Douglas MacArthur

"Age wrinkles the body. Quitting wrinkles the soul"(MacArthur). These famous words spoken by Douglas MacArthur symbolized his eternal drive to keep fighting. Douglas MacArthur, an American hero, was born on January 26, 1880 in Little Rock, Arkansas. He grew up to be the highest academic scorer in West Point and eventually became the most important military General in all of U.S. history. General Douglas MacArthur is a hero because of his bravery, dedication, and his sense of Patriotic duty. His incredible legacy will never be forgotten in the minds and hearts of millions of Americans.

General Douglas MacArthur was one of the bravest people known to American history. He was known as a military general who would hold his ground as long as possible. "In April 1942, MacArthur was appointed supreme commander of Allied forces in the Southwest Pacific and awarded the Medal of Honor for his defense of the Philippines"(History.com). His work in the Philippines during WWII showed a high level of leadership and bravery. In fact, he only waited upon President Roosevelt's orders to retreat. MacArthur also became advisor to Japan to oversee that they became a democracy. "For five years, General MacArthur held several positions-commander of the U.S. forces in the Pacific, commander of the Allied and then the United Nations forces, and military commander of Japan. He worked seven days a week long into the night to form a Japanese constitution and a form of government much like that of the United States." (GALE).  His sleepless nights working after the war in Japan showed bravery and confidence that he would help make Japan a successful democracy. He took in a country that were still recovering from  a sickness and he didn't stop until they were back on their feet. General Douglas MacArthur truly shows through his actions that he had an extreme amount of bravery on and off the battlefield.

General MacArthur's actions prove heroic because of the amount dedication he gave as a military man. He even claimed to have started as young as a little boy to prove his military worth. "I learned to ride and shoot even before I could read or write."(History.com). This shows that MacArthur, as a little boy was at his roots, dedicated to the military. Dedicating himself early to the military are just one of the few things that amounted him to a great military leader. MacArthur, although sometimes overconfident, nevertheless showed his devotion to the United States. "MacArthur was determined to hold the Philippines but the situation was hopeless, and he was ordered to withdraw to Australia to take command of Pacific operations. Reluctantly MacArthur agreed, and accompanied by his wife and child, he set out on a daring escape by PT boat. Dismayed by the bitter American defeat and by the apparent abandonment of the men at Bataan, he vowed upon arrival, "I came through and I shall return.""(GALE). Although somewhat arrogant that statement, he felt as if he had unfinished business with the armed forces. He disliked the fact that he had to abandon his prized men, and felt as if his commitment with leading American soldiers was left unsatisfied. By saying "I shall return", he meant that he had more to do as a military general. General Douglas MacArthur, did not fail to show his profuse commitment and dedication to his soldiers.

For Douglas MacArthur, there was never any lack of patriotic duty. He proved himself to the American people for many wars and even when he got discharged from the military for disagreements on the policy on the Korean war. "MacArthur's return to the United States was greeted by massive public expressions of support for the general and condemnations of the President. On April 19, 1951, he presented his case to a joint session of Congress, attracting a tremendous radio and television audience. His speech ended on a sentimental note that stirred millions of Americans, "I now close my military career and just fade away...."(GALE). Americans did truly recognize his allegiance and heroic actions as a military general when they greeted him back with parades and huge public expressions as a tribute to his greatness. He left a mark on the American people, and they recognized it. After he ended his career as a military general, he still spoke out against the effects of communism. "MacArthur soon became the chairman of the Remington Rand Corporation and led that company for several years. Meanwhile, he remained active as a speaker against Communism. MacArthur felt that Communism and democracy were at war and that in war there was no substitute for victory. Not finishing the dispute in Korea, he felt, would lead other nations to feel that the United States was weak and would result in other conflicts. He would soon prove to be correct, when U.S. forces battled Communist forces in Vietnam".  MacArthur never really failed to recognize his patriotic duty as an American. He continued to speak his mind, and he never let people who disagreed with him get in the way. General Douglas MacArthur always had patriotic duty in his heart, and carried it throughout all his life.

General Douglas MacArthur is a hero because of his bravery, dedication, and his sense of Patriotic duty, because of his work as a general and military adviser in WWI, WWII, and the Korean War. His success as a military general was just evidence of his bravery and dedication. His patriotic duty was seen in the eyes of millions of Americans with words of strong sentimental value. General Douglas MacArthur was an amazing military leader and strategist, and his legacy will never be forgotten.

Works CIted

Biography.com Editors. "Douglas MacArthur." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 04 Feb.          2016.

History.com Staff. "Douglas MacArthur." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 04 Feb. 2016.

"Douglas MacArthur." UXL Biographies. Detroit: UXL, 2003. Student Resources in Context. Web. 4 Feb. 2016.

   "Douglas MacArthur." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Biography in Context. Web. 4 Feb. 2016.