Del Monte Field (active 1941–1942) was a heavy bomber airfield of the Far East Air Force (FEAF) of the United States Army Air Forces , located in Mindanao in the Philippines . The airfield was located in a meadow of a Del Monte Corporation pineapple plantation.
113-594: Del Monte may refer to: Places [ edit ] Del Monte Airfield , a heavy bomber-capable airfield in the Philippines Del Monte, Monterey, California , an unincorporated community in Monterey County, California, USA Del Monte Forest, California , a census-designated place in California, USA Brunyarra , now known as Del Monte, is
226-480: A Japanese ceremonial kimono , cool himself with an oriental fan, and smoke cigarettes in a jeweled cigarette holder . In the evenings, he liked to read military history books. About this time, he began referring to himself as "MacArthur". He had already hired a public relations staff to promote his image with the American public, together with a set of ideas he was known to favor, namely: a belief that America needed
339-490: A board to consider the award. The board questioned "the advisability of this enterprise having been undertaken without the knowledge of the commanding general on the ground". This was Brigadier General Frederick Funston , a Medal of Honor recipient himself, who considered awarding the medal to MacArthur "entirely appropriate and justifiable". However, the board feared that "to bestow the award recommended might encourage any other staff officer, under similar conditions, to ignore
452-658: A convoy from Hoboken, New Jersey , for the Western Front on 18 October 1917. On 19 December the 42nd's commander, the 63-year-old Mann, was replaced by 55-year-old Major General Charles T. Menoher , after Mann–who was "ill, old, and bedridden"– failed a physical examination. The new division commander and his chief of staff "became great friends", in MacArthur's words, who further described Menoher as "an able officer, an efficient administrator, of genial disposition and unimpeachable character". The 42nd Division entered
565-555: A few days—Brooks's and MacArthur's engagement announcement, though this did not dispel the newspaper gossip. In October 1922, MacArthur left West Point and sailed to the Philippines with Louise and her two children, Walter and Louise, to assume command of the Military District of Manila. MacArthur was fond of the children, and spent much of his free time with them. The revolts in the Philippines had been suppressed,
678-500: A few months after MacArthur finished his tour of duty as Chief of Staff. One of MacArthur's most controversial acts came in 1932, when the " Bonus Army " of veterans converged on Washington. He sent tents and camp equipment to the demonstrators, along with mobile kitchens, until an outburst in Congress caused the kitchens to be withdrawn. MacArthur was concerned that the demonstration had been taken over by communists and pacifists but
791-583: A halt to research and development of the B-17 and in 1939 zero four-engine bombers were ordered by the War Department and instead hundreds of inferior B-18s and other twin-engine bombers were ordered and delivered to the Army. Andrews, thanks to MacArthur putting him in a position of power in 1935, was able to use bureaucratic loopholes to covertly order research and development of the B-17 to the point that when
904-673: A historic house in Strathfield, New South Wales, Australia San Jose del Monte , a city in the province of Bulacan , Philippines Others [ edit ] Del Monte Foods , an American food production and distribution company Del Monte Kenya , its Kenyan counterpart Del Monte Kitchenomics , its cooking show in the Philippines Fresh Del Monte Produce , an American fruit production and distribution company Del Monte Motors , Filipino bus and truck manufacturer Del Monte (train) ,
1017-620: A member of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF). Menoher recommended MacArthur for a Silver Star, which he later received. The Silver Star Medal was not instituted until 8 August 1932, but small Silver Citation Stars were authorized to be worn on the campaign ribbons of those cited in orders for gallantry, similar to the British mention in despatches . When the Silver Star Medal was instituted, it
1130-635: A monthly allowance of $ 5 (equivalent to $ 91 in 2023). Professors and alumni alike protested these radical moves. Most of MacArthur's West Point reforms were soon discarded but, in the ensuing years, his ideas became accepted and his innovations were gradually restored. MacArthur became romantically involved with socialite and multi-millionaire heiress Louise Cromwell Brooks . They were married at her family's villa in Palm Beach, Florida, on 14 February 1922. Rumors circulated that General Pershing, who had also courted Louise, had threatened to exile them to
1243-623: 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 1932. In 1934, MacArthur sued journalists Drew Pearson and Robert S. Allen for defamation after they described his treatment of
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#17327733042851356-542: A passenger train run by the Southern Pacific Railroad del Monte (surname) See also [ edit ] Delmont (disambiguation) Delmotte All pages with titles beginning with Del Monte All pages with titles containing Del Monte Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Del Monte . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change
1469-449: A second Silver Star. The 42nd Division participated in the subsequent Allied counter-offensive, and MacArthur was awarded a third Silver Star on 29 July. Two days later, Menoher relieved the fifty-eight-year-old Brigadier General Robert A. Brown of the 84th Infantry Brigade (which consisted of the 167th and 168th Infantry Regiments and the 151st Machine Gun Battalion) of his command and replaced him with MacArthur. Hearing reports that
1582-532: A senior officer should not be silenced for being at variance with his superiors in rank and with accepted doctrine". In 1927, MacArthur and Louise separated, and she moved to New York City, adopting as her residence the entire twenty-sixth floor of a Manhattan hotel. In August that year, William C. Prout —the president of the American Olympic Committee —died suddenly and the committee elected MacArthur as their new president. His main task
1695-538: A strongman leader to deal with the possibility that Communists might lead all of the great masses of unemployed into a revolution; that America's destiny was in the Asia-Pacific region; and a strong hostility to the British Empire. One contemporary described MacArthur as the greatest actor to ever serve as a U.S. Army general while another wrote that MacArthur had a court rather than a staff. The onset of
1808-531: A succession of Army posts in the American Old West . Conditions were primitive, and Malcolm died of measles in 1883. In his memoir, Reminiscences , MacArthur wrote "I learned to ride and shoot even before I could read or write—indeed, almost before I could walk and talk." Douglas was extremely close with his mother and often considered a "mama's boy". Until around age 8, she dressed him in skirts and kept his hair long and in curls. MacArthur's time on
1921-995: A survey on Bataan . He returned to San Francisco, where he was assigned to the California Debris Commission . In July 1905, he became chief engineer of the Division of the Pacific. In October 1905, MacArthur received orders to proceed to Tokyo for appointment as aide-de-camp to his father. A man who knew the MacArthurs at this time wrote that "Arthur MacArthur was the most flamboyantly egotistical man I had ever seen, until I met his son." They inspected Japanese military bases at Nagasaki , Kobe and Kyoto , then headed to India via Shanghai, Hong Kong, Java and Singapore, reaching Calcutta in January 1906. In India, they visited Madras, Tuticorin, Quetta, Karachi,
2034-523: A transfer to Washington, D.C., so his mother could be near Johns Hopkins Hospital . Army Chief of Staff, Major General Leonard Wood , took up the matter with Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson , who arranged for MacArthur to be posted to the Office of the Chief of Staff in 1912. On 21 April 1914, President Woodrow Wilson ordered the occupation of Veracruz . MacArthur joined the headquarters staff sent to
2147-519: The 1st Division on the night of 11 October. On a reconnaissance the next day, MacArthur was gassed again, earning a second Wound Chevron . The 42nd Division's participation in the Meuse–Argonne offensive began on 14 October when it attacked with both brigades. That evening, a conference was called to discuss the attack, during which Major General Charles P. Summerall , commander of V Corps , telephoned and demanded that Châtillon be taken by 18:00
2260-571: The 42nd (Rainbow) Division . On the Western Front during World War I, he 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. From 1919 to 1922, MacArthur served as Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy , where he initiated a series of reforms. His next posting was in the Philippines, where in 1924 he
2373-653: The Army Chief of Staff (and close friend of Arthur MacArthur), "had put a block on promotions. There would be no more stars awarded while the War Department got to grips with demobilization. MacArthur returned to commanding the 84th Brigade". The 42nd Division was chosen to participate in the occupation of the Rhineland , occupying the Ahrweiler district . In April 1919, the 42nd Division entrained for Brest and Saint-Nazaire , where they boarded ships to return to
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#17327733042852486-685: The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber and the concept of long-range four-engine bombers. This was controversial at the time because most high-ranking Army generals and officials in the War Department supported twin-engine bombers like the Douglas B-18 Bolo heavy bomber. After MacArthur left his position as Army Chief of Staff in October 1935 his successor Malin Craig and War Secretary Harry Hines Woodring ordered
2599-521: The Great Depression prompted Congress to make cuts in the Army's personnel and budget. Some 53 bases were closed, but MacArthur managed to prevent attempts to reduce the number of regular officers from 12,000 to 10,000. MacArthur's main programs included the development of new mobilization plans. He grouped the nine corps areas together under four armies, which were charged with responsibility for training and frontier defense. He also negotiated
2712-659: The United Nations Command in the Korean War from 1950 to 1951. MacArthur was nominated for the Medal of Honor three times, and was awarded it for his WWII service in the Philippines. He is one of only five men to rise to the rank of General of the Army, and the only one to hold the rank of Field Marshal in the Philippine Army . MacArthur, the son of Medal of Honor recipient Arthur MacArthur Jr. ,
2825-543: The United States Army Corps of Engineers , therefore, MacArthur was commissioned as a second lieutenant in that corps. MacArthur spent his graduation furlough with his parents at Fort Mason , California, where his father, now a major general, was commanding the Department of the Pacific . Afterward, he joined the 3rd Engineer Battalion, which departed for the Philippines in October 1903. MacArthur
2938-717: The Washington Barracks and enroll in the Engineer School. While there he served as "an aide to assist at White House functions" at the request of President Theodore Roosevelt . In August 1907, MacArthur was sent to the engineer district office in Milwaukee, where his parents were living. In April 1908, he was posted to Fort Leavenworth , where he was given his first command, Company K, 3rd Engineer Battalion. He became battalion adjutant in 1909 and then engineer officer at Fort Leavenworth in 1910. MacArthur
3051-527: The declaration of war on Germany on 6 April 1917 and the subsequent American entry into World War I , Baker and MacArthur secured an agreement from President Wilson for the use of the National Guard on the Western Front. MacArthur suggested sending first a division organized from units of different states, so as to avoid the appearance of favoritism toward any particular state. Baker approved
3164-408: The plebes . Instead of the traditional summer camp at Fort Clinton , MacArthur had the cadets trained to use modern weapons by regular army sergeants at Fort Dix ; they then marched back to West Point with full packs. He attempted to modernize the curriculum by adding liberal arts, government and economics courses, but encountered strong resistance from the academic board. In Military Art classes,
3277-483: The 16 B-17s of the 14th and 93d Bombardment Squadrons from Clark to Del Monte. Since there were no barracks built at Del Monte yet, and intending to remain only 72 hours, the bombers were filled with tents, cots, blankets and rations. The men also took only what they needed, some toiletries and a few changes of uniform. The aircraft flew down singly on the night of 5–6 December, circling at the end of their 4-hour flight before being permitted to land at dawn (5 December in
3390-512: The 17th. On Thursday, March 26, 1942, Del Monte was again used to evacuate Philippine President, Manuel Quezon, his family, doctors, chaplain, and senior staff. Two B-17's had flown up from Australia and arrived at 8:45pm and departed again at 11pm for Australia. On April 8, 1942, the air echelons of the 24th Pursuit Group along with the remaining Army Air Corps flying operations in the Philippines were withdrawn from Luzon and transferred to Del Monte with whatever aircraft were left to carry on
3503-560: The 24th, 3 B-17's based at Del Monte bombed the airfield and shipping at Davao on the southeast coast of Mindanao before flying to Australia. On March 16, 1942, Del Monte was later used to evacuate General MacArthur , his family, and senior staff from the Philippines, leaving before midnight. The evacuation party had arrived by PT boat from Corregidor and on March 16, four B-17 Flying Fortresses from Australia flew up to Del Monte: B-17E 41-2408, B-17E 41-2429, B-17E 41-2434 and B-17E 41-2447 and evacuated them to Batchelor Field, arriving on
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3616-486: The 42nd Division, upon the recommendation of its outgoing commander, Menoher, who had left to take over the newly activated VI Corps . For his service as the 42nd's chief of staff and commander of the 84th Infantry Brigade, he was later awarded the Army Distinguished Service Medal . His period in command of the 42nd Division was brief, for on 22 November he, like other brigadier generals,
3729-581: The Army and President Roosevelt finally endorsed four-engine bombers in 1940 B-17s were able to be immediately produced with no delays related to research and testing. The development of the M1 Garand rifle also happened during MacArthur's tenure as Chief of Staff. There was a debate over what caliber the M1 Garand should use. Many in the Army and Marine Corps wanted the new rifle to use the .276 Pedersen round. MacArthur personally intervened and ordered
3842-525: The B-17s was able to make its way back to Del Monte; the others had to crash-land short of their base. The Japanese lost at most 4 fighters. Under these conditions, it was evident that the remaining heavy bombers could not operate efficiently in the Philippines. General Brereton therefore requested authority on December 15 to move the B-17s to Darwin in northwest Australia , 1,500 miles away, where they could be based safely and serviced properly. His intention
3955-479: The Bonus marchers as "unwarranted, unnecessary, insubordinate, harsh and brutal". Also accused for proposing 19-gun salutes for friends, MacArthur asked for $ 750,000 (equivalent to $ 13.4 million in 2023) to compensate for the damage to his reputation. The journalists threatened to call Isabel Rosario Cooper as a witness. MacArthur had met Isabel while in the Philippines, and she had become his mistress. MacArthur
4068-567: The Chief of Staff on 29 November, called ultimately for more bomber bases in the Visayas to accommodate three additional groups, but since funds for construction of runways for such bases could not be immediately allocated, he agreed to use the field at Del Monte. On 21 November Col. Harold H. George , acting in place of FEAF commander Maj. Gen. Lewis H. Brereton while he was in Australia trying to arrange support bases for his air force, sent
4181-901: The Commonwealth of the Philippines . He retired from the Army in 1937, but continued as advisor and was Field Marshal of the Philippine Army from 1936. MacArthur was recalled to active duty in July 1941 as commander of U.S. Army Forces in the Far East . A large portion of his air forces were destroyed on 8 December 1941 in the Japanese attack on Clark Field , and an invasion of the Philippines followed. MacArthur's forces withdrew to Bataan , where they held out until May 1942. In March 1942, MacArthur left nearby Corregidor Island and escaped to Australia , where he became Supreme Commander of
4294-551: The Del Monte company, built for their light aircraft, is about two miles south of the wartime airfield. Both #1 (Main) and #2 (Fighter) fields have become rice paddies and cornfields, a dirt road being the only trace of their wartime purpose. As of October 2013, The Del Monte Airfield is closed to general aviation, but ultralight aircraft, paramotor aircraft from paramotor flying school of Kampo Juan eco resort, and radio-controlled aircraft enthusiasts from nearby Cagayan de Oro city use
4407-547: The General Staff's intelligence division reported that only three of the march's 26 key leaders were communists. MacArthur went over contingency plans for civil disorder in the capital. Mechanized equipment was brought to Fort Myer, where anti-riot training was conducted. On 28 July 1932, in a clash with the District police, two veterans were shot, and later died. President Herbert Hoover ordered MacArthur to "surround
4520-539: The Germans had evacuated in a panic. There was a German officer's horse saddled and equipped standing in a barn, a battery of guns complete in every detail, and the entire administration and music of a regimental band. He received a sixth Silver Star for his participation in a raid on the night of 25–26 September. The 42nd Division was relieved on the night of 30 September and moved to the Argonne sector where it relieved
4633-461: The Japanese invasion of the Philippines at Legaspi, Luzon by sending 3 of a group of 6 Del Monte-based B-17s, ordered to attack the landing force. They attacked a Japanese minesweeper and a transport, thought to be a destroyer, with meager results, and 9 naval aircraft based on the Legaspi strip. The unescorted bombers were no match for the Japanese fighters and soon beat a hasty retreat. Only one of
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4746-645: The Korean War, he led the United Nations Command with initial success, but suffered a series of major defeats after China's entry into the war in October 1950. MacArthur was contentiously removed from his command in Korea by President Harry S. Truman in April 1951. He later became chairman of the board of Remington Rand , and died in Washington, D.C., in 1964. A military brat , Douglas MacArthur
4859-542: The M1 Garand to use the .30-06 Springfield round, which was what the M1903 Springfield used. This allowed the military to use the same ammunition for both the old standard service M1903 Springfield rifles and the future new standard service M1 Garand. The M1 Garand, chambered in .30-06 Springfield, was cleared for service in November 1935 and officially adopted in January 1936 as the new Army service rifle just
4972-695: The MacArthur-Pratt agreement with the Chief of Naval Operations , Admiral William V. Pratt . This was the first of a series of inter-service agreements over the following decades that defined the responsibilities of the different services with respect to aviation. This agreement placed coastal air defense under the Army. In March 1935, MacArthur activated a centralized air command, General Headquarters Air Force , under General Frank M. Andrews . By rapidly promoting Andrews from lieutenant colonel to brigadier general MacArthur supported Andrews' endorsement of
5085-520: The Medal of Honor and promotion to major general, but he received neither. Instead, he was awarded a second Distinguished Service Cross. The 42nd Division returned to the line for the last time on the night of 4–5 November 1918. In the final advance on Sedan . MacArthur later wrote that this operation "narrowly missed being one of the great tragedies of American history". An order to disregard unit boundaries led to units crossing into each other's zones. In
5198-670: The Northwest Frontier and the Khyber Pass . They then sailed to China via Bangkok and Saigon, and toured Canton , Qingdao , Beijing, Tianjin , Hankou and Shanghai before returning to Japan in June. The next month they returned to the United States, where Arthur MacArthur resumed his duties at Fort Mason, still with Douglas as his aide. In September, Douglas received orders to report to the 2nd Engineer Battalion at
5311-421: The Philippines (1942) and after the destruction of Clark and Nichols Fields on Luzon in the first days of the war, the Japanese flew extensive reconnaissance missions to discover the remaining American aircraft in the Philippines. They had been unable to find the Del Monte field, but it was only a question of time before this last haven would be discovered and destroyed as were the airfields on Luzon. Moreover, it
5424-441: The Philippines if they were married. Pershing denied this as "all damn poppycock". More recently, Richard B. Frank has written that Pershing and Brooks had already "severed" their relationship by the time of MacArthur's transfer; Brooks was, however, "informal[ly]" engaged to a close aide of Pershing's (she broke off the relationship in order to accept MacArthur's proposal). Pershing's letter concerning MacArthur's transfer predated—by
5537-536: The Southwest Pacific Area in April. He famously promised that he would return to the Philippines, and for his defense of the islands was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1942. From Australia, he commanded the New Guinea campaign , and in October 1944 returned to the Philippines and led the campaign which liberated the islands . In December 1944, he was promoted to General of the Army. At the end of
5650-467: The United States) at Del Monte No. 1, just completed the day before. Materiel to support the arrival of the 7th BG was not scheduled to leave Luzon until 10 December. On 8 December, the initial Japanese attack on Clark Field caught most of the remainder of the 19th Bombardment Group on the ground. The bomber and fighter sweeps on the field destroyed most of the aircraft. In the ensuing Battle of
5763-441: The United States. MacArthur traveled on the ocean liner SS Leviathan , which reached New York on 25 April 1919. Shortly after the return home, MacArthur's 84th Brigade was demobilized at Camp Dodge , Iowa , on 12 May 1919. The following month, he became Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, which General March, "an acerbic, thin-lipped intellectual", felt had become out of date in many respects and
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#17327733042855876-502: 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
5989-570: The airfield with the approval of the Del Monte management. The Gen. Douglas MacArthur Landmark was erected by the Rotary Club of Northern Bukidnon in Barangay Dicklum to mark the site of Del Monte Field. [REDACTED] This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 1880 – 5 April 1964)
6102-632: The area, arriving on 1 May 1914. He realized that the logistic support of an advance from Veracruz would require the railroad. Finding plenty of railroad cars in Veracruz but no locomotives, MacArthur set out to verify a report that there were locomotives in Alvarado . For $ 150 in gold, he acquired a handcar and the services of three Mexicans, whom he disarmed. MacArthur and his party located five engines in Alvarado, two of which were only switchers , but
6215-590: The army, MacArthur had to overcome resistance from graduates and the academic board. MacArthur's vision of what was required of an officer came not just from his recent experience of combat in France, but also from that of the occupation of the Rhineland in Germany. The military government of the Rhineland had required the Army to deal with political, economic and social problems but he had found that many West Point graduates had little or no knowledge of fields outside of
6328-523: The commander of I Corps (under whose command the 42nd Division fell), that the Germans had indeed withdrawn, and was awarded a fourth Silver Star. He was also awarded a second Croix de guerre and made a commandeur of the Légion d'honneur . MacArthur's leadership during the Champagne-Marne offensive and counter-offensive campaigns was noted by General Gouraud when he said MacArthur was "one of
6441-541: The concept of military character to include bearing, leadership, efficiency and athletic performance. He formalized the hitherto unwritten Cadet Honor Code in 1922 when he formed the Cadet Honor Committee to review alleged code violations. Elected by the cadets themselves, it had no authority to punish, but acted as a kind of grand jury, reporting offenses to the commandant. MacArthur attempted to end hazing by using officers rather than upperclassmen to train
6554-493: The corps areas, which became an important factor in the program's success. MacArthur's support for a strong military, and his public criticism of pacifism and isolationism, made him unpopular with the Roosevelt administration. Perhaps the most incendiary exchange between Roosevelt and MacArthur occurred over an administration proposal to cut 51% of the Army's budget. In response, MacArthur lectured Roosevelt that "when we lost
6667-407: The court-martial of Brigadier General Billy Mitchell . MacArthur was the youngest of the thirteen judges, none of whom had aviation experience. Three of them, including Summerall, the president of the court, were removed when defense challenges revealed bias against Mitchell. Despite MacArthur's claim that he had voted to acquit, Mitchell was found guilty as charged and convicted. MacArthur felt "that
6780-603: The creation of this formation, which became the 42nd ("Rainbow") Division and appointed Major General William Abram Mann , the head of the National Guard Bureau , as its commander; MacArthur was its chief of staff, and with his new role came the rank of colonel , skipping the rank of lieutenant colonel. At MacArthur's request, this commission was in the infantry rather than the engineers. From its formation at Camp Mills , Long Island in August 1917, MacArthur
6893-402: The day the B-25s again attacked Davao, bombing the dock area. The advancing Japanese forced their return to Australia. In addition to the raids, they brought out a number of important military and diplomatic personnel who had gathered at Del Monte to await evacuation. The last of the 24th Pursuit Group's aircraft were captured or destroyed by enemy forces on or about May 1, 1942 when the airfield
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#17327733042857006-411: The debate over the length of the course, The New York Times brought up the issue of the cloistered and undemocratic nature of student life at West Point. Also, starting with Harvard University in 1869, civilian universities had begun grading students on academic performance alone, but West Point had retained the old "whole man" concept of education . MacArthur sought to modernize the system, expanding
7119-429: The enemy had withdrawn, MacArthur went forward on 2 August to see for himself. He later wrote: It was 3:30 that morning when I started from our right at Sergy. Taking runners from each outpost liaison group to the next, moving by way of what had been No Man's Land, I will never forget that trip. The dead were so thick in spots we tumbled over them. There must have been at least 2,000 of those sprawled bodies. I identified
7232-453: The existence of the gap in the barbed wire. As he mentioned to William Addleman Ganoe a few years later, the Germans saw them and shot at MacArthur and the squad with artillery and machine guns. MacArthur was the sole survivor of the patrol, claiming it was a miracle that he survived. He confirmed that there was indeed an enormous, exposed gap in that area due to the lack of enemy gunfire coming from that area. Summerall nominated MacArthur for
7345-533: The fight. In April 1942, a group of 7 B-25s and 3 B-17s from Australia returned to Del Monte for the Royce Mission , to attack the Japanese on three bombing missions. On April 12, B-25s hit the harbor and shipping at Cebu, Cebu Island while B-17s carried out single-bomber strikes against Cebu harbor and Nichols Field on Luzon. On 13 April B-25s hit targets in the Philippines for the second consecutive day. The B-25s took off just after midnight and bombed shipping at Cebu and installations at Davao on Mindanao. Later in
7458-425: The finest and bravest officers I have ever served with." The 42nd Division earned a few weeks rest, returning to the line for the Battle of Saint-Mihiel on 12 September 1918. The Allied advance proceeded rapidly, and MacArthur was awarded a fifth Silver Star for his leadership of the 84th Infantry Brigade. In his later life he recalled: In Essey I saw a sight I shall never quite forget. Our advance been so rapid
7571-427: The front steps. In spite of such exchanges, MacArthur was extended an extra year as chief of staff, and ended his tour in October 1935. For his service as chief of staff, he was awarded a second Distinguished Service Medal. He was retroactively awarded two Purple Hearts for his World War I service, a decoration that he authorized in 1932 based loosely on the defunct Military Badge of Merit. MacArthur insisted on being
7684-436: The frontier ended in July 1889 when the family moved to Washington, D.C., where he attended the Force Public School. His father was posted to San Antonio, Texas, in September 1893. While there MacArthur attended the West Texas Military Academy , where he was awarded the gold medal for "scholarship and deportment". He played on the school tennis team, quarterback on the school football team, and shortstop on its baseball team. He
7797-416: The heavy bombers had to remain aloft during the daylight hours to avoid destruction on the ground. They dodged back and forth between Mindanao and Luzon, playing a game of hide-and-seek that wore out men as well as planes. B-17s flying from Del Monte Airfield became the first United States aircraft to engage in offensive action against the Japanese. On December 14, 1941, the American Army Air Forces reacted to
7910-469: The insignia of six of the best German divisions. The stench was suffocating. Not a tree was standing. The moans and cries of wounded men sounded everywhere. Sniper bullets sung like the buzzing of a hive of angry bees. An occasional shellburst always drew an angry oath from my guide. I counted almost a hundred disabled guns various size and several times that number of abandoned machine guns. MacArthur reported back to Menoher and Major General Hunter Liggett ,
8023-428: The islands were peaceful now, and in the wake of the Washington Naval Treaty , the garrison was being reduced. MacArthur's friendships with Filipinos like Manuel Quezon offended some people. "The old idea of colonial exploitation", he later conceded, "still had its vigorous supporters." In February and March 1923 MacArthur returned to Washington to see his mother, who was ill from a heart ailment. She recovered, but it
8136-631: The line in the quiet Lunéville sector in February 1918. On 26 February, MacArthur and Captain Thomas T. Handy accompanied a French trench raid in which MacArthur assisted in the capture of a number of German prisoners. The commander of the French VII Corps , Major General Georges de Bazelaire , decorated MacArthur with the Croix de Guerre . This was the first ever Croix de Guerre awarded to
8249-442: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Del_Monte&oldid=1240783532 " Categories : Disambiguation pages Disambiguation pages with surname-holder lists Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Del Monte Airfield Del Monte Airfield
8362-526: The local commander, possibly interfering with the latter's plans"; consequently, MacArthur received no award. MacArthur returned to the War Department, where he was promoted to major on 11 December 1915. In June 1916, he was assigned as head of the Bureau of Information at the office of the Secretary of War, Newton D. Baker . MacArthur has since been regarded as the Army's first press officer. Following
8475-427: The military sciences. During the war, West Point had been reduced to little more than an officer candidate school , with five classes being graduated in two years. Cadet and staff morale was low and hazing "at an all-time peak of viciousness". MacArthur's first change turned out to be the easiest. Congress had set the length of the course at three years. MacArthur was able to get the four-year course restored. During
8588-468: The morning of 4 December, after the only operational FEAF radar site detected Japanese weather reconnaissance flights on several successive nights, MacArthur's headquarters ordered the 19th BG to be moved out of range of direct attack. However Brereton decided to send only half of the 35 B-17s at Clark Field to Del Monte because the latter could accommodate only six squadrons and the 7th BG was expected to arrive soon. Orders were issued on 5 December to move
8701-444: The newly arrived 5th Air Base Group to Del Monte in two inter-island steamers to hurry construction. Work on the field was rushed and by 5 December it was able to accommodate heavy bombers. Two runways were built: No. 1 (main runway) and No. 2 (pursuit). A golf course was used as a third auxiliary strip. Additional dispersal airstrips were built over the next few months at Dalirig near Del Monte, Malaybalay, Maramag, and Valencia. On
8814-471: The next evening. An aerial photograph had been obtained that showed a gap in the German barbed wire to the northeast of Châtillon. Lieutenant Colonel Walter E. Bare—the commander of the 167th Infantry —proposed an attack from that direction, covered by a machine-gun barrage. MacArthur adopted this plan. He was wounded, but not severely, while leading a reconnaissance patrol into no man's land at night to confirm
8927-536: The next war, and an American boy, lying in the mud with an enemy bayonet through his belly and an enemy foot on his dying throat, spat out his last curse, I wanted the name not to be MacArthur, but Roosevelt". In response, Roosevelt yelled, "you must not talk that way to the President!" MacArthur offered to resign, but Roosevelt refused his request, and MacArthur then staggered out of the White House and vomited on
9040-452: The other three were exactly what was required. On the way back to Veracruz, his party was set upon by five armed men. The party made a run for it and outdistanced all but two of the armed men, whom MacArthur shot. Soon after, they were attacked by about fifteen horsemen. MacArthur took three bullets in his clothes but was unharmed. One of his companions was lightly wounded before the horsemen retired, after MacArthur shot four of them. Further on,
9153-471: The party was attacked a third time by three horsemen. MacArthur received another bullet hole in his shirt, but his men, using their handcar, managed to outrun all but one of their attackers. MacArthur shot both that man and his horse; the party had to remove the horse's carcass from the track before proceeding. A fellow officer wrote to Wood recommending that MacArthur be put forward for the Medal of Honor. Wood did so, and Chief of Staff Hugh L. Scott convened
9266-539: The rank of lieutenant general . Pinky came from a prominent Norfolk, Virginia , family. Two of her brothers had fought for the South in the Civil War, and refused to attend her wedding. MacArthur is also distantly related to Matthew C. Perry , a Commodore of the U.S. Navy . Arthur and Pinky had three sons, of whom Douglas was the youngest, following Arthur III (born 1876), and Malcolm (1878). The family lived on
9379-679: The real reason to be "incompatibility". By 1930, MacArthur was 50 and still the youngest and one of the best known of the U.S. Army's major generals. He left the Philippines on 19 September 1930 and for a brief time was in command of the IX Corps Area in San Francisco. On 21 November, he was sworn in as Chief of Staff of the United States Army, with the rank of general. While in Washington, he would ride home each day to have lunch with his mother. At his desk, he would wear
9492-472: The resulting chaos, MacArthur was taken prisoner by men of the 1st Division, who mistook him for a German general. This would be soon resolved by the removal of his hat and long scarf that he wore. His performance in the attack on the Meuse heights led to his being awarded a seventh Silver Star. On 10 November, a day before the armistice with Germany that ended the fighting, MacArthur was appointed commander of
9605-552: The rural municipality was nearby. The airfield was established as part of the build-up of United States military forces in the Philippines due to the rising tensions with the Japanese Empire . In mid-November 1941, with the creation of the FEAF, General Douglas MacArthur approved the expansion of Del Monte into a heavy bomber base for the 7th Bombardment Group , projected to arrive in early December. His plans, MacArthur told
9718-473: The same time, the 42nd Division was shifted to Châlons-en-Champagne to oppose the impending German Champagne-Marne offensive . Général d'Armée Henri Gouraud of the French Fourth Army elected to meet the attack with a defense in depth , holding the front-line area as thinly as possible and meeting the German attack on his second line of defense. His plan succeeded, and MacArthur was awarded
9831-582: The study of the campaigns of the American Civil War was replaced with the study of those of World War I. In History class, more emphasis was placed on the Far East. MacArthur expanded the sports program, increasing the number of intramural sports and requiring all cadets to participate. He allowed upper class cadets to leave the reservation, and sanctioned a cadet newspaper, The Brag , forerunner of today's West Pointer . He also permitted cadets to travel to watch their football team play, and gave them
9944-674: The war, MacArthur accepted the surrender of Japan on 2 September 1945. As the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers and effective ruler of Japan, he oversaw the war crimes tribunals and the demilitarization and democratization of the country under its new constitution , introducing women's rights, labor unions, land reform, and civil liberties. In 1948, MacArthur made a brief bid for the Republican Party 's nomination in that year's presidential election . During
10057-418: Was a congressional inquiry. MacArthur was called to appear before a special Congressional committee in 1901, where he testified against cadets implicated in hazing, but downplayed his own hazing even though the other cadets gave the full story to the committee. Congress subsequently outlawed acts "of a harassing, tyrannical, abusive, shameful, insulting or humiliating nature", although hazing continued. MacArthur
10170-497: Was a corporal in Company B in his second year, a first sergeant in Company A in his third year and First Captain in his final year. He played left field for the baseball team and academically earned 2424.12 merits out of a possible 2470.00 or 98.14%, which was the third-highest score ever recorded. He graduated first in his 93-man class on 11 June 1903. At the time it was customary for the top-ranking cadets to be commissioned into
10283-545: Was a lesson I never forgot. Preparedness is the key to success and victory." MacArthur entered West Point on 13 June 1899, and his mother moved to a suite at Craney's Hotel, which overlooked the grounds of the academy. Hazing was widespread at West Point at this time, and MacArthur and his classmate Ulysses S. Grant III were singled out for special attention by Southern cadets as sons of generals with mothers living at Craney's. When Cadet Oscar Booz left West Point after being hazed and subsequently died of tuberculosis, there
10396-649: Was abandoned by the United States, leaving its facilities to the Japanese invaders. The complex was not used by the United States or Philippine Commonwealth armed forces during the Philippines Campaign (1944–45) , and the airfields were returned to the Del Monte Pineapple Corporation. MacArthur evacuation memorial at the site of the Del Monte Field, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, Philippines, The present-day airstrip of
10509-569: Was able to calm the situation, but his subsequent efforts to improve the salaries of Filipino troops were frustrated by financial stringency and racial prejudice. On 17 January 1925, at the age of 44, he was promoted, becoming the Army's youngest major general. Returning to the U.S., MacArthur took command of the IV Corps Area , based at Fort McPherson in Atlanta, Georgia, on 2 May 1925. However, he encountered southern prejudice because he
10622-569: Was an American military leader who served as a top commander during World War II and the Korean War , achieving the rank of General of the Army . He served with distinction in World War I ; as Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1930 to 1935; as Supreme Commander, Southwest Pacific Area , from 1942 to 1945 during WWII; as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers overseeing the occupation of Japan from 1945 to 1951; and as head of
10735-418: Was becoming increasingly difficult to service the B-17s with the inadequate facilities at Del Monte. There were no spare parts, engines, or propellers for the B-17s in the Philippines; damaged B-17s had to be cannibalized to keep the bombers flying. The only tools were those in the possession of the crews. The men who worked on the planes all night often got no rest the next day because of air alerts. On some days
10848-677: Was born 26 January 1880, at Little Rock Barracks in Arkansas , to Arthur MacArthur Jr. , a U.S. Army captain , and his wife, Mary Pinkney Hardy MacArthur (nicknamed "Pinky"). Arthur Jr. was a son of Scottish-born jurist and politician Arthur MacArthur Sr. Arthur Jr. would later receive the Medal of Honor for his actions with the Union Army in the Battle of Missionary Ridge during the American Civil War , and be promoted to
10961-536: Was discovered by the Japanese on December 18, 1941 and attacked the following day by Japanese planes based on the carrier Ryujo . On December 22, 1941, 9 B-17's from Batchelor Field near Darwin, Northern Territory , Australia , attacked shipping in Davao Bay, Mindanao Island and landed at Del Monte. The next day 4 B-17s took off from Del Monte after midnight and bombed enemy shipping in Lingayen Gulf . On
11074-668: Was first selected in September 1941 as an emergency landing strip on Mindanao, capable of landing four-engine B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers during the May to October wet season. It was built on a natural meadow on the Del Monte Pineapple Corporation plantation along the Sayre Highway , in the municipality of Maluko (now Manolo Fortich ) of Bukidnon Province in northern Mindanao. The población of
11187-667: Was forced to settle out of court, secretly paying Pearson $ 15,000 (equivalent to $ 267,000 in 2023). In the 1932 presidential election , Herbert Hoover was defeated by Franklin D. Roosevelt . MacArthur and Roosevelt had worked together before World War I and had remained friends despite their political differences. MacArthur supported the New Deal through the Army's operation of the Civilian Conservation Corps . He ensured that detailed plans were drawn up for its employment and decentralized its administration to
11300-550: Was gassed. He recovered in time to show Secretary Baker around the area on 19 March. Upon the recommendation of Menoher, MacArthur was awarded his first "star" when he was promoted to brigadier general on 26 June. At the age of just thirty-eight, this made him, at the time, the youngest general in the AEF. This would remain the case until October when two other men, Lesley J. McNair and Pelham D. Glassford , both being thirty-five, also received promotion to brigadier generals. Around
11413-610: Was instrumental in quelling the Philippine Scout Mutiny . In 1925, MacArthur became the Army's youngest major general at the age of 45, and in 1930 was appointed Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army. He was involved in the controversial expulsion of the Bonus Army protesters from Washington, D.C., in 1932, and took charge of the Civilian Conservation Corps . In 1935, MacArthur became the Military Advisor to
11526-512: Was much in need of reform. Accepting the post, "one of the most prestigious in the army", also allowed MacArthur to retain his rank of brigadier general (which was only temporary and for the duration of the war), instead of being reduced to his substantive rank of major like many of his contemporaries. When MacArthur moved into the superintendent's house with his mother, he became the youngest superintendent since Sylvanus Thayer in 1817. However, whereas Thayer had faced opposition from outside
11639-522: Was named valedictorian , with a final year average of 97.33 out of 100. MacArthur's father and grandfather unsuccessfully sought to secure Douglas a presidential appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point, first from Grover Cleveland and then from William McKinley ; both were rejected. He later passed the examination for an appointment from Congressman Theobald Otjen , scoring 93.3. He later wrote: "It
11752-762: Was promoted to captain in February 1911 and was appointed as head of the Military Engineering Department and the Field Engineer School. He participated in exercises at San Antonio , Texas, with the Maneuver Division in 1911 and served in Panama on detached duty in January and February 1912. The sudden death of their father on 5 September 1912 brought Douglas and his brother Arthur back to Milwaukee to care for their mother, whose health had deteriorated. MacArthur requested
11865-567: Was raised on Army posts in the Old West . He was valedictorian of the West Texas Military Academy and First Captain at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he graduated first in his class in 1903 . During the 1914 U.S. occupation of Veracruz , he conducted a reconnaissance mission for which he was nominated for the Medal of Honor. In 1917, he was promoted from major to colonel and became chief of staff of
11978-426: Was replaced and returned to the 84th Infantry Brigade, with Major General Clement Flagler , his former battalion commander from Fort Leavenworth days before the war, instead taking command. It is possible that he may have retained command of the 42nd had he been promoted to major general (making him the youngest in the U.S. Army) but, with the sudden cessation of hostilities, that was unlikely. General Peyton C. March ,
12091-504: Was retroactively awarded to those who had been awarded Silver Citation Stars. On 9 March, the 42nd Division launched three raids of its own on German trenches in the Salient du Feys. MacArthur accompanied a company of the 168th Infantry . This time, his leadership was rewarded with the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC). A few days later, MacArthur, who was strict about his men carrying their gas masks but often neglected to bring his own,
12204-511: Was sent to Iloilo , where he supervised the construction of a wharf at Camp Jossman . He conducted surveys at Tacloban City , Calbayog and Cebu City . In November 1903, while working on Guimaras , he was ambushed by a pair of Filipino brigands or guerrillas; he shot and killed both. He was promoted to first lieutenant in Manila in April 1904. In October 1904, his tour of duty was cut short when he contracted malaria and dhobi itch during
12317-457: Was the division's key sparkplug, prime motivator, and individual most responsible for its creation. Competent, efficient, innovative, highly intelligent, and tirelessly energetic, as division chief of staff MacArthur appeared everywhere, at all hours – badgering, cajoling, inspiring, intervening, and attending to every detail, large and small. The 42nd Division's initial training emphasized open-field combat rather than trench warfare . It sailed in
12430-606: Was the last time he saw his brother Arthur, who died suddenly from appendicitis in December 1923. In June 1923, MacArthur assumed command of the 23rd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Division . On 7 July 1924, he was informed that a mutiny had broken out amongst the Philippine Scouts over grievances concerning pay and allowances. Over 200 were arrested and there were fears of an insurrection. MacArthur
12543-532: Was the son of a Union Army officer, and requested to be relieved. A few months later, he assumed command of the III Corps area, based at Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland, which allowed MacArthur and Louise to move to her Rainbow Hill estate near Garrison, Maryland . However, this relocation also led to what he later described as "one of the most distasteful orders I ever received": a direction to serve on
12656-422: Was to operate from fields near Darwin, using Del Monte as an advance base from which to strike enemy targets in the Philippines. The planes were immediately prepared for the long flight southward, and on December 15 the first group of B-17s left Del Monte airfield. By the following evening ten of the bombers had reached Batchelor Field outside Darwin. They had left Mindanao none too soon, as the complex of airfields
12769-750: Was to prepare the U.S. team for the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, where the Americans won the most medals. Upon returning to the U.S., MacArthur received orders to assume command of the Philippine Department . This time, the general travelled alone. On 17 June 1929, while he was in Manila, Louise obtained a divorce, ostensibly on the grounds of "failure to provide". In view of Louise's great wealth, William Manchester described this legal fiction as "preposterous". Both later acknowledged
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