His paternal grandfather was a lieutenant governor (and briefly governor) of Wisconsin and a federal judge. His brother, Arthur II, was a navy captain whose career was marked by outstanding service in the Spanish-American War (1898) and World War I. Military backgroundĭouglas MacArthur was the third son in his family. By the time he retired in 1909, Lieutenant General Arthur MacArthur had become commander of the U.S. He then became military governor of the Philippines. In 1898, as a brigadier general, Arthur MacArthur led troops as they shattered Filipino resistance to the American takeover of the Philippines. He was the son of a very distinguished military leader, Arthur MacArthur, who had won the Congres sional Medal of Honor during the Civil War (1860–65). A general's sonĭouglas MacArthur was born on January 26, 1880, in Little Rock, Arkansas. Some of his admirers remember him as a strong and appealing military hero, while others remember him for his arrogance and disdain for the chain of command. Yet, despite his near perfect American hero image, MacArthur became the most controversial military figure of the Korean War and was relieved of his command. With his corncob pipe and sunglasses and his well-kept uniforms, he cut a very impressive figure, and the press kept busy photographing him walking fearlessly in the face of flying bullets. His military accomplishments from World War I (1914–18) and II (1939–45) and on through the Korean War (1950–53) were numerous and significant, and his courage in the face of grave danger became a matter of legend.

He was described as 'larger than life' by many, with a remarkable gift for making compelling speeches and bringing drama and high passion to battlefields and military command offices world wide. Most people who came into contact with General Douglas MacArthur during his long career as a military commander were taken aback by the power of his personality.

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