The Life And Legend Of 'The Old Soldier'
vinyl LP back cover detail
date & photographer unknown
date & photographer unknown
Today is the birthday of American General Douglas MacArthur, who was an American five-star general and Field Marshal of the Philippine Army. He was Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He was born on the 26th of January, 1880, in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA, into a military family (link below).
MacArthur
is famous for two expressions: "I shall return!" and "Old soldiers
never die!" the last having been made into a popular song.
When he retired in 1951, MacArthur's farewell speech to
Congress included the declaration, "Old Soldiers Never Die" which inspired the song by the same name written by Tom Glazer and sung by baritone, Vaughn Monroe. Old Soldiers charted at #7 that year. There are several versions of the song, one by Herb Jeffries about the same time; it is my favorite.
Glazer was an American folk singer and songwriter known primarily as a composer of ballads recorded by The Weavers, Peter, Paul and Mary and Bob Dylan. He wrote the lyrics to the songs Melody of Love (1954), and Skokian (1954).
Glazer was an American folk singer and songwriter known primarily as a composer of ballads recorded by The Weavers, Peter, Paul and Mary and Bob Dylan. He wrote the lyrics to the songs Melody of Love (1954), and Skokian (1954).
back cover photographer unknown
photo of cover by Styrous®
photo of cover by Styrous®
In the fighting on the Western Front during World War I, MacArthur rose to the rank of brigadier general, was again nominated for a Medal of Honor, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross twice and the Silver Star seven times.
September 1918, France
photographer unknown
In 1930. when he became Chief of Staff of the United States Army. President Herbert Hoover
ordered MacArthur to "surround the affected area and clear it without
delay". MacArthur brought up troops and tanks and, against the advice of
Major Dwight D. Eisenhower,
decided to accompany the troops, although he was not in charge of the
operation. The troops advanced with bayonets and sabers drawn under a
shower of bricks and rocks, but no shots were fired. In less than four
hours, they cleared the Bonus Army's campground using tear gas. The gas
canisters started a number of fires, causing the only death during the
riots. While not as violent as other anti-riot operations, it was
nevertheless a public relations disaster.
However, the defeat of the "Bonus Army" while unpopular with the
American people at large, did make MacArthur into the hero of the more
right-wing elements in the Republican Party who believed that the
general had saved America from a communist revolution.
In 1934, MacArthur sued journalists Drew Pearson and Robert S. Allen for defamation after they described his treatment of the Bonus marchers as "unwarranted, unnecessary, insubordinate, harsh and brutal". In turn, they threatened to call Isabel Rosario Cooper as a witness. MacArthur had met Isabel, a Eurasian teenager, while in the Philippines, and she had become his mistress. MacArthur was forced to settle out of court, secretly paying Pearson $15,000.
In 1941, a series of disasters followed, starting with the destruction of his air forces on 8 December 1941 and the Japanese invasion of the Philippines. MacArthur's forces were soon compelled to withdraw to Bataan, where they held out until May 1942. In March 1942, MacArthur, his family and his staff left nearby Corregidor Island in PT boats and escaped to Australia, where MacArthur became Supreme Commander, Southwest Pacific Area. Upon his arrival, MacArthur gave a speech in which he famously promised "I shall return" to the Philippines. After more than two years of fighting in the Pacific, he fulfilled that promise.
Bonus Army protesters from Washington, D.C. - 1932
In 1934, MacArthur sued journalists Drew Pearson and Robert S. Allen for defamation after they described his treatment of the Bonus marchers as "unwarranted, unnecessary, insubordinate, harsh and brutal". In turn, they threatened to call Isabel Rosario Cooper as a witness. MacArthur had met Isabel, a Eurasian teenager, while in the Philippines, and she had become his mistress. MacArthur was forced to settle out of court, secretly paying Pearson $15,000.
In 1941, a series of disasters followed, starting with the destruction of his air forces on 8 December 1941 and the Japanese invasion of the Philippines. MacArthur's forces were soon compelled to withdraw to Bataan, where they held out until May 1942. In March 1942, MacArthur, his family and his staff left nearby Corregidor Island in PT boats and escaped to Australia, where MacArthur became Supreme Commander, Southwest Pacific Area. Upon his arrival, MacArthur gave a speech in which he famously promised "I shall return" to the Philippines. After more than two years of fighting in the Pacific, he fulfilled that promise.
Left to right: General MacArthur, President Roosevelt,
photographer unknown
During the Korean War, after China drove the U. S. backed NATO Alliance from the Chinese border to the middle of Korea; shortly after, there was talk of using nuclear bombs on Manchuria and the Shantung Peninsula (link below). Fortunately, calmer minds prevailed. However, MacArthur was interested in expanding the war against the wishes of President Harry S. Truman. Truman relieved him of his command.
The relief of the famous general by the unpopular Truman for communicating with Congress led to a constitutional crisis, and a storm of public controversy. Polls showed that the majority of the public disapproved of the decision to relieve MacArthur. By February, 1952, almost nine months later, Truman's approval rating had fallen to 22 percent. As of 2014, that remains the lowest Gallup Poll approval rating recorded by any serving president.
April 30, 1951
On January 26, 1971, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing of the U. S. Postal Service issued a 6¢ stamp to honor MacArthur on his 91st birthday. The stamp was designed by Paul Calle and was issued in panes of fifty, with an initial printing of 135 million.
Douglas MacArthur 6¢ postage stamp - 1971
The Douglas MacArthur ~ The Life And Legend Of 'The Old Soldier' vinyl LP contains speeches and events of his life, many obtained from Hearst Metrotone news reels (links below).
detail photo of back cover by Styrous®
detail photo of back cover by Styrous®
The narration for the album was provided by Mexican-American actor, Luis Van Rooten who did narration in addition to acting in live television and radio dramas, such as The Affairs of Peter Salem, The Mysterious Traveler and I Love a Mystery.
detail photo of back cover by Styrous®
Douglas MacArthur died of biliary cirrhosis, an autoimmune disease of the liver, at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center on the 5th of April, 1964, in Washington D.C., USA.
photo by Styrous®
detail photos by Styrous®
Tracklist:
A - Opening
B - MacArthur In Australia
Douglas MacArthur* – The Life And Legend Of 'The Old Soldier'
Label: MGM Records – E 4245
Format: Vinyl, LP
Country: US
Genre: Non-Music
A - Opening
B - MacArthur In Australia
Douglas MacArthur* – The Life And Legend Of 'The Old Soldier'
Label: MGM Records – E 4245
Format: Vinyl, LP
Country: US
Genre: Non-Music
Net links:
Arago ~ General Douglas MacArthur stamp issue
PBS ~ MacArthur: Three generations
World War I
World War II
Occupation of Japan
Arago ~ General Douglas MacArthur stamp issue
PBS ~ MacArthur: Three generations
World War I
World War II
Occupation of Japan
YouTube links:
Douglas MacArthur ~
5 Things You Don’t Know about Douglas MacArthur
The Five-Star General (18 min.)
Return of a Legend (41 min.)
General MacArthur Retires (6 min.)
Macarthur's Welcome
What if America Had Nuked China?
General Douglas MacArthur Farewell Speech to Congress
Perez Prado ~ Skokiaan
Herb Jeffries ~ Old Soldiers Never Die (1951)
Vaughn Monroe ~ Old Soldiers Never Die
Douglas MacArthur ~
5 Things You Don’t Know about Douglas MacArthur
The Five-Star General (18 min.)
Return of a Legend (41 min.)
General MacArthur Retires (6 min.)
Macarthur's Welcome
What if America Had Nuked China?
General Douglas MacArthur Farewell Speech to Congress
Perez Prado ~ Skokiaan
Herb Jeffries ~ Old Soldiers Never Die (1951)
Vaughn Monroe ~ Old Soldiers Never Die
Styrous® ~ Sunday, January 26, 2020
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