Douglas MacArthur (Vive l'Emperor)



Douglas MacArthur was born in the arsenal barracks in Little Rock in 1880. At the time his father, Arthur MacArthur was serving as a Colonel and commander of the barracks. Douglas remained with his mother and father as the latter took on various military positions throughout the country. In 1889 however Douglas was sent to the West Texas Military Academy, and spent the next 7 years there. The Academy had a strict, rank based structure, that allowed students to attain rank equal to that of tutors. Within 6 months Douglas had been promoted to cadet first class. In 1894 he was promoted to senior cadet, and 1896 (his final year at the academy) he achieved the rank of first cadet (the highest rank attainable by students). With this rank he was able to attain a scholarship to West Point. During his time there he built up an impeccable record for great mental and physical strength and quick tactical thinking. He passed out of West Point with the rank of Lieutenant in 1900. He served with several garrisons before being appointed chief of staff to the 29th Infantry Regiment. He served with the 29th for the next 5 years, becoming the US' youngest captain in 1903. In 1905 he was posted to Hawaii and took part in the crushing of a revolt there, he subsequently served in Cuba, alongside future president Theodore Roosevelt Jr. The two formed a strong friendship, and they spent the next 4 years in Cuba. In 1909 Roosevelt was posted to Jefferson, meanwhile MacArthur remained in Cuba. In June of that year MacArthur was wounded and had to be invalided home.

In 1911 MacArthur served under General Pershing during the US invasion of Mexico. On November 16th 1911 MacArthur led a company into the village of San Pueblo, to form a reconaissance outpost. However his force was surrounded by revolutionary troops and MacArthur had to holf out for 4 weeks, outnumbered 4 to 1. For his action MacArthur and 3 of his men were issued with the medal of honour and promoted to Major.

MacArthur then toured the country as a war hero, speaking at numberous public meetings and recieving a personal congratulation from President Theodore Roosevelt. In 1913 MacArthur returned to active service, being posted to West Point, as commanding officer, a post at which he remained until August 1914. Upon the USA's declaration of war upon the French Empire he resigned and requested a front line command. In December 1914 he commanded a battalion of infantry in Great Britain, and in March 1915 he led the battalion during the flemish landings. He remained in command during the battles of the islands and the so called "Flat Campaign" of 1915/16.

He was promoted to Colonel in March 1916. MacArthur became known as a man who led from the front, and he was wounded in June during the battle of Arnhem, returning to New York to recover. He was awarded the Medal of Honour a second time and promoted to Brigadier General (the youngest serving US general at 36). He returned to Flanders in 1917 and became commander of the 2nd Brigade of the 24th Divison. When in September 1917 the divisonal commander was killed, MacArthur was made acting divisional commander. This became permanent in December. However MacArthur had a somewhat sour relationship with the supreme commander, General Pershing. In July 1918 MacArthur lead his divison from the front line during the allied summer offensive, and in one inccident was nearly captured. This gave Pershing the mandate to transfer MacArthur to chief supply officer for the 4th army, a post that he maintained until the end of the war.

Following the armistice MacArthur wanted to resign his post and return to front line command, even if this meant a demotion, however President Roosevelt refused his resignation, making him chief US administrator in Britain, responsible for the withdrawl of american troops. By 1920 this job was done, and MacArthur returned to the US, a two star general with no active command. His one hope of rescue was lost when General Pershing won the 1920 Presidential election. Pershing posted MacArthur to the isolated US garrison at Hong Kong. A General in command of 3 regiments, plus an artillery detachment. Despite the small command MacArthur stayed on until 1924, when he resigned in favour of a desk job in washington. MacArthur became adjudant general to east coast supply command, a lengthy title for a job that was more appropriate for a accountant than a general. In 1924 MacArthur even went as far as putting his name forward for the republican nomination, as an alternative to Pershing, however he recieved only 2 delegates.

In 1927 MacArthur is finally given command of an infantry divison, the 3rd, a divison scattered across the whole of California, it takes MacArthur 3 months just to locate every unit and centralise command. In 1928 he is promoted to