Douglas Macarthur Accomplishments

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Douglas MacArthur was born in Little Rock, Arkansas on January 26, 1880 to Arthur MacArthur and Mary Pinkney Hardy MacArthur. He was the youngest of three brothers and born into a family with a vast history of military experience. His father was also a well-known general for the army and his mother's brothers fought for the South in the Civil War. MacArthur's didn't begin to excel in school until entering military school at West Point in New York. He graduated in 1903 first in his class with the highest average at the academy in 25 years. MacArthur died on April 5, 1964. General MacArthur fought in both World War I and World War II, but is known for his command of Allied forces in the Pacific during World War II. His first military assignment …show more content…

He commanded the Southwest Pacific during WW II (1939-1945). He was a talented and outspoken general that was successful during WW II and led United Nation forces into the Korean War. After fighting during World War I, MacArthur returned to liberate the Philippines from the Japanese in 1944. With the attack on Pearl Harbor MacArthur was ordered to help the Philippines and defend the islands from the Japanese. He failed at this first mission which made him more determined to defeat the Japanese. MacArthur drafted an impressive strategic plan and by 1943 America was able to attack the Japanese. In 1945, he led the American soldiers into their first strike against the Japanese at the Island at Iwo Jima. He went to each island and by spring of 1945 he had recaptured most of the Pacific. "After winning a decision to invade the Philippines next rather than Formosa, MacArthur attacked Morotai, Leyte, and Mindoro in autumn 1944." The Luzon Campaign was his most costly battle. After the battle of Iwo Jima and Okinawa he launched bombing raids on Japan. Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed by atomic bombs. With the growing conflict in Asia in 1941, President Roosevelt recalled Douglas MacArthur back into active duty in the US Army as a Lieutenant General. First, he was ordered to command the allied forces in Australia. Roosevelt federalized the Philippines army and had MacArthur to lead them into the pacific. He led an offensive attack in New Guinea and drove the Japanese out of Papua. At this same time Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. The Japanese forces were able to defeat MacArthur's troops in the Philippines, showing how strong the Japanese military