Bruno

I didn't know a lot about this general, but after reading about the Buna-Gona campaign I really hated him.(Go to http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/...pua/index.html for reference)

Australian and USA soldiers condemned to fight against the japanese with the worst possible tactics and equipment, denied artillery because "in the jungle the airplane is the artillery", pushed on in suicidal attacks.
General Harding sacked for telling the truth, and never rehabilitated (same fate for a lot of subordinate commanders of the 32nd infantry division), men sick with malaria and fever, demoralized because their lives were squandered, belittled and offended like they were cowards...
And on top of it all, the allied and the japs knew that the battle could be won just by starvation, but MacArthur forcing his men to attack and die because he needed a success for the press.

Really an awful man and a mediocre leader.

diddyriddick

He also wasn't very good in the Philippines in 41-42.
Military History Online - MacArthur's Failures in the Philippines

Nor at the Yalu.
Korean War: General MacArthur and China's Plan to Intervene

In my humble opinion, he is the single most overrated military man in American history.

Yankee

His father is pretty awesome

Sam-Nary

And yet in WW2, from the advance from New Guinea to the Philippines and V-J Day, MacArthur lost fewer men than Eisenhower did in the Battle of the Bulge. He was personally brave, even to the point of being reckless, including actions at the Leyte landings where he advanced beyond his own lines and could have been shot dead by Japanese snipers. And the Inchon landings were a brilliantly executed and planned operation that essentially destroyed the North Korean Army as a fighting force.

Despite his faults, of which there are plenty, MacArthur is probably still one of the best commanders of the WW2 era.

seaofghosts

Yeah, he's one of those people you study just because he's important in the military history of the US/wars, not because he's a cool dude. His early life was kinda interesting, just because he grew up in 19th century New Mexico... but as a general, he disobeyed orders like they meant nothing and overall makes me roll my eyes when I read some of the crap he pulled. I seem to remember him being considered a poor general in my US history class, despite how popular he was at the time (and I suppose still is). People tend to have very mixed feelings about him.

Naomasa298

I glanced at this thread title and I honestly thought it said "I hate MacGyver" for a brief moment.

How true is it that he wanted to drop multiple nuclear weapons on China during the Korean War?

tjadams

Like a lot of military figures, being on a winning side of a titanic
struggle makes it a lot easier to gloss over their mistakes and
shortcomings.

pikeshot1600

MacGyver would have just made atomic bombs out of shampoo and soda bottles. All of the effect with none of the fallout. He was some guy!

Naomasa298

When I said about dropping nuclear bombs on China, I meant MacArthur, not MacGyver.

asnys

Don't forget his actions against the Bonus Army during the 30s! I especially like this bit (from wikipedia):