]]His trademark simple uniform (as seen in the page photo) was selected because he realized it would make him stand out among high ranking officers wearing more formal attire as well as making him seem more humble to rank-and-file soldiers. He also preferred to smoke cigars, but liked the look of the iconic corncob pipe better for photos and public appearances. After he was relieved in the Korean War and made a public speech in Chicago, the fact that he did so wearing a plain business suit did not go unnoticed.[[/note]] He disobeyed or ignored orders entirely, even getting into verbal clashes with Presidents UsefulNotes/FranklinDRoosevelt and UsefulNotes/HarrySTruman. He promoted soldiers based on their loyalty towards himself, and his influence extended through the Army and somewhat into the Air Force (but never in the Navy). He even recommended ''himself'' for a Medal of Honor (he didn't get it), and the circumstances and justification for the Medal of Honor that he was eventually awarded remain highly controversial to this day.[[note]]Here's a hint. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for "defense of the Philippines" during a Japanese invasion. As a great many people who opposed his being awarded the Medal argued, the Philippines ''fell'' to Japan. The Medal was awarded largely to counter Axis propaganda broadcasts accusing [=MacArthur=] (many would say legitimately, though this is rather unfair) of [[DirtyCoward cowardice]] for fleeing the Philippines and leaving his troops behind to fend for themselves. [=MacArthur=] was actually ordered out of the Philippines by Roosevelt, but initially refused, requesting transport only for his wife and infant son. When the President repeated the order, [=MacArthur=] replied that he would resign his commission and re-enlist as a private in order to stay. Roosevelt called his bluff and responded with an ultimatum: [=MacArthur=] could leave the Philippines under orders as the commanding general or under arrest pending court-martial for insubordination and dereliction of duty[[/note]]. He was eventually relieved of command by Truman, largely because he wanted to use nuclear weapons during the UsefulNotes/KoreanWar. On [[BloodKnight China at the height of the Cold War]], which of course could have easily ignited WorldWarIII. His public criticism of Truman's policies didn't help his case, including his opposition to Truman's desegregation of the armed forces.

Born and raised a MilitaryBrat, Douglas was the son of Arthur [=MacArthur=] Jr., a veteran of the UsefulNotes/AmericanCivilWar. In 1899, while Arthur was military governor of the Philippines leading U.S. forces against Philippine nationalists in the UsefulNotes/PhilippineInsurrection, Douglas [=MacArthur=] began his education at West Point, eventually graduating at the top of his class in 1903. He was then sent to the Philippines with the Army Engineer Corps, where he made a name for himself as a heroic guerrilla fighter. In 1912, [=MacArthur=] was appointed to the Office of the Chief of Staff, before being sent to Mexico during the U.S. occupation of the port of Veracruz in 1914. During World War I, [=MacArthur=], then a colonel, was a commander in the 42nd Infantry Division, which saw fighting in France during the final months of the war. After the war, [=MacArthur=] was promoted to brigadier general and served as the Superintendent of West Point.

As the youngest major general by 1925, [=MacArthur=] became the Chief of Staff of the United States Army. Infamously, in 1932 President UsefulNotes/HerbertHoover sent [=MacArthur=] to peacefully remove the "Bonus Army", a group of thousands of unemployed UsefulNotes/WorldWarI veterans and their families who, at the height of TheGreatDepression, marched on UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC to request the early payment of the bonuses that they were promised -- instead, [=MacArthur=] used '''tear gas and tanks''', killing two people and injuring hundreds more. In contrast, [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff he's revered in the]] UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, particularly among older generations, for his role in the country's history and his personal respect for the Filipino people, even going as far to denounce racism towards Filipinos by Americans and openly criticize Spanish and American colonial exploitation of the Philippines. He was the lone field marshal of the Philippine Army, of which he supervised and spearheaded its foundation and development, when the country was still a Commonwealth under the U.S.

Douglas [=MacArthur=] (26 January 1880 – 5 April 1964) was an American general during the time of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and the UsefulNotes/KoreanWar. He was one of only five to receive the rank General of the Army in the U.S. Army. He is a highly polarizing man in American history -- you either think he was a great war hero and commander, or a dangerous and egotistical madman. As the youngest major general by 1925, [=MacArthur=] became the Chief of Staff of the United States Army. Infamously, in 1932 President UsefulNotes/HerbertHoover sent [=MacArthur=] to peacefully remove the "Bonus Army", a group of thousands of unemployed UsefulNotes/WorldWarI veterans and their families who, at the height of TheGreatDepression, marched on UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC to request the early payment of the bonuses that they were promised -- instead, [=MacArthur=] used '''tear gas and tanks''', killing two people and injuring hundreds more. In contrast, [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff he's revered in the]] UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, particularly among older generations, for his role in the country's history and his personal respect for the Filipino people, even going as far to denounce racism towards Filipinos by Americans and openly criticize Spanish and American colonial exploitation of the Philippines. He was the lone field marshal of the Philippine Army, of which he supervised and spearheaded its foundation and development, when the country was still a Commonwealth under the U.S.[[note]]In an irony of history, his own father Gen. Arthur [=MacArthur=] helped conquer the Philippines for the U.S. in the aftermath of the UsefulNotes/SpanishAmericanWar, snuffing out the "First Philippine Republic".[[/note]]

If you could describe him with one word, it would be "imperious". He was very much his own man, caring little -- if at all -- about any established power outside of his own, whether it was other nations or that of his superiors and carefully crafted his public image to attract as much attention as possible.[[note]]His trademark simple uniform (as seen in the page photo) was selected because he realized it would make him stand out among high ranking officers wearing more formal attire as well as making him seem more humble to rank-and-file soldiers. He also preferred to smoke cigars, but liked the look of the iconic corncob pipe better for photos and public appearances. After he was relieved in the Korean War and made a public speech in Chicago, the fact that he did so wearing a plain business suit did not go unnoticed.[[/note]] He disobeyed or ignored orders entirely, even getting into verbal clashes with Presidents UsefulNotes/FranklinDRoosevelt and UsefulNotes/HarrySTruman. He promoted soldiers based on their loyalty towards himself, and his influence extended through the Army and somewhat into the Air Force (but never in the Navy). He even recommended ''himself'' for a Medal of Honor (he didn't get it), and the circumstances and justification for the Medal of Honor that he was eventually awarded remain highly controversial to this day.[[note]]Here's a hint. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for "defense of the Philippines" during a Japanese invasion. As a great many people who opposed his being awarded the Medal argued, the Philippines ''fell'' to Japan. The Medal was awarded largely to counter Axis propaganda broadcasts accusing [=MacArthur=] (many would say legitimately, though this is rather unfair) of [[DirtyCoward cowardice]] for fleeing the Philippines and leaving his troops behind to fend for themselves. [=MacArthur=] was actually ordered out of the Philippines by Roosevelt, but initially refused, requesting transport only for his wife and infant son. When the President repeated the order, [=MacArthur=] replied that he would resign his commission and re-enlist as a private in order to stay. Roosevelt called his bluff and responded with an ultimatum: [=MacArthur=] could leave the Philippines under orders as the commanding general or under arrest pending court-martial for insubordination and dereliction of duty[[/note]]. He was eventually relieved of command by Truman, largely because he wanted to use nuclear weapons during the UsefulNotes/KoreanWar. On [[BloodKnight China at the height of the Cold War]], which of course could have easily ignited WorldWarIII. His public criticism of Truman's policies didn't help his case.

Douglas [=MacArthur=] (26 January 1880 – 5 April 1964) was an American general during the time of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and the UsefulNotes/KoreanWar. He was one of only five to receive the rank General of the Army in the U.S. Army. He is a highly polarizing man in American history -- you either think he was a great war hero and commander, or a dangerous and egotistical madman. As the youngest major general by 1925, [=MacArthur=] became the Chief of Staff of the United States Army. Infamously, in 1932 President UsefulNotes/HerbertHoover sent [=MacArthur=] to peacefully remove the "Bonus Army", a group of thousands of unemployed UsefulNotes/WorldWarI veterans and their families who, at the height of TheGreatDepression, marched on UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC to request the early payment of the bonuses that they were promised -- instead, [=MacArthur=] used '''tear gas and tanks''', killing two people and injuring hundreds more. In contrast, he's revered in the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, particularly among older generations, for his role in the country's history and his personal respect for the Filipino people, even going as far to denounce racism towards Filipinos by Americans and openly criticize Spanish and American colonial exploitation of the Philippines. He was the lone field marshal of the Philippine Army, of which he supervised and spearheaded its foundation and development, when the country was still a Commonwealth under the U.S.[[note]]In an irony of history, his own father Gen. Arthur [=MacArthur=] helped conquer the Philippines for the U.S. in the aftermath of the UsefulNotes/SpanishAmericanWar, snuffing out the "First Philippine Republic".[[/note]]

Douglas [=MacArthur=] (26 January 1880 – 5 April 1964) was an American general during the time of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and the UsefulNotes/KoreanWar. He was one of only five to receive the rank General of the Army in the U.S. Army. He is a highly polarizing man in American history -- you either think he was a great war hero and commander, or a dangerous and egotistical madman. As the youngest major general by 1925, [=MacArthur=] became the Chief of Staff of the United States Army. Infamously, in 1932 President UsefulNotes/HerbertHoover sent [=MacArthur=] to peacefully remove the "Bonus Army", a group of thousands of unemployed UsefulNotes/WorldWarI veterans and their families who, at the height of TheGreatDepression, marched on UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC to request the early payment of the bonuses that they were promised -- instead, [=MacArthur=] used '''tear gas and tanks''', killing two people and injuring hundreds more. In contrast, he's revered in the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, particularly among older generations, for his role in the country's history and his personal respect for the Filipino people. He was the lone field marshal of the Philippine Army, of which he supervised and spearheaded its foundation and development, when the country was still a Commonwealth under the U.S.[[note]]In an irony of history, his own father Gen. Arthur [=MacArthur=] helped conquer the Philippines for the U.S. in the aftermath of the UsefulNotes/SpanishAmericanWar, snuffing out the "First Philippine Republic".[[/note]]

* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'' had Nigel suddenly waking up as President of the United States; the adult Numbah 4 is his chief military advisor and he's clearly modeled after MacArthur, down to the giant pipe ([[NoSmoking though he's never seen smoking it]]). Just like the real deal, he advocates excessive force against the Kids Next Door, including [[GirlScoutsAreEvil Skunky Scouts]] and [[MonsterWhale whales that fire missiles out of their blowholes]] (a BrickJoke from when he declared he'd deploy the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine...animals). Unlike the real deal, he's still TheDitz and can't count correctly.