General Douglas MacArthur

Douglas MacArthur was born one hundred thirty-seven years ago, Jan. 26, 1880. According to his biographers, he was birthed in the Little Rock Arsenal just south of downtown Little Rock, where the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History resides, and is obviously named in his honor. He served as commander of the Allied Forces in the Pacific during and after the Second World War. He was also eventually relieved of his command by President Truman for continually voicing his opinions on how the U.S. should conduct the war in Korea, specifically expanding the fight into China. Beyond just the local connection, General MacArthur also neatly ties our 19th Bombardment Group heritage with our airlift mission: In March 1942, nearly three months after the Japanese attack on Clark Field decimated the 19th BG, some of the remaining pilots from the group withdrew General MacArthur, his family, and his staff, to Australia aboard two B-17s. According to reports at the time, the takeoff was apparently hair-raising, but ultimately successful. From there, General MacArthur plotted his strategy against the Japanese military and eventual return to the Philippines. He presided over the Japanese surrender on Sept. 2, 1945, bringing an end to World War II. IMAGES: Left: Arguably the most iconic image of the Army General with his famous corn-cob pipe Center: Image of the museum Top Right: A B-17 airlifter!