After a perilous trip, General Douglas MacArthur finally landed in Australia, where he promised the Filipino people: “I came through, and I shall return.” This pledge would motivate him for the following two and a half years, and he vowed to uphold it.
Who was General Douglas MacArthur?
The son of Mary “Pinky” Hardy and Arthur MacArthur, Jr., Douglas MacArthur was born on January 26, 1880, in Little Rock, Arkansas. Army officer and Civil War Union hero Arthur MacArthur served in the Union Army. Her brothers served in the Civil War for the Confederacy, and “Pinky” was the daughter of a cotton trader from Norfolk, Virginia.
In March 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt commanded General MacArthur to depart the Philippines due to the military’s vulnerability and deteriorating position. MacArthur, one of the most admired warriors of his day, reluctantly left his troops and the location where he had made his home, but he did so following his commander-in-chief’s orders. He came out of retirement during World War II to serve as Supreme Commander of the Pacific Theater of Operations and General of the Army.
General MacArthur received a Medal of Honor. He served as Japan’s governor for three years following the war. Moreover, he reportedly accomplished a fantastic job and is still regarded highly there today. He showed respect for the Japanese people while introducing ideas of liberation, peaceful orientation, and an emphasis on economic prosperity. His leadership was measured, appropriate, and incredibly effective. He has accomplished much more in his life than I have space to mention here.
MacArthur had a remarkable public speaking ability. A military guy who is also an outstanding orator is uncommon. I am breaking down his two best talks. He is known for his “old soldiers never die” speech to Congress and his West Point “duty honor country” speech.
More of General Douglas MacArthur
Few people contest the intelligence of General Douglas MacArthur. He was the top graduate in his West Point class. From the United States and other nations, he received more than 100 military honors. He was awarded thrice the Distinguished Service Medal, the Distinguished Service Cross, and seven Silver Stars during the First World War.
Following his appointment to captain and the passing of his father on September 5, 1912, MacArthur took part in the Veracruz Expedition. Another officer recommended him for the Medal of Honor for his contributions to the trip. MacArthur assisted in creating a new division, the 42d “Rainbow” Division, upon his appointment to major. As the 42d’s chief of staff, MacArthur was sent to France when the United States entered World War I. During World War I, MacArthur gained notoriety as a skilled and valiant field commander.
More than a War Hero: MacArthur
MacArthur ended up in Japan following the war. Children suffered the most due to both sides’ aggression, which had brought the country dangerously close to hunger. A large proportion of youngsters were found to be undernourished in a countrywide study. Children had to miss meals because there was a lack of food.
MacArthur received the renowned Medal of Honor for his leadership of Allied forces in the Asia Pacific during World War II. However, his bravery did not stop with World War II, nor was it displayed during combat.
As things deteriorated, MacArthur imposed a comprehensive child-feeding program for Japan, including school lunches. In 1947, the United States started rolling out the child-feeding program throughout the country in conjunction with the Japanese government. Children impacted by the crisis were first served by the program in bigger cities, and by 1951, it had been made available countrywide. By the end, 7 million kids in need had access to wholesome school lunches.
Duty, Honor, and Country
In order to keep his listeners aware of the speech’s overall meaning, MacArthur repeats the words “Duty, Honor, Country” several times. Like “I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King Jr., this statement aids in message retention among the audience. Repeating crucial points is especially useful since people have trouble recalling information they hear only once. The building elements of the tale, or themes, are a kind of shortcut. Both literature and music have themes. Moreover, speeches have topics.
There is no video of his address, but picture a large room filled with cadets and retired soldiers wearing shining medals, badges, and honors affixed to their uniforms. The place could smell like old wood. According to Aristotle, ethical appeal, also known as ethos (Credibility), is essential to persuasion. People we admire and see as authorities on a subject have a higher tendency to be believed. Everyone in the audience knew MacArthur had that in spades.
MacArthur gave his best speech in this one. It was his goodbye to the West Point officer corps in their revered halls. The General was given the Sylvanus Thayer Award on May 12, 1962.
General Douglas MacArthur: Return to the Philippines
After the horrific defeats the U.S. suffered, it was a moment of redemption. Two years prior, the Army and Gen. MacArthur had struggled. Gen. MacArthur’s forces in the Philippines were unprepared on December 8 when the Japanese Air Force struck, despite the early warning given when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. The majority of the American airplanes at Clark Field were still on the ground when they were roughly 50% destroyed. By January, the situation seemed hopeless when the Japanese drove the Allied soldiers onto the Bataan Peninsula. General MacArthur had to relocate his administrative center to the island stronghold of Corregidor. President Roosevelt ordered the General to depart for his safety as the situation worsened. The General was compelled to flee at night and migrate to Australia with his family and closest associates. Gen. MacArthur delivered his infamous statement upon his arrival in Australia:
The fight to liberate the Philippines was a bloody and brutal struggle against an enemy who fought with fanatical tenacity, showed a fierce willingness to die for their emperor rather than surrender, and committed unspeakable murder and violence against the Filipino people. The atrocities of the war had to be faced even when it was at its worst. His men showed themselves brave knights loyal to that cause, capturing most of the Philippines by the spring of 1945. MacArthur believed that democracy must be protected by “destroying evil forces that have sought to suppress it by the brutality of the sword.”
Douglas MacArthur’s Return
Once he had arrived at the shore, General Douglas MacArthur made the announcements that so many people had been waiting to hear in a prepared address. People of the Philippines: I have returned! MacArthur exclaimed to people consigned to a life of torment under a barbaric Japanese occupation. Our soldiers are once more standing on Philippine territory, which has been hallowed by the blood of our two peoples, thanks to the favor of Almighty God. We have come to eradicate all traces of enemy rule over your everyday life and restore your people’s rights on a rock-solid foundation of unbreakable strength.
The Allies eventually triumphed in the Second World War because General MacArthur dared to return, and so many others heroically performed their duties, even though Japanese resistance would persist on the islands until the end of the war later that August.
