24. MacArthur’s speaking appearances undermined his Presidential ambitions
MacArthur toured the country making speeches and giving interviews. As 1951 eased into 1952 the crowds he attracted diminished in size. He was noted for attacking the President personally, and for embellishing his own record. More and more veterans of World War II and Korea questioned his penchant for self-praise at their expense. His appeal to the public followed his own prediction – it faded away. At the 1952 Republican Convention he was a non-factor. The nomination went to Eisenhower, who had no role for MacArthur in his administration after winning the election by a landslide. Nonetheless Ike consulted MacArthur while President, as did Kennedy and Johnson.
MacArthur died on April 5, 1964, and was buried at Norfolk, Virginia, after lying in state in the US Capitol Rotunda. Since his death his military reputation has risen and fallen with succeeding generations. He was considered vain, pompous, and overbearing by some, brilliant and innovative by others. He was best summed up by Australian Field Marshal Sir Thomas Blamey, who worked closely with him in the Pacific during World War II. When asked about MacArthur by a writer, Blamey said, “The best and the worst things you hear about him are both true”.
Where do we find this stuff? Here are our sources:
“Reminiscences of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur”. Douglas MacArthur. 2010
“A Brief History of West Point”. Article, United States Military Academy West Point. Online
“Meet Douglas MacArthur: America’s Olympic General”. Craig Bohnert, Team USA Online. July 4, 2016
“Chief of Staff”. A. J. Liebling, The New Yorker. October 19, 1940
“Caught on the Ground”. John T. Correll, Air Force Magazine. December, 2007
“MacArthur and Defeat in the Philippines”. Richard Connaughton. 2001
“Leyte: The Return to the Philippines”. M. Hanlin Cannon. 1996