A good Sample of MacArthur’s attitude to the world is taken from his early attempt to win himself a Congressional Medal of Honour. As a minor liaison in one of the repeated American interventions in Central American affairs - at Vera Cruz - he recommended himself for the medal on the basis of an incredible sounding adventure he had undertaken supposedly for useful military purpose (and without orders or permission). The mythology of this rampage through enemy territory on a hand pumped rail cars, while single-handedly shooting it out and emerging victorious from several conflicts, has been uncritically accepted by far too many people. Historian Jack Galloway, writing a book about the relationship between McArthur and his senior Australian commander General Blamey during the Second World War (The Odd Couple: Blamey and MacArthur at War), employed professional athletes to try and attempt a similar feat with a hand cart to the one MacArthur claimed. They found the whole thing impossible, and concluded that the story was at least partially, if not completely, fantasy.
MacArthur posed with his Great War troops very efficiently, and apparently led them with actual elan. The very flamboyant troop leader apparently inspired his men, and achieved fairly significant results. They were not significant enough to impress General Pershing, who refused to add his name to the list of those to be promoted Brigadier, and was seemingly appalled and disgusted when MacArthur’s mother apparently managed to influence the promotion anyway and wrote him a thankyou letter for the supposed recommendation. (He was only given a brigade the day before the Armistice, and ran it for a mere 10 days after fighting ceased.)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/macarthur/filmmore/transcript/transcript1.html
NARR: MacArthur tried to create a sense of family in the War Department with what he called “my gang.” It included a young major, Dwight Eisenhower, whom he admired even though he had never led a charge.
AMBROSE: Douglas MacArthur is the man who wrote in Eisenhower’s personnel report “this is the best officer in the United States Army. When the next war comes move him right to the top.” Eisenhower was a Major at that time. MacArthur saw something in Eisenhower that others weren’t seeing or at least he wasn’t advancing.
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DALLEK: Roosevelt does not want (MacArthur) around as a potential candidate in 1936, and so, what better way to get rid of him then to give him a job that he would love to take as the principal military advisor in the Philippines. Secondly, Roosevelt is intent upon sending a message to the Japanese, don’t be too aggressive out there, you see, I have a first rate military man in the Philippines whose going to tend to the defense of those islands.
NARR: Quezon welcomed MacArthur, and his aide Eisenhower, to Malacañang Palace. With the Army’s approval, Quezon supplemented their salaries, and MacArthur became the highest paid soldier in the world. The General and Ike lived in the luxurious Manila Hotel. MacArthur demanded the penthouse suite. It was air-conditioned. Ike’s was not. Pinky, 84 and very ill, enjoyed the comforts of the hotel. That wasn’t all. At an elaborate ceremony in the palace Quezon’s wife gave MacArthur a gold baton and pronounced him Field Marshal of the Philippine Army. To Eisenhower it was “ridiculous” for someone who had held the highest rank in the U.S. Army to want to be field marshal of a “virtually non-existent army.”
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In Washington he pleaded for more money for his Filipino army. Before it was too late. He got nothing.
DALLEK: Roosevelt’s perspective has now changed. MacArthur is a pain in his neck. He wants to focus energy and attention on the Philippines. Roosevelt is deeply concerned about Japan. The Japanese have renewed the war in China, and they are acting quite aggressively. Roosevelt doesn’t want to provoke them. He wants to keep the Pacific quiet. He doesn’t want a war, and he’s worried that MacArthur is provocative.
NARR: In August 1937 the Japanese renewed their attack on Shanghai. MacArthur had just returned to the Philippines empty-handed. He then got notice that Roosevelt had canceled his job as U.S. Military Advisor. Outraged, he decided to retire from the army. In December the Japanese completed what became known as the Rape of Nanking. As the world headed for war, MacArthur who had devoted his career to preparing for war, left the U.S. Army. He did remain as military advisor on the Philippine payroll. Eisenhower stayed with him but soon became discouraged. There was no money. His recruits lacked modern weapons—even a common language. MacArthur’s Philippine Army hardly existed.
PERRET: Eisenhower saw himself as the supreme realist. And here is this romantic who will not accept ordinary realities about training schedules and the price of military equipment. And that brought Eisenhower in direct conflict with MacArthur because Eisenhower is arguing nuts and bolts and MacArthur is arguing grand ideas and designs.
NARR: MacArthur lost his most valuable aide. He would later deride him, the story goes, as “the best clerk I ever had,” with Eisenhower responding, “I studied dramatics under MacArthur for seven years.”