[Fiji Hill]

How was he insubordinate to Hoover and Roosevelt?

[nickcarraway]

In 1932, General MacArthur attacked the Bonus Army (poor World War I vets) with infantry, cavalry, and tanks. Hoover ordered the attack to stop, and MacArthur (who was also Chief of Staff then) ordered a new attack on the rag tag veterans. One of his junior aides, a Major Eisenhower, advised him strongly against it. It also hurt Hoover's already diminished reelection chances. Insubordination aside, using the army to go after poor veterans who were in those rotten trenches in France, is just wrong.

As far as Roosevelt, I'm not even sure I know the whole story. Roosevelt let him get away with it, which doesn't make it right. Among other things, The Commander in Chief ordered him to a strategy meeting, and MacArthur just ignored him. MacArthur basically ran his own operation, without bothering to coordinate with Admiral Nimitz or anyone else. Luckily he didn't screw up things badly enough to get in Nimitz' way.