Known as the ‘American Caesar,’ General Douglas MacArthur is among the few iconic US Generals who are remembered in golden words in US military history. General MacArthur rose as a five-star general, and he was caught up in his myth to such an extent that he considered himself to be above the Constitution. This ultimately forced President of the United States to remove him from his position.
We have compiled a list of 11 unbelievable facts of this US military general for our readers.
Douglas MacArthur: 11 surprising facts of this mighty general
1. His parents held opposite viewpoint during the US civil war
MacArthur’s father, Douglas Junior, was a Union general; meanwhile, his Mother, Mary Pinkney Hardy, belonged to a reputable and prominent Confederate family, an interesting fact about Douglas MacArthur. At the time, when his parents entered into wedlock, two brothers of Mary Pinkney Hardy refused to attend the wedding because Douglas Junior belonged to a different class.
2. He and his father were recipients of distinguished Medal of Honor
Douglas Junior was awarded Medal of Honor for his remarkable services and gallantry during the Missionary Ridge Battle in the year 1863. Later, his son, General Douglas MacArthur, was bestowed with the Medal of Honor by US President Roosevelt way back in the year 1942 for his services for protecting the Philippines.
3. MacArthur’s Mother used to live at a hotel when he was a cadet
When the general was a cadet, his Mother used to live in a hotel near the training campus. His mother wanted him to be great like his father or Robert E. Lee. So, she stayed near his campus to make sure he performed well, an interesting Douglas MacArthur fact. This strategy worked, and MacArthur was amongst the shining cadets of the school. A group of cadets from 1884 and Robert E. Lee, himself, verified his outstanding performance during the training session.
4. The general had a brief brawl at the White House with his Commander-in-Chief
General MacArthur had a brief brawl with his Commander-in-Chief at the White House during the military budget discussion in the year 1934. At one point, he became so angry that he told his military boss that I shouldn’t be held responsible in case the US military loses any war. According to him, the then US President, Roosevelt, should be held accountable for it. He was upset to such a degree that he puked on the staircase of the White House. He tried to tender his resignation as well, but President Roosevelt did not approve it.
5. MacArthur wanted to become the president
For the first time, MacArthur contested the elections and won Illinois Primary in 1944. At that time, he was an on-duty military serviceman and challenged later in 1948 for the second time but lost the primary in Wisconsin. It was in 1952 when he contested for the last time, but the Republicans’ contestant Dwight D. Eisenhower was more popular among the people.
6. He stayed abroad after World War II
After World War II, the US government deployed MacArthur to review Japan’s position in the aftermath of the war. MacArthur witnessed that Japan was intact and progressing ahead. The same was the case when he was commanding the Korean war. Due to the above reasons, he stayed abroad and didn’t return to the US from 1945 till 1951.
7. Truman fired MacArthur
General MacArthur was hesitant to execute President Truman’s plan to bring the Korean war to an end. Instead, he launched a campaign in the US Congress to allow him complete command over North Korea. This prompted Truman, and after analyzing the situation, he sacked the general, an unfortunate fact about Douglas MacArthur. This brought an end to his control, but he was very popular among the troops and the nation.
8. He was the one to define his own unique look
The unique look of the general comprising his cigar pipe, attire and sunglasses was cultivated by the general himself. Missouri Meerschaum was the manufacturer of the pipe used by the general. At the same time, Ray-Ban, the company which produced the sunglasses, named a production line after the general’s name way back in 1987.
9. The general was President of the American Olympic Committee
American Olympic Committee appointed General MacArthur as president of the committee when the incumbent president died in the year 1927. The reason behind inducting MacArthur as the committee’s president was to prepare the US Olympic team for Summer Olympics scheduled to be held in 1928 in Amsterdam. The general prepared team of amateur athletics for the Olympics in a way as a general was leading his soldiers in the war field.
During a boxing match, the manager of the boxing team withdrew his boxers against a wrong decision. General ordered the boxers to go into the ring and shouted, “American boxers, no need to quit!” When the Olympics ended, the US team struck seven world records and won many gold medals.
10. MacArthur was behind the idea to establish Civilian Conservation Corps
In March 1933, the US Congress allowed the establishment of the Civilian Conservation Corps, and then President Franklin D. Roosevelt wanted to recruit as much as 250,000 cadets by July 1. It was considered to be a gigantic task to mobilize this number of cadets for recruitment. MacArthur was given this task because it was a common perception that a soldier could implement it. The general has successfully achieved the goal and recruited 300,000 cadets within the deadline, an interesting fact about Douglas MacArthur.
11. National Football Foundation awards a trophy in his honor
General MacArthur is among the founders of the National Football Foundation. Since 1959, the academy awards the MacArthur Bowl, a trophy named in the general’s honor, to the best performing football team at the college level. The trophy weighs 25 pounds, and it is inscribed with the following words by MacArthur: “There is no substitute for success.”
Conclusion
So, these were some interesting facts of this high and mighty general of his time. He was a great man and a humble human being. Despite being attacked, he always possessed something good and positive in his head for the country after achieving a significant role in politics. Despite his wrongdoings on various occasions, General MacArthur was indeed an American hero.
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