THE STORY OF GENERAL DOUGLAS MACARTHUR

[Music] ladies and gentlemen mr. Walter Matthau seldom in history has one man captured so completely the heart the mind and the imagination of a people as did General of the army Douglass magatha in a military career that spanned more than half a century he fought hard in the cause of freedom and justice he was one of the most resourceful field commanders of his era a brilliant chief of staff and a military governor whose wisdom and fairness have set new standards for military statesmanship his campaigns in the Pacific will serve as models of strategy for generations of soldiers still unborn his greatness as a strategist can be explained in one sentence he attained his objective quickly decisively and with minimum American losses the drama and excitement of his brilliant career was expressed in an a historic speech he made before a joint session of Congress mr. Walter Cronkite a noted commentator now brings you the MacArthur story I am closing my 52 years of military service when I joined the army even before the turn of the century it was the fulfillment hello my boyish hopes dreams the world has turned over many times since I took the oath on the plane at West Point indeed much has happened to the world since Douglas MacArthur took the oath at West Point and in the wars and the periods of peace since he is often been a central and dramatic figure the beginning of an extraordinary career young Douglas with his father General Arthur MacArthur boy Colonel in the Civil War and veteran of the Philippine campaign in the spanish-american war one day when the Sun was 13 years old his father is said to have remarked I think there is the material of a soldier in that boy a truth that was soon made clear entering West Point he showed extraordinary brilliance in his studies attaining an average that was the highest in a quarter of a century he won the coveted a in athletics as well 25 years later he was to lead the American team in the world Olympic Games meanwhile the campaign in the Philippines was being brought to a successful completion under his father's able leadership the son was eager to visit these battlefields and after West Point his first assignment was to survey areas of these islands one of these was the Bataan Peninsula where he was to fight many years later in a desperate but heroic struggle [Music] during the following years the tender MacArthur had opportunities to study the entire Far Eastern Area gaining an insight into the attitudes and feelings of people's hardly known by the West [Music] at the beginning of World War one the plan was to use only regular army divisions to oppose the powerful German army meanwhile outside these divisions America had many trained and able men a proposal for a new division of National Guard units from as many states as possible was vigorously advocated by a major Douglas MacArthur said he it will spread over the whole country like a rainbow the idea for the rainbow division xlii was his and he worked constantly to see that the division was well-trained and equipped for the raging battle that awaited it in practice the rainbow division moved up to the front it's full readiness through the efforts of Colonel MacArthur and the divisions chief of staff was to prove fortunate indeed it was during this period too that an impressive battlefield tactician began to prove himself and to foreshadow a great military future [Music] soon known for brilliant decisions on the battlefield Colonel MacArthur was also to gain a reputation as a man who faced danger completely unafraid or long he was in command at the rainbow division the youngest American division commander in the war twice wounded twice gassed he won more awards for valor that has ever been awarded to an American soldier it was a claim by the Secretary of War in general Pershing's as the greatest frontline general of the war returning to West Point he became the youngest superintendent the Academy had ever had here he brought in the curriculum to include a full college education introduced a now widely followed program of intramural athletics today here he is assembled and an inspiration in 1930 MacArthur was appointed chief of staff with the rank of full General during his term of office much of his time was spent in building an army that had been pared down to only 60,000 combat soldiers a most difficult effort when an attitude of pacifism dominated the nation in keeping with his principle of examining the military situation at close range he toured Europe to observe the forces of other nations in France he was recognized once more for his outstanding military contribution to the Allied cause in Germany he foresaw the build-up for war back home we begged his country in Congress to realize that the United States was in danger as chief of staff before saw the need for a new type of army mechanized mobile and insisted that our Defense Force become capable of rapid expansion recognizing his abilities President Roosevelt broke precedent by reappointing the youngest chief of staff we have ever had to a second term in the 20s MacArthur had served in the Philippines and in the 30s he was asked to return as their military advisor a deep mutual regard between the Filipinos and MacArthur grew during this period it was the basis for a gallant defense that was to come [Music] in 1935 he began a ten-year plan to build up the defense of the Philippines in World War two it was to be these forces that MacArthur would lead in a desperate fight and on this ground [Music] but now the leader at 57 having served in the United States Army for 34 years decided to retire four years later it was as though his military career were just beginning [Music] few months before the attack upon Pearl Harbor MacArthur had been recalled to active service in the Philippines on the day after Pearl Harbor the Philippines - were under attack defense here was pitifully hampered by lack of men and planes with his knowledge of past campaigns particularly those of his father in this very area MacArthur withdrew his meager forces into the mountains of the Bataan Peninsula [Music] from the rocky fortress of Corregidor he directed an operation as crucial as any in the war this early campaign in the Philippines the heroic fighting by a lonely army of Filipinos and Americans for almost half a year caused a critical delay in the Japanese timetable of attack [Music] back at home the leader of the first desperate ground fighting became a symbol to a nation just beginning to gird itself for all-out war the people found in him what they were beginning to discover in themselves a spirit of intense determination suddenly MacArthur was ordered by President Roosevelt to regarded him as our greatest general to leave to carry on the fight from Australia leaving the Philippines hurt him deeply as always he wished to be at the front beside his comrades when finally they were forced into the infamous Mart's of death on Bataan his promise to them was I shall return they believed him implicitly until his arrival in Australia the plan had been to await the Japanese attack and prepare as well as possible then it became apparent that the new southwest Pacific commander had another plan he had meant exactly I shall return he was determined to carry the war to the enemy to New Guinea which was the direct route back to the Philippines a long struggle lay ahead against huge numbers on countless islands there seemed to be but one way blast the enemy from every one of his island positions in the Pacific [Music] victories came but they were cost was there some other way knowing the area knowing the enemy utilizing all our air and naval skill the commander developed his plan to capture only a few key positions on the way to the Philippine now against these key positions the pattern of attack first have a preparatory fire to soften up the objective [Music] [Music] next the landing [Music] these were varied unpredictable in each case the selection was dictated by strategy rather than by sympathetic terrain [Music] many beaches some were ideal hardly more than a matter of getting one speed west meanwhile the gain was tremendous the enemy never having expected us to come ashore here there were other Shores many of them wicked [Music] sometimes the attack was in frail crab sitting ducks for the enemy if surprise had not been accomplished [Music] another Beach amphibious tractors continually the envelopment the flank attack decisions difficult ones old LeMay based upon unique knowledge and experience in addition a mastery by MacArthur of combined operations of the three armed the key to modern warfare leaders and men shared the glow of victory pulses on the Allied side were relatively small since damaging frontal assaults were avoided but thousands of Japanese prepared to fight to the death were rarely given this opportunity although many were captured thousands more were isolated their supply and communication lines destroyed in the words of the strategist who conceived and carried out the plan the main body of the enemy was left to wither on the vine to the outside world too many who saw the newsreels the progress being made by the general was admired and applauded but to those who understood MacArthur they saw beneath every move his determination to return to the Philippines this to him was a moral obligation these islands a second home and a place where he had left his comrades were to be the springboard for ultimate victory over Japan invasions in the southwest Pacific continued to the commander these hard-fought step zigzagging along the coast of New Guinea were preliminaries necessary was finally having gained the north western end of the island with thousands of the enemy bypassed there was no question in his mind as to the next objective what the president the commander-in-chief was not so sure in a meeting at Hawaii in 1944 where do we go from here Douglas shall it be Formosa or the Philippines in the discussion with Admiral Nimitz and the president there were many urgent military reasons for the choice presented and one less tangible reason for going into the Philippines presented by MacArthur on moral grounds we had to return to support the Filipinos our allies and friends the decision was made lady gulp 41 years before as a newly commissioned engineered a tenant MacArthur had made a survey of this area its potentiality and needs in case of war now two miles off the starboard was lady again [Music] [Music] once more the enemy had not been ready for an attack the commander watched with growing gratification [Music] with the help of guerrilla intelligence and sabotage Americans held the beachhead encircling and surprising the enemy now on the beaches of Lady a seemingly limitless supply of LS T's men and equipment the result of carefully laid plans [Applause] directing the attack the general seemed to be everywhere it was every day at some point in the front lines his men would spot the familiar faded field marshals cap the outside corn cob landings at lazy and Lingayen Gulf finally brought troops on the final difficult leg of the journey on the road to Manila where the going became more difficult as the enemy threw in huge numbers of reinforcements in an all-out effort to halt the study advance there was no timetable now in MacArthur's mind only that he must get to Manila without delay to rescue prisoners from the reported increasing savagery of the Japanese guards [Music] in Manila the fighting was blocked by bloc troops found what the leader had told them to expect the enemy and dug in for a long seat [Music] - the general this was the return this was the climax of the mission to which he was so deeply dedicated and now Corregidor [Music] stronghold which early in the war had been so effective a fortress for withstanding attack was now is finally while civilians celebrated joyfully at one end of the city and the enemies still fought bitterly at the other MacArthur entered Manila [Music] he had kept the soldiers faith probably his greatest reward was the visit to prison camps Santo Tomas believe it cabana 2 on those bungees a series of daring surprise raids and rescued every prisoner held by the Japanese [Music] and a little late he said but we finally came [Music] once more Corregidor and the Philippines were under an American play then suddenly and swiftly the war against Japan was brought to a close as the principal architect of the Pacific victory credited by the chief of Britain's wartime Imperial General Staff as the greatest general of the war regard there was the natural choice a supreme commander to enforce the surrender turn aboard the battleship Missouri an awesome ceremony was to take place one which reflected the deep awareness of a great soldier is understanding of war and peace and the historic moment that this was his my earnest hope and indeed the hope of all mankind that from this solemn occasion a better world shall emerge out of the blood and carnage of the past a world founded upon faith and understanding a world dedicated to the dignity of man and the fulfillment of his most cherished wish for freedom tolerance and justice let us pray that peace be now restored to the world and that God will preserve it always these proceedings are closed now began one of the strangest occupations of any land by any Conqueror and idealist with firm convictions on the way democracy can be presented to Eastern People's MacArthur determined to guide the Japanese through a complete social revolution while the Emperor with his deep hold upon the people was retained almost every other institution became affected by what was entirely new to the Japanese Western democracy the ideas caught on under the shore leadership of MacArthur there was the enactment of a constitution and universal suffrage [Music] the national diet highest organ of state power became responsible to the people monopolies were broken up land reform was instituted which transformed tenants into owners these rural capitalists became a strong bulwark against communism in Japan the social reforms urged by McArthur proved one of the most successful experiments of history [Music] an implacable enemy became a friend [Music] during the occupation the people took him to their harvests and his family as well his wife she who had been beside her husband at Corregidor and their young son partner the work of reform was going ahead when suddenly [Music] a huge military force went down from North Korea across the 38th parallel and bulls of Americans serving as occupation troops in Japan were flown into South Korea in a rapid show of strength aimed at showing greater resources than actually were at hand [Music] the strategy worked the North Koreans ran into resistance bogged down waiting for more troops and artillery while reinforcements poured into South Korea to turn the tide of battle [Music] during the ensuing months general McArthur guided the war as commander-in-chief of United Nations forces in Korea again he studied the fighting at close range to man in his seventies visiting battlefields as dauntless Lee as he had many years before when a young officer in front son came the daring amphibious attack at inshaa behind the enemy's lines on ashore that others had declared too risky the landing was a complete surprise and success the north korean army was demoralized the victory has become recognized as a masterpiece of strategy Seoul returned to its rightful inhabitants there had been a long line of cities and towns returned under MacArthur's leadership it was at this time that President Truman cited MacArthur for his vision his judgment his indomitable will is unshakable thing [Music] the Korean War continued northward the orders were the destruction of the North Koreans Armed Forces then the Chinese Communist entered the conflict posing new questions in Washington not only military but political while carrying out what he considered to be his duty as supreme commander the pursuit of victory on the battlefield General MacArthur came into conflict with those he served his long and distinguished military career was suddenly brought to a close in an official order from the president commander-in-chief of the military forces of the United States he was homeward bound for the first time in San Francisco reception was the largest the most vociferous the city had ever known the hero was home from the Wars of life and deserving the deepest respect and gratitude of the people he had sir in the midst of the elation the husband graciously acknowledged that he had not stood alone in the nation's capital greater than all the medals and honors of his career was this final tremendous tribute and then the General MacArthur stepped down from the great panorama of history in which he had figured so brilliantly for the soldiers words spoken from a soldier's heart the world has turned over many times since I took the oath on the plane at West Point and the hopes and dreams have long since vanished but I still remember the refrain of one of the most popular barrack ballads of that day which proclaimed most proudly that old soldiers never die they just fade away and like the old soldier of that battle I now close my military career and just fade away an old soldier who tried to do his duty as God gave him the light to see that duty goodbye [Applause] [Music]