The MacArthurs were known as McArtairs up in Scotland. Their battle cry was “Listen, O ye, listen!” That originated from their ancestor, King Artair [King Arthur] [according to their belief]. His descendents travelled north to Scotland.
General Douglas MacArthur was far more brilliant than most historians can perceive. He was one of the few high level officers in WWI to actually enter the front lines and see the battlefield for himself. He quickly learned that the Germans did not anchor their flanks. He was able to byppass “trench warfare” time and again by skirting the fortified trenches. That was what made him so successful in his younger years.
FDR called MacArthur his “conscience” if I recall correctly. He and the general had several shouting matches. MacArthur fought tooth and nail from keeping the military from being completely scuttled prior to WWII. His primary influence was to maintain the officers. After one key fiery row, he threw up outside the Whitehouse. Shortly after that, MacArthur and FDR needed space.
MacArthur’s next strategy was to make the Phillipines a major bombing base, defended by a massive militia force. From those islands, we could strafe Japan’s supply routes and cut Japan off from vital oil and other important necessities. But FDR skimped on his promises.
The leftwing media which would later defend Algar Hiss also hated MacArthur with a passion. They made things up about him out of whole cloth.
After regrouping in Australia, Marshall skimped on his supplies and support. Many of MacArthur’s men blamed the general. Despite that, MacArthur was able to take land with fewer losses per square mile than the well supplied navy. The difference is shocking. Being out of the loop, his advice sometimes appeared to be out of whack with reality, but that was the fault of FDR’s men.
A side note, the ancestor of Harold Ickes [Clintonista fame] had designs on ruling the Philipines. MacArthur, however, refused to break his promise.
He later brilliantly guided Japan to the Free World. After that, MacArthur defied overwhelming odds when he led his men on a bold and stunning string of victories in Korea. You may notice that the reason MacArthur is fired is fuzzy. That’s because Truman needed the reason to be fuzzy.
And he also squashed his own country’s veterans, like the “general” instrumental in the Waco massacre, hmmm???
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonus_Army
Oh my goodness - what a treasure trove of information you are.
I always knew I loved General MacArthur....even though I just barely remember him now....I was privileged to be alive to know just a tiny bit about him - as he lived his final years on this earth.
The information you recount shows that the General was planned to be where he was in our nation’s times of need from generations previous to even his birth - previous to even the birth of our nation!
In other words, the General’s life is a testimony to God’s faithfulness in His plans for our nation - plans that He formulated in eternity past - that we have witnessed come into being.
Where would our nation, and the whole world, be had General MacArthur not have “come on the scene” just exactly when he did?
Thank God for His goodness to us all, and especially, for His provision for and goodness to, this nation through His chosen vessels - such as General Douglas MacArthur - and through all the “heroes” of the faith which William Federer highlights in these amazing American Minutes!