With his flamboyant headgear, his sunglasses, and corn cob pipe, he looked like an actor playing the role of a great general. Douglas MacArthur was a brilliant, controversial, aloof, egotistical, imperious, courageous, highly intelligent five-star U.S. Army General. Strongly dedicated to country and duty, and gifted with superior command ability, MacArthur's military service included important command assignments in the both World Wars and the Korean War.
With the sudden outbreak of war in Korea, General MacArthur was given the title of Supreme Allied Commander of the American led UN force with the mission to push the North Korean Army back across the 38th Parallel. Within a few weeks he turned the situation around in Korea with a daring behind the lines invasion of the North Korean forces at Inchon and drove the routed communists north which eventually resulted in the Chinese entrance into the war.
MacArthur's months of public and private bickering with President Truman over strategy in Korea came to a head on April 11, 1951. Truman relieved MacArthur of his command. On his return to the U.S., General MacArthur recieved a tickertape parade grander than Eisenhower's after WW II. |
