MacArthur's hat

[Treetopflyer]

I would argue that Lieutenant Colonel Earl "Pete" Ellis USMC came up with the island hopping idea when he developed Operation Plan 712: Advanced Base Operations in Micronesia. The Marines were trying to ensure their survival due to budget cuts after WWI, so they took on the task of developing amphibious warfare tactics and doctrine for the U.S.

 

[Treetopflyer]

I located the pictures I took of Mac's hat last time I was at the museum back in November of 2012. It's looking a little rough, but it has been through a lot over the years.

 

[hatguy1]

True. And it's got some serious age on it. I've really got to get by that area of the country and include this museum in my siteseeing when I do.

Thanks for sharing the pics.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Richard McCandless]

May I offer an opinion on MacArthur's hat. The decoration on it is very much like that of the highest ranking officers at the time of MacArthurs entry into the army. Please Google: Hugh Lenox Scott and Frederick Funston.
When he had a chance to design his own , I believe he emulated the ones he had seen early in his career. I will guess that in 1935 , there were still artisans living who could do that type of embroidery .

 

[Harp]

MacArthur was in charge of two of Americas biggest military defeats. The Philippines and Korea. In the first, he had almost eight hours warning that he was going to be attacked, and he did nothing! His planes were nice and neatly lined up, men were in their barracks, it was a real Turkey Shoot. If he was not so well connected with high up pollutions, he probably would have suffered the same fate as Admiral Husband Kimmel!
In Korea, he was warned by his forward officers that they were taking Chinese regulars prisoner, he ignored them.

MacArthur is considered a master of the amphibious landing and without doubt was a capable general officer,
but as you note the Philippines and Korea mar his record, the former perhaps far more. The poker faced South Pacific
theatre map spoke a thunderous silence with the Dutch East Indies the sole reachable petroleum source for the
Imperial Japanese Navy with the American bases at Subic Bay and Pearl Harbor thus necessary targets for Japanese attack.
That this spoken truth fell silent upon deaf ears is more properly attributed to collective imaginary lack, a fault spread
across the high command out in the Pacific and ensconced in Washington. MacArthur badly stumbled when the time
came for action, and later in Korea his lack of professional objectivity further flawed what otherwise would have
been a more outstanding portfolic record.

Admiral Kimmel also proved inept at assessing intelligence and applying modern technology to the task at hand
within and without Pearl Harbor as did General Short, commander of the Hawaiian Department and charged with
the protection of Pearl Harbor. Both paid personally and professionally for their inadequacy.
During the post war Pearl Harbor investigation General Short remarked that General Marshall would never write
his memoirs because he too was involved in covering his own mistakes. Short was partially correct. Marshall penned
his memoir of the First World War, but not the Second World War which, of course, would have had to include
Pearl Harbor and his whereabouts the night before the attack.

Douglas MacArthur in the 1930s while serving the Philippines as a private citizen ostensibly retired from
the US Army or under release, was the highest paid professional soldier in the world. He was paid in gold and had
this fortune transported out of the Philippines to the United States after the Japanese surrender in 1945.

 

[Tiki Tom]

I located the pictures I took of Mac's hat last time I was at the museum back in November of 2012. It's looking a little rough, but it has been through a lot over the years.

I remember once complimenting the look of the hat. My dad (born 1920) was dismissive. He said Mac had an enlisted man who was tasked with beating up the hat to make it look venerable and fatigued. All part of the show. True or not, that was my dad’s long held story.

 

[Michaelp]

The other night I caught a rerun of the 1977 Gregory Peck classic "MacArthur." Got me to wondering why MacArthur's wheel cap was all embroidered insignia? I can't say I've ever seen any photos of any other US army generals wearing one like that. Anyone know?

View attachment 9361

Any other wheel caps I've seen worn typically have the metal insignia that screws on the front.

View attachment 9362

MacArthur had his hat made in the Philippines after he retired from active duty. The President of the Philippines put the general in charge of the Army. At that time 1930-1945, General officers US Army, had scramble eggs on their dress blues uniform visor hats only. Class A visor hats were unadorned. MacArthur just added the oak leaves around the bottom of the hat and had the scramble eggs put on his class A hat. Around 1960 is when the oak leaves at the bottom of the hat was accepted by the US Army General Officers to worn on both Class A and Dress Blues hats.