MacArthur Memorial Podcast

General MacArthur’s arrival in Australia in March of 1942 was an electrifying event for many Australians. His presence sent a strong signal that the United States was committed to the defense of Australia and to the war against Japan. MacArthur uttered his famous “I Shall Return” promise in Australia, and it was there that he began gathering forces for the next phase of the war. By July 1942, MacA...

In terms of personality and style, it would be difficult to find two more different men than General MacArthur and General Eisenhower. Praised by newspapers as “Destiny’s Child,” and “Mars,” General MacArthur was larger than life - dramatic, proud, and aristocratic. In contrast, General Eisenhower was often described by his contemporaries as personable, steady, and far more practical than MacArthu...

A photograph of the United States Military Academy Class of 1903 was taken the day the young men of that class were admitted to the school as plebes in 1899. Of the 160 that posed for that photograph, 93 of them would graduate four years later. Douglas MacArthur graduated top in this class – and of his classmates, he had the longest career and earned the most honors and decorations. However, his s...

As a boy, General Douglas MacArthur’s mother exhorted him to follow the example of George Washington. What was implied in this advice was that he should become a general and a president. As he grew older, his career would take shape with an eye on the White House. Most American generals with presidential ambitions try to maneuver behind the scenes to be “drafted” for the job by others. MacArthur w...

Visiting the MacArthur Memorial? Download a guided tour! Walk through the MacArthur Memorial gallery by gallery and explore the life and times of General MacArthur, as well as various items in the collection. Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can only read the texts, we can't reply) Support the show Follow us on: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 ; @AEWilliamsClark Fac...

Assuming his duties as leader of the Occupation of Japan in September 1945, General MacArthur was faced with a daunting task. No modern occupation had been successful, and history was not in his favor. Some of the great commanders in history – including Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Napoleon, Wellington, Kitchener, and Petain – had seen their battlefield triumphs unravel in occupations. Howe...

The Papuan Campaign of 1942-1943 was one of the most costly of General MacArthur’s campaigns in the Southwest Pacific. Casualty rates exceeded those on Guadalcanal, and the learning curve for jungle fighting was particularly steep for American and Australian forces. The General made mistakes and ruffled the feathers of the U.S. Navy, military leaders in Washington, D.C., and those of his Australia...

According to MacArthur biographer William Manchester, “American participation in the 1928 Olympics…was a MacArthur production.” As President of the U.S. Olympic Committee, MacArthur traveled to Amsterdam with Team U.S.A., marched in the Parade of Nations, and had a front row seat to all of the events. He would later write of his experiences: “Athletes are among the most temperamental of all person...

Following World War II, hundreds if not thousands of Japanese were accused of war crimes. General MacArthur’s appointment as Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers on August 15, 1945 made him responsible for the prosecution of war criminals. Though MacArthur called this his “most repugnant duty,” he did not shy away from it. Lieutenant General Tomoyuki Yamashita was the first to face trial for atr...

In 1914, as tensions between Mexico and the United States heightened, the United States occupied Vera Cruz, Mexico. President Wilson wished to avoid open war, but his generals and the Secretary of War wanted to be prepared for any contingency—even a total invasion of Mexico. Thirty-four year old Captain Douglas MacArthur was tapped to play a key role in their preparations for war. Sent to Vera Cru...

Douglas MacArthur came from a distinguished military family. His father Arthur, a Medal of Honor recipient, was a veteran of both the Civil War and Spanish-American War. Several of MacArthur’s mother’s brothers also served in uniform. Three of them attended Virginia Military Institute, and of these, two served in the 6th Virginia Infantry during the Civil War. The 6th Virginia fought in nearly eve...

For many young women in 1940, being an Army or Navy nurse meant a life of adventure and independence – a thrilling alternative to a normal, routine life. Those stationed in the Philippines looked forward to a life of luxury – and it was even said that no nurse’s wardrobe was complete without an evening gown and a swimsuit. All of this changed abruptly on December 7, 1941. Thrust into a warzone, th...

The Medal of Honor is the highest honor that any member of the armed forces can receive. The award is granted to a person who distinguishes “himself by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of…life, above and beyond the call of duty, in action involving actual combat with the enemy.” General Douglas MacArthur received the Medal of Honor on April 1, 1942. Prior to this, MacArthur had displayed cour...

Many people believe that with World War I, the horse became a relic of the past. This belief is understandable. More than any other war; the deadly stalemate of World War I proved that muscle and sinew could not resist the crushing force of modern mechanized war or chemical weapons. Nevertheless, while the horse faded from the battlefields of Western Europe, it did not become completely obsolete....

In 1925, the court martial of Billy Mitchell captured national attention. The trial was so sensational that it would go on to inspire numerous books and even a movie starring Gary Cooper. At the center of the controversy was Billy Mitchell, a man who is today recognized as the father of the United States Air Force. An advocate of air power at a time when few could envision aircraft ever having a m...

Today, many people are amazed to learn that General MacArthur and President Kennedy admired each other. Given MacArthur’s track record with Democrats and the generational gap between the two men, this is not surprising. Despite their differences however, Kennedy and MacArthur actually had a great deal in common – both were patrician and charismatic, both had been raised in an environment that valu...

Many people are familiar with General Douglas MacArthur’s famous “I shall return” pledge. The pledge was made after the General’s successful escape from the Philippines during World War II, and it soon became the cornerstone of his strategy in the Pacific Theatre as well as a rallying cry for the guerilla movement in the Philippines. Although the pledge is very famous, few people understand how di...

Many visitors are curious about the building that houses General Douglas MacArthur’s tomb and museum. Known today as the MacArthur Memorial, the building was once the City of Norfolk’s City Hall and Courthouse. Constructed in 1850, the building has played a central role in many local and national dramas over the years. This month’s podcast delves into the history of the building - from the initial...

The careers of General Douglas MacArthur and General Jonathan Wainwright are indelibly intertwined with one of the darkest moments in American military history – the fall of the Philippines at the beginning of World War II. Even though both men received the Medal of Honor for their handling of the doomed situation in the Philippines, Bataan and Corregidor would haunt them for the rest of their liv...

During his 52 year military career, General Douglas MacArthur received more than 100 decorations – including the Medal of Honor – making him one of the most highly decorated officers in U.S. military history. Many of these decorations are on display in the MacArthur Memorial today, and visitors to the Memorial are often curious about the circumstances behind some of these awards. This podcast will...

As part of the material culture of the 1940s, comic books can provide World War II historians with information about everyday people and the times they lived in. Superman, Captain America, and other superheroes didn’t really fight in World War II, but the comics did influence public perceptions of the war and provide an outlet for national aspirations and fears. They created a black and white worl...

Mary “Pinky” Hardy MacArthur was a formidable woman. Her son General Douglas MacArthur regarded her as one of the dominating factors of his life. As Army Chief of Staff in the 1930’s, he remarked that she had raised his father to a Lieutenant General’s three stars, and he attributed his own greater success to the fact that she had a much earlier start with him. This month’s podcast provides a brie...

On April 11, 1951, General MacArthur was relieved of his command by President Truman, ending his 52 year military career. Both men had been increasingly at odds with each other since August 1945 - almost from the day Truman chose MacArthur to accept the Japanese surrender and oversee the occupation. It was during the Korean War however that their divergent views on U.S. foreign policy and Communis...

In March 1942, General MacArthur, his wife Jean, his son Arthur, and select members of his staff quietly boarded PT 41 in the Philippines. They were embarking on a dangerous escape attempt. Against all odds, the escape was successful, and from the safety of Australia MacArthur would utter the famous promise: “I shall return.” For the next two and a half years however, those left behind on Bataan a...

On January 14, 1951, right in the middle of the Korean War, Thurgood Marshall arrived in Japan as a special representative of the NAACP. He had been sent to meet with General MacArthur and to conduct an investigation into irregularities in the courts martial of thirty nine black soldiers. This podcast examines MacArthur and integration during the Korean War through the lens of the issues that brou...