No Substitute for Victory: Lessons in Strategy and Leadership from General Douglas Macarthur

Taps

Before dawn on April 16, 1951, an estimated one million Japanese citizens lined the route to the airport to bid farewell to MacArthur and his family. It was a show of respect and admiration that would be repeated many times in the months ahead.

In Honolulu, 100,000 islanders turned out for the first welcome home. On April 17, 1951, MacArthur set foot on the U.S. mainland for the first time in 14 years. A half-million San Franciscans turned the short trip from the airport into a parade.

MacArthur proceeded to Washington, where he addressed a joint session of Congress on April 19. Millions of Americans watched MacArthur deliver his now-famous “Old Soldiers Never Die” speech on television. Congressman wept; the applause went on for many minutes. ...