GENERAL DOUGLAS MACARTHUR

UNITED STATES 26 JANUARY 1880 - 5 APRIL 1964

Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, Macarthur graduated from West Point military academy and fought in World War I. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor he was placed in charge of US forces in the Pacific and oversaw the Japanese surrender in August 1945.

Based in Tokyo, Macarthur was placed in charge of the American-led UN taskforce, assembled in the aftermath of the June 1950 North Korean invasion. In the early weeks of the war, UN forces were besieged by the Korean People’s Army (KPA) on a scrap of territory around the city of Pusan.

Despite the reservations of the joint chiefs of staff, Macarthur conceptualised and led an audacious amphibious attack on the port city of Inchon, allowing for the recapture of Seoul and Eighth Army in Pusan to break out and march north. After the October 1950 intervention, Macarthur’s public statements on the war became increasingly out of step with those of Washington, and he was relieved of his command the following April by President Harry Truman.

In 1945 the United States supported Rhee’s efforts to lead a provisional South Korean government General Macarthur, supreme commander of the Us-led UN taskforce in June 1950