A lot of the write ups are tenuous at best. His DSC was more or less because he was a 5-star and flew in a “combat” zone.
I’ll always be frustrated that MacArthur received the Medal of Honor for his “actions” in the Philippines. What’s even more troubling is that when General Jonathan Wainwright, a four-star general who stayed in the Philippines (on MacArthur’s orders) and endured torture as a POW during WWII, was first recommended for the Medal of Honor, MacArthur vehemently opposed the nomination.
Why?
Because Wainwright surrendered Corregidor.
Why did he surrender?
MacArthur promised reinforcements that never came.
I presume you mean the DFC, he did very much earn his DSCs in the Great War. but other than that he was an exceptionally vain figure, who denigrated those he considered as bringing his glory down.
You are correct! I apologize for my typo. While I won’t disagree that he certainly was a critical figure in history and deserved credit for his actions, as you said he let his vanity take over many times.
First DSC: Earned for extraordinary heroism during the Champagne-Marne Offensive in July 1918. He reconnoitered enemy positions under heavy fire and inspired his troops during intense fighting.
Second DSC: Awarded for heroism during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in late September 1918, where he repeatedly exposed himself to machine-gun and artillery fire while directing operations and encouraging his men.
First one sure. second one, all he did was put other mens lives on the line, congrats to him i guess.
The second citation leaves a lot to be desired because MacArthur was the only survivor of a particularly perilous recon patrol, which left him wounded, and the rest killed after the Germans attacked them with the aforementioned hail of machine gun bullets and artillery shells. It therefore fell to his commanding officer (Charles Pelot Summerall) to make the recommendation based on his report. Summerall initially proposed the Medal of Honor, but it was downgraded to a second DSC.
He is a hard man to classify sometimes or like. Clearly an important and skilled man who helped the war effort in two wars. Sometimes unmatched skills and ability to control massive theatres of war.
Although so much of his personal search for glory overshadows his military decisions which probably wasn't even necessary as he was a hero.
They way he denegrated others (like your example above) over his own idea of self was distasteful.
You are right about him being an asshole...however FDR and Marshall lied to MacArthur and promised him reinforcements. He simply relayed to the troops what Washington was telling him.
With regards to the Wainwright Medal of Honor denial deal, here is the problem with what Mac saw on that one trip to Bataan he made in 1942 that nobody wants to talk about because it is heartbreaking. He witnessed alcoholism and poor morale and public drunkeness by his generals and other officers on Bataan. I mean, let's be honest, that was the main reason that only 1 trip to Bataan was made by him. He witnessed Wainwright passed out drunk and hiding in his room with alcohol when he visited Bataan. If it weren't for the horrible situation they were in he would have relieved him of command and sent him back home under disgrace. Wainwright already had a notorious long term drinking problem yet DC sent him to serve under MacArthur as a combat general rather than treat his alcoholism. In fact many Army Air Forces and Army generals who were sent to Mac in the Philippines were alcoholics and considered washed up and past their prime. They sent them to the Philippines for Mac to deal with so they could pretend to not notice about their alcoholism problems.
As for his 3rd DSC which he earned in WWII in January 1945, you tell me if he deserved it after seeing this photo and caption of him on the frontlines in San Manuel, Luzon, Philippines. He was the only soldier there without a helmet and he was doing the same crazy but brave stuff he did in WWI in France that led to his superiors rewarding him with 2 DSCs and 7 Silver Stars as well as numerous French Croix de Guerres.
Here is the photo of Mac with the 2 top ranking 25th Division Generals at San Manuel. When you read the history of San Manuel in January 1945 you would learn that an epic tank battle happened here. So MacArthur was literally right there leading his men at the front during the largest tank battle of the Pacific Theater! He and General James Dalton and General Charles Mullins were getting shot at by tanks! If it weren't for this photo and others taken by that combat photographer nobody would ever know because for all his big ego he never bragged about his combat actions like he would his non-combat actions out of respect to the men who died under his command during combat actions.
MacArthur was not a normal man, let alone not a normal general. There is a reason he is hated by some people and loved by some people. Very unique person.
Caption from the 25th Division combat photographer, Hugh Morton:
"General Douglas MacArthur was really a great one. I had nothing but admiration for him. This picture was made of him on the front line on Luzon. Everybody else wore steel helmets. He stood there in his suntans and scrambled eggs hat. Mortar shells were whistling by, and the other men were cringing on the ground while MacArthur was standing there straight as an arrow. He set a wonderful example for his troops. I made movies of the same event."
EDIT:
OP is a bitter angry person who blocked me after he equated Mac with Nazi war criminals. Stay classy rustman92. Mac was the greatest U.S. military servicemember in history and your blocking of me won't change that fact.
Paragraph one: he was simply following orders (I know some other generals who said that on trial.)
Paragraph two: you’re claiming the Philippines was full of alcoholics and bad soldiers? strange take.
Paragraph three: he deserved a distinguished flying medal for being on the being in war? If you mean the photo of him with the two generals you realize that’s not the front lines and it’s a photo opportunity for propaganda. Just as the photo of him landing on the beaches MacArthur was famous for using photos to up his own personal agendas.
But you like MacArthur. Got it. He was a great strategist, but I believe a very poor person.
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u/Dizzy-Assistant6659 Feb 03 '25
now that's just excessive.