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re: How do you rate General MacArthur as a combat leader?
Posted on 8/29/25 at 6:43 pm to cypresstiger
Posted on 8/29/25 at 6:43 pm to cypresstiger
Hie stuck with his policy of island hopping while ignoring the Navy's recommended policy of by passing the islands & heading directly to Japan. As a result, his policy resulted in the deaths of thousands of G.I.'s And was hated by many of those under him because of the deaths he caused. The pilot of his landing craft, from which the famous photo originated deliberately brought him into semi deep water, causing him to wade ashore in calf-high water. His post war governing of Japan earned him a lot of positivity but part of that is ignored. He either pardoned or did not pursue hundreds of Japan's war criminals ,many who were as evil as the worst of the Nazis' war criminals.
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Posted on 8/29/25 at 6:48 pm to weagle1999
I can't answer right now, but I shall return to the thread
Posted on 8/29/25 at 6:48 pm to weagle1999
I finished this book a few weeks ago.
MacArthur gets a lot of crap for the Philippines and Korea. Some of it is fair and some isn’t. Nothing could have been done to prevent the Philippines from falling to the Japanese. Military leaders knew this as early as 1904-5. MacArthur wasn’t given the necessary resources to properly defend the island. And he did a pretty shite job of it anyway. However, he was much more valuable to us as a General leading the Army than he would’ve been in a POW camp. He was one of the first to recognize how valuable land based air support would be and organically stumbled into a sort of island hopping campaign before it became the official strategy. As a commander, he knew what he was doing.
In Korea , he wanted to blow the bridges crossing the Yalu River, but Truman would not let him.
He also could be a massive dick. Like for no reason. And torpedoed officers careers if it looked like they might outshine him. He was obsessed with his family legacy and was also just kind of an oddball. But a genuine really intelligent person.
I think his legacy has rightly taken some hits over the last few decades. But he was still a very good commander.
MacArthur gets a lot of crap for the Philippines and Korea. Some of it is fair and some isn’t. Nothing could have been done to prevent the Philippines from falling to the Japanese. Military leaders knew this as early as 1904-5. MacArthur wasn’t given the necessary resources to properly defend the island. And he did a pretty shite job of it anyway. However, he was much more valuable to us as a General leading the Army than he would’ve been in a POW camp. He was one of the first to recognize how valuable land based air support would be and organically stumbled into a sort of island hopping campaign before it became the official strategy. As a commander, he knew what he was doing.
In Korea , he wanted to blow the bridges crossing the Yalu River, but Truman would not let him.
He also could be a massive dick. Like for no reason. And torpedoed officers careers if it looked like they might outshine him. He was obsessed with his family legacy and was also just kind of an oddball. But a genuine really intelligent person.
I think his legacy has rightly taken some hits over the last few decades. But he was still a very good commander.
This post was edited on 8/29/25 at 6:52 pm
Posted on 10/1/25 at 11:39 pm to weagle1999
Fun fact: Robert Taft sought the GOP presidential nomination for president in 1948 and 1952, losing to Eisenhower both times. He died of cancer in 1953. Had he won the presidency and died in office, his successor would have been his chosen running mate, Douglas MacArthur.
Posted on 10/1/25 at 11:52 pm to Jim Rockford
quote:Do you have a link for this? I know DM himself hoped to be drafted in '48
Robert Taft sought the GOP presidential nomination for president in 1948 and 1952, losing to Eisenhower both times. He died of cancer in 1953. Had he won the presidency and died in office, his successor would have been his chosen running mate, Douglas MacArthur.
Posted on 10/2/25 at 12:11 am to Kafka
I heard it in a poli sci lecture. I'm looking for a link. A lot of sources talk about the rumors. They were close friends and MacArthur gave the keynote speech at the 1952 convention. I haven't found any definite link, it's probably buried in some print archive. I guess we'll never know but it's an interesting alternate timeline if nothing else.
Posted on 10/2/25 at 12:43 am to sledgehammer
quote:
Interesting you mention that. I’m meeting Eugene Sledge’s son, Henry Sledge, on Sunday for a book signing.
What about Henry’s sister?
Posted on 10/2/25 at 6:26 am to weagle1999
As a combat leader his WWII exploits were probably enhanced by a pretty effective PR coterie that he had....much like Patton, except Patton's exploits were probably more extraordinary in reality. MacArthur landing at Inchon though is nothing short of genius and just plain remarkable as was his surge up the Korean peninsula.
Largely forgotten about MacArthur is the downright hatred of him by WWI vets for his actions in putting down the Bonus Army in 1932....tanks, bayonets....even some planes in dispersing them.
Largely forgotten about MacArthur is the downright hatred of him by WWI vets for his actions in putting down the Bonus Army in 1932....tanks, bayonets....even some planes in dispersing them.
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