If my family lore has it right my father was known to use that term in reference to his commanding general. But he didn't arrive in the theatre until '43, so he probably didn't originate the term. Perhaps MacArthur's withdrawal to Australia, ordered by the President, had something to do with it.
This is an interesting question. How could such a derogatory term be applied to a man who at each rank possibly exhibited more personal bravery under fire than any surviving commander?
On one hand there is the famous poem attributed to the Bataan defenders titled Battling Bastards of Bataan which went more or less:
We are the battling bastards of BataanThe battling bastards poem clearly lays blame on the United States government for abandoning the Philippines.
No mamma, no pappa, no Uncle Sam
No aunts, no uncles, no nephews, no nieces
No rifles, no planes, or artillery pieces,
and nobody gives a damn
In his book American Caesar, a book that was "critically acclaimed", described as the "Most thoroughly researched work to date" and from which television documentaries were produced, author William Manchester on p237 claimed the term "Dugout Doug" was from words sung to the tune of The Battle Hymn of the Rupublic
Dougout Doug MacArthur lies ashakin' on the RockMy challenge to anyone familiar with the song Battle Hymn of the Republic is to make the above lyrics fit the music.
Safe from all the bombers and from any sudden shock
Dugout Doug is eating of the best food on Bataan
And his troops go starving on...