~
The Life And Legend Of 'The Old Soldier'
vinyl LP back cover detail
date & photographer unknown
The Life And Legend Of 'The Old Soldier'
MacArthur
is famous for two expressions: "I shall return!" and "Old soldiers
never die!" the last having been made into a popular song.
The Life And Legend Of 'The Old Soldier'
back cover photographer unknown
photo of cover by Styrous®
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.
Conference in Hawaii, July 1944
The Life And Legend Of 'The Old Soldier'
detail photo of back cover by Styrous®
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.
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).
The Life And Legend Of 'The Old Soldier'
detail photo of back cover by Styrous®
The Life And Legend Of 'The Old Soldier'
detail photo of back cover by Styrous®
The Life And Legend Of 'The Old Soldier'
detail photo of back cover by Styrous®
The Life And Legend Of 'The Old Soldier'
photo by Styrous®
The Life And Legend Of 'The Old Soldier'
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
