Behind the Myth: General Douglas MacArthur
Was General Douglas MacArthur worthy of worship?
Whether deservedly or not, the U.S. Army General has received a lot of it. General MacArthur first became famous in the States when the Japanese army trapped him and his men on the Philippine Islands almost immediately after the US entered World War II. American readers found reports of his resistance dramatic and inspiring.
Pictures of him did not hurt either. His image was a gift to photographers – those sunglasses, the hat, that pipe! He also possessed a gift for speech. When the general said “I shall return!” after relinquishing the Philippines to Japan, he spoke words that American schoolchildren still learn today.
Yet his finest moment came during the Korean War, making him a legend not only in his country but in Korea as well. On September 15, 1950, an almost victorious North Korean army possessed most of Korea; South Korea and its allies held only the southeastern corner of the peninsula. The general entered the war behind North Korea’s lines by landing on Incheon’s coast (despite 9-meter tides) and changed everything.
Americans have honored MacArthur by giving his name to schools, roads and even one now-forgotten dance step. In South Korea, he has received even greater compliments. During the 1970s, some of Korea’s remaining mudang (female shamans) began worshipping the great “General Megado.” To signify their possession by his spirit, the women wore sunglasses and smoked pipes.
But time has allowed more perspective, and some historians now believe a sizable part of the general’s reputation came from his skill at propaganda. The legend of the general’s heroism on the Philippine Islands is a prime example. Yes, his soldiers fought a superior Japanese army for four months, but they were expected to fight for six. MacArthur may have actually hurt the islands’ defense by not following the U.S. Army’s prepared strategy.
Not all Americans believed MacArthur’s good press at the time, either. The general’s own men gave him the insulting nickname “Dug-out Doug” and sang songs about hating him, with lyrics like “Glory, glory, it ain’t for him we die / May our bare bones refute his lies.” Like Admiral Yi Sun Shin, MacArthur also disrespected his superiors and sometimes took credit he did not deserve, angering other generals and two presidents. In fact it was MacArthur’s disrespect – to President Truman, seven months into the Korean War – that finally ended his career.
However, Truman also noted afterward that MacArthur’s “place in history as one of our greatest commanders is fully established,” and it is still hard to disagree. What about his famous “island-hopping” strategy? What about how he helped to shape Japan into a democracy during peacetime? Ultimately, perhaps judging his full worth is impossible. Men like MacArthur are complicated. Only their myths are simple.
Good article but although time can grant a better perspective a lack of life experience can cloud our perceptions of history. I agree with the notion that no man should be worshipped (and that should include not only American generals but overrated presidents as well.)
It is the destiny of smaller men to spend their days trying to tarnish the character of greater men, and I don’t want to be a part of that group. So although MacArthur had many faults common to men with power, hubris being one of them, his landing at Inchon unfortunately was the kind of ballsy move that can’t be understood or appreciated by those whose life and career now benefit from it. I won’t ‘worship’ MacArthur, thats an action to be given to God alone, but I will respect him.
Thankfully, Truman pulled the plug at the right time, but some would have argued that Korean unification would be a reality today had MacArthur been turned loose on the Chinese. Maybe. Maybe not. But In terms of generals who fought in Korea, I think General Matthew Ridgeway deserves some attention, not that he would have wanted it or asked for it, but he does deserve recognition and respect and so does MacArthur.