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D-Jones · 06-09-23, 09:23 PM

I have to chase down who I'm trying to save? Let the Japs have them. Let them eat rice.

Yup. MacArthur, his wife and 4 y/o son escaped by PT boat after being ORDERED off repeatedly by Roosevelt. MacArthur compared it to being in a cement mixer for days. The only one who didn't get sick as a dog was his wife Jean, who was an amazing woman. I saw her in a picture with Mick Jagger!

It's one of the true ironies of the war that MacArthur, a man who was almost pathologically brave, got the moniker of "Dugout Doug." Here's a man who, as a 20 something Lieutenant in the Philippines, shot down two armed Filippino bandits who ambushed him, 5 Mexican bandits single handed in Veracruz--The Wild Bunch style--a man who, as a Brigadier general in WW1, led trench raids with nothing but his "scrambled eggs" hat, raccoon coat and a riding crop, was given a watch by his men with the inscription "Bravest of the Brave", was the most decorated American soldier of WW1, was nominated for 2 Congressional Medals of Honor that were turned down by Pershing because he didn't want to show nepotism having served under MacArthur's father, and was known throughout the AEF as "the Fighting Dude." Patton, no slouch himself, wrote home to his wife that MacArthur was the bravest man he ever met.

Churchill always referred to him as "that Magnificent General", Lidell Hart said that he was the greatest general of WW2 (and he was), the Japanese said that they didn't know how to stop him and feared him the most--the most territory captured at the least cost in lives. His axiom was "Hit em where they ain't", as King's Pacific strategy was to throw Marines into the teeth of prepared positions. Halsey idolized him, Kenney almost worshipped him, and Nimitz believed that MacArthur's South Pacific drive should have been the main drive. Roosvelt and King favored a "Naval Revenge for Pearl Harbor" strategy though, no matter what the cost in lives.

The only thing MacArthur feared was loss of honor. When Roosevelt and Marshall lied to him that "relief was on its way" and he told that to his men, that was, in his mind, a loss of honor. He couldn't face them. His fighting retreat to Bataan, that actually destroyed the first invading Japanese army, was a classic though and is still studied at West Point. The only bad thing MacArthur had was 60 years of bad post-war press, because he was a staunch anti-communist and stood up to Roosevelt and Truman. There are MacArthur Parks and MacArthur Blvds across America though. Not so much Truman. He was America's hero in the 40s and 50s. He was Elvis's hero! Incidentally, MacArthur's older brother Arthur, who died young, was one of the founders of the "Silent Service." True!

Just sayin.

Thanks.

06-09-23, 09:23 PM	#3
D-Jones Gunner Join Date: Jan 2023 Posts: 100 Downloads: 150 Uploads: 0	I have to chase down who I'm trying to save? Let the Japs have them. Let them eat rice. Yup. MacArthur, his wife and 4 y/o son escaped by PT boat after being ORDERED off repeatedly by Roosevelt. MacArthur compared it to being in a cement mixer for days. The only one who didn't get sick as a dog was his wife Jean, who was an amazing woman. I saw her in a picture with Mick Jagger! It's one of the true ironies of the war that MacArthur, a man who was almost pathologically brave, got the moniker of "Dugout Doug." Here's a man who, as a 20 something Lieutenant in the Philippines, shot down two armed Filippino bandits who ambushed him, 5 Mexican bandits single handed in Veracruz--The Wild Bunch style--a man who, as a Brigadier general in WW1, led trench raids with nothing but his "scrambled eggs" hat, raccoon coat and a riding crop, was given a watch by his men with the inscription "Bravest of the Brave", was the most decorated American soldier of WW1, was nominated for 2 Congressional Medals of Honor that were turned down by Pershing because he didn't want to show nepotism having served under MacArthur's father, and was known throughout the AEF as "the Fighting Dude." Patton, no slouch himself, wrote home to his wife that MacArthur was the bravest man he ever met. Churchill always referred to him as "that Magnificent General", Lidell Hart said that he was the greatest general of WW2 (and he was), the Japanese said that they didn't know how to stop him and feared him the most--the most territory captured at the least cost in lives. His axiom was "Hit em where they ain't", as King's Pacific strategy was to throw Marines into the teeth of prepared positions. Halsey idolized him, Kenney almost worshipped him, and Nimitz believed that MacArthur's South Pacific drive should have been the main drive. Roosvelt and King favored a "Naval Revenge for Pearl Harbor" strategy though, no matter what the cost in lives. The only thing MacArthur feared was loss of honor. When Roosevelt and Marshall lied to him that "relief was on its way" and he told that to his men, that was, in his mind, a loss of honor. He couldn't face them. His fighting retreat to Bataan, that actually destroyed the first invading Japanese army, was a classic though and is still studied at West Point. The only bad thing MacArthur had was 60 years of bad post-war press, because he was a staunch anti-communist and stood up to Roosevelt and Truman. There are MacArthur Parks and MacArthur Blvds across America though. Not so much Truman. He was America's hero in the 40s and 50s. He was Elvis's hero! Incidentally, MacArthur's older brother Arthur, who died young, was one of the founders of the "Silent Service." True! Just sayin. Thanks.