General Douglas MacArthur's Farewell Speech: the long gray line has never failed us.

National Center for Public Policy Research - A Conservative Think Tank ^ | May 12, 1962 | General Douglas MacArthur

[jpsb]

[Correct me, if I'm wrong but the Pacific theatre was more of a naval war. Our game plan was to go around the heavily fortified islands.]

you're wrong. When Mac Author got to Australia EVERYONE was expecting an invasion of Australia and the Japaneses were planning on doing exactly that. However Mac Author shocked the entirely Australian military establishment by going on the attack instead of preparing a defense. Mac, committed his meager forces to taking New Gunni and there by denying the Japanese with a staging area for the invasion. A risky, bold and brilliant strategy.

Also the later island hoping strategy was Mac Authors strategy. The Navy didn't use it in their island campaigns and suffer far greatly loses.

[jpsb]

Another thing, do you know who was one to the first to set foot in Japan in 45? Yup MacAuthor, MacAuthor arrived long before the US troops. The Japanesse would not look at him, they feared death would result from looking at such at great warrior. How many commanders would enter a defeated nation that had not yet laid down it's arms. And enter with only a handful of troops? The general did not lack courage.

[jpsb]

suffer far greatly loses = suffered far greater loses.

[CGVet58]

I've heard tell that MacArthur's speech can be found on the internet in audio format - is this true? If so, can you point me where? People who know say that he had a powerful and magnetic presence.

J

[Eaker]

You refined my point for me.

Thanks,
Eaker

[CGVet58]

reading your two replies on this thread, which bear an amazing resemblance to someone who picks his nosehairs in his sparetime (and has LOTS of spare time...), I can quickly see why you chose the tagline you have... nothing constructive or instructive in your comments - just more typical petty whinings that - like water flowing against a rock - always follow the path of least resistance.

C'mon, now, fess up... are you another in the line of leftists-claiming-liberal-superiority who deign to grace our humble Freep-abode?

CGVet58
Juan

[Pompah]

It was a dandy speech. He polished his image right to the end. But as they say, What Ever.!.

As a young man I knew and worked with several WWII Veterans
who refered to General MacArthur as " Dug Out Doug ".
Never heard the word Hero used in connection with those comments.

[Eaker]

I had family involved too.

[Eaker]

People often disparage their boss, except on payday.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

A handsome tribute.
My dad was a bit too old to step forward in WW II (he was born in 1906) but he was a commercial pilot and knew Asia as a flyer for China National Airline Company (owned by American Airlines at the time). He joined the AAF as a civilian pilot, flying C-46's over the Hump, supplying Nationalist Chinese, Brits and a few American troops who were fighting the Japanese in China. There were many civilian captains in this theater. Dad wore an officer's uniform with the CBI patch but no rank insignia.
After the war, he joined the Army again as a civilian and worked for the Japan Procurement Agency, buying stuff for the Army and Air force in Asia, mainly for the Korean conflict.
When I arrived as a little kid in Sagamihara and later, Yokohama, the country was still run more or less by the US Army and the State Department. MacArthur was gone but his influence was still quite evident and still is today.

[VOA]

bump

[RunningJoke]

Are you serious? Did you realize that the Japanese had already surrendered? Do you all know why MacArthur did not get the ETO leadership and it was given to lower level officer (Eisenhower)? Because MacArthur could not follow orders! Both Political parties knew it and witnessed it.
It seems some of you on this thread have decided that following and hero worship is more important than thinking and understanding a tragic character flaw in MacArthur.

[Eaker]

flying C-46's over the Hump

One of the most dangerous jobs at the time and deserving of great respect and thanks. There are many heros that the public never see.

My thanks to your dad for all that he did.

Tom

[risk]

I see some Windows Media here://www.hughcox.com/MacArthur/
RealAudio here: http://www.west-point.org/real/macarthur_28.ram
via http://www.west-point.org/real/macarthur_address.html

I also see some interesting MacArthur audio here:
http://www.jhs.jordan.k12.ut.us/faculty/bcharon/audiomacarthur.html

[RunningJoke]

Let me first tell you I will ignore you "nose hair" comment. That sounds disgusting and vulgar.

Secondly, let me spell it out in plain English for you. The speech given by MacArthur although worthy at its face value did not mirror his military career. DUTY! Again, so it sinks in, DUTY!
What about disobeying direct orders not once but several times is related to duty? The man was a maverick. It is important you realize this distinction, because even the lowest grunt knows how to take orders.

I've been called an elitist pig, son of a bitch conservative and now a "leftist-claiming-liberal-superiority".

"water flowing against a rock"

"The hardest thing to cope with is not selfishness or vanity of deceitfulness, but sheer stupidity. One needs the talents of an animal trainer to deal with the stupid."

[risk]

Follow this image's link for a short bio.

Another post on FR. (With MP3 audio links.)

[jpsb]

[Are you serious? Did you realize that the Japanese had already surrendered?]

The Government of Japan had surrendered, true. But the armed forces still their arms and were still under the command of officers that would rather die then suffer defeat. It really was a brave move, and helped the General to earned the respect of the Japanesse.

Seems to me, your entire argument is based on his leaving Bataan. Do you know how he left Bataan? Do you know why he left Bataan. Do you know that his campaigns in WW 2 all aimed at returning to his command in Bataan.

Do you know that the navy plan was concerning the Philippines. I'll tell you, it was to fire up the boilers and steam to Perl Harbors at full speed. It is amazing that MacAuthors forces held up the Japanese for as long as they did. His tactics in defense were brilliant. All the other commands in the far east were over run in a matter of weeks except Mac Authors.

As for Ike, do you know that Ike was for many years, Mac Authors second in the Philippines? One could argue that Ike learned quire a bit (besides acting) serving with Mac Author. So even Ike, had a very Strong connection to MacAuthor. Patton gave his superiors (Ike) a hard time too, is Patton also a bum?

Ok, back to Truman, did you know that Truman ordered the seventh fleet to guard the chicom flank during the Korean war. GUARD THE ENEMY FLANK FOR GOD's SAKE! Truman was a fool and MacAuthor knew it. Never before in the history of warfare has a general had his own damn forces ordered to guard the enemies flank! And guess what with their flank secure the Chicom were able to move into Korea the forces that attacked and overran the American under MacAuthor. Now you tell me how you would react to such stupidity.

[jpsb]

[because even the lowest grunt knows how to take orders.]

Do you know how his father won the Congressional Medal of Honor at the battle of Missionary Ridge?

Seems the union generals had decided the confederate position on top of the ridge were too strong to attack an ORDERED the troops not to attack. MacAuthors father was among the troops that when ahead and attacked anyway (DISOBEYING ORDERS) well with attack under way (AGAINST ODRERS) everyone got in to it and the union troops took the hill. For bravery in action the general father won the congressional medal of honor and a field commission. He later when on to become a Major General and Chief of Staff of the Army.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

He never qualified for veterans' benefits, even though he was in a war zone, was involved in a crash landing in India and was treated at a Vet's burn center in Texas.
I don't begrudge giving recognition to Lao vets from the Viet Nam era but I think we overlooked a few of our own.

[risk]

What a price we pay for civilian control over the military. But in a democracy, there is no other alternative. As Samuel P. Huntington argues, survival of the Republic depends on a strong bind between civilians and their armed forces.

This is one of the best services FR provides: it encourages understanding, mutual respect, and support between civilian Americans and our military personnel -- citizen soldiers every one.

Which brings to mind the banishment of ROTC off of the college campuses in the 1960s and 1970s. I can think of a very small number of anti-American academic policies that could have been worse.