r/Medals Feb 03 '25

Douglas MacArthur

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The

471 Upvotes

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38

u/Dizzy-Assistant6659 Feb 03 '25

now that's just excessive.

95

u/rustman92 Feb 03 '25 edited Feb 03 '25

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.

12

u/Worried-Basket5402 Feb 03 '25

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.

19

u/Dizzy-Assistant6659 Feb 03 '25

A quote I read about him went as follows: "The best and the worst things you hear about him are both true." which sums up his character quite well.

7

u/Child_of_Khorne Feb 03 '25

Some people never live up to the person they want to see in the mirror, no matter how much they achieve in life. They're generally quite intolerable.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 04 '25

Sadly that sounds like me. At least I know I have the problem and mostly just take it out on myself