Douglas MacArthur was one the nation’s greatest generals. In his time, there was no more revered, lauded, and beloved military figure. He graduated first in his class at West Point, where, after service in WWI, he served as its superintendent. During WWII, he was promoted to the rank of General of the Army in 1944 and given command of all Army forces in the Pacific. On September 2, 1945, it was MacArthur who accepted Japan’s unconditional surrender, ending the war. Following the surrender, he served as the military governor of Japan, helping to usher in a modern government and economy. When North Korea invaded South Korea, in June 1950, it was MacArthur whom Truman put in command of the U.N. forces to repel the invasion and prevent South Korea from falling to communism. It was a no-brainer.
