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Originally Posted by Falcon Jun
Macarthur as a coward IS a perception that many veterans in other Pacific areas might share. However, for a majority of veterans of the WWII USAFFE, Macarthur is viewed fondly. Everyone, of course, has his own take on Macarthur.
According to historical records, Macarthur received orders from Washington to leave Corregidor and organize US forces in Australia. It's recorded too that upon receipt of the orders, he threatened to resign and remain as private. For that reaction, I personally think it was his ego talking.
I believe a book (which I unfortunately cannot recall right now) about Macarthur and Truman during the Korean War reveals more about the character of the late general and could provide an insight on why he did the things he did when he was still in Corregidor.
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Well some of the US veterans i have spoken to during our Anzac Day marches, would gladly have put a bullet into him even after all these years, why because he left so many wounded behind and told those wounded to stand and fight to the last, while he drank cognac and smoked his pipe thousands of mile away in a cushy atmosphere in Brisbane, if he actually threatened to resign then why didn't he do it, if MacArthur had that a strong a convictions then he would have carried out his threat but again here comes into play his cowardice.
And onto Korea, MacArthur was sacked because when he wanted to invade China, i can guess the amount of American troops that would have perished in that fiasco, but here again we have the great leader leading from behind, at the time of his intention to invade China he was in Japan.