His occupation of Japan was also masterful in the way he revitalized the country.
I've read much about this man over the years and I dare say he was one of our best generals to be produced in the 20th century.
Really... a good book to read is William Manchester's Amercian Ceasar. A fair account of his life. Also study what he did to the occupation of Japan. He transformed that society completely; and ended his time there with love and affection of a grateful nation.
I have read it...don’t misunderstand me.
To be overrated, in my opinion, one does not just have to be a low-life who a lot of people think is pretty good.
I think one can be overrated if he is pretty good and people think he is a military diety.
I appreciate the things he did. He simply was not flawless, and is often treated as if he were.
And I do think he did a great job in Japan. Many Japanese thought so as well, which says something.
You are forgetting MacArthur’s conduct of the 1941 Phillippines campaign. He should have been court martialed for it.
-He blithely assumed his enemy would not attack until the Spring of 1942.
-He failed to follow prewar plans and stockpile supplies on Bataan and Corrigedor. For that matter he did not move supplies in earnest until the Japanese were almost to Manila!
-His inaction in the hours after learning of Pearl Harbor contributed to the loss of over half his Air Force.
-He truly earned the name “Dougout Doug” by staying on Corrigedor and only visiting Bataan ONCE.
Had MacArthur been hit by a bus in the summer of 1941 and Wainwright been in charge, the Philippine-American forces could have held out longer and done more damage to the Japanese. This would have helped the allies by disrupting the Dutch East Indies and subsequent campaigns.
Don’t get me started on his getting ambushed in Korea by forces he already knew we’re there!
Best book on MacArthur is “Old Solidiers Never Die” by Geoffrey Perret. This book is fantastiic.