General Douglas Macarthur's Farewell Address to Congress Essay

The Vietnam War that commenced on November 1, 1955, and ended on April 30, 1975, took the soldiers through a devastating experience. Many lost their lives while others maimed as the war unfolded into its full magnitude. The book Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam by Bernard Edelman presents a series of letters written by the soldiers to their loved ones and families narrating the ordeals and experiences in the Warfield. In the book, Edelman presents the narrations of over 200 letters reflecting the soldiers’ experiences on the battlefield. While the letters were written many decades ago, they hold great significance as they can mirror the periods and the contexts within which they were sent. This paper takes into account five letters from different timelines and analyzes them against the events that occurred in those periods vis a vis their significance. The conclusion will also have a personal opinion and observation regarding the book and its impacts.

This quote is a good example of Macarthur beginning to lose his trust in anyone. He thought everyone was criticizing him, when in reality they did not know him or his

Dwight David Eisenhower was born on October 14, 1890 in Denison, Texas. He was the third of seven sons from David Jacob and Ida Elizabeth Stover Eisenhower. After his birth

MacArthur was born on an Army base in Little Rock, Arkansas, on January 26, 1880, into a family with military history. When he was born his Dad was a captain , and had been decorated for his service in the Union Army during the Civil War. His Mom's brothers fought for the south during the civil war. The base where he was born was just the first of several military post which he lived as a kid. In 1893 his family moved to San Antonio, Texas, and he attended the West Texas Military Academy. After high school, he enrolled in the military academy at West Point, where he excelled, and in 1903 he graduated with honors. After graduation, MacArthur was commissioned as a junior officer in the Army Corps of Engineers.

George S. Patton was one of the most highly regarded and successful military leaders in the history of the United States. His military career spanned from the expedition into Mexico throughout WWII. His ability to inspire his troops with his profane filled speeches and his position of always leading from the front gained him vast popularity and fame. Many political leaders considered him too controversial and intemperate at times. This reputation often overshadowed his determination and success as a commander. His bravery and many contributions to several of America’s war efforts has established him as one of the greats in American military history.

In view of the specific responsibilities imposed upon me by the Constitution of the United States and the added responsibility which has been entrusted to be by the United Nations, I have decided that I must make a change of command in the Far East. I have, therefore, relieved General MacArthur of his commands and have designated Lt. Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway as his successor” ("Speech Explaining the Fire of MacArthur,”). President Truman’s polls took a massive hit in the next

In President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s farewell address to the nation, he warned the United States to strive for continuous balance so that the power of the military and industrial complex would not harm the democratic process. The goal was to maintain agreement and compromise on issues existing in the current moment, as well as the solutions that would help to shape the nation in the coming future. Understandably proud of this pre-eminence, we yet realize that America’s leadership and prestige depend, not merely upon our unmatched material progress, riches and military strength, but on how we use our power in the interests of world peace and human betterment (Eisenhower, II).

“Your guidepost stands out like a ten-fold beacon in the night”. Our nation’s citizens have the responsibility of defending the nation, and must not be too focused or distracted on other matters. The guidepost of our roles in the nation must stand out compared to all other matters. The intention of MacArthur’s speech, to enforce the moral code, is further emphasized through an allusion to Plato: “Only the dead have seen the end of war”. No matter how close world peace may seem to emerge, fighting in our world will never cease; therefore, our nation requires people to continue fighting and winning wars against enemies. As in the moral code, our duties and honor for the country must not come to a conclusion.

Douglas MacArthur was a US soldier, born in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA. The son of a Union army hero during the Civil War (they are the only father and son to win the Congressional Medal of Honor) and a mother ambitious for his success, he trained at West Point (1903), rose steadily in the army, and demonstrated his bravado on a secret mission to Mexico (1914). In World War 1 he commanded a brigade in combat in France (1918), where he earned a reputation for bravery (wounded three times) as well as foppery - he carried a muffler and a riding crop into the line, but not a helmet or a gas mask. After serving as the superintendent of West Point (1919–22), he completed his second tour of duty in the Philippines.

On the 7th of April 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower gave one historic press conference [1]. In that conference, he announced his so called “Domino Theory”. It was a substantial aspect of the US involvement in the Vietnam War, involvement in terms of its military support and methods used in Vietnam. Even though it was greatly enhanced by other factors, such as the Gulf of Tonkin Incident, it was the trigger, and therefore the source of all US involvement in the Vietnam War. The main rationale of the theory was that if one country fell down to communism, all the surrounding countries would do the same, hence why it was called the ‘Domino’ Theory. Eisenhower thought that Vietnam’s fall to communism would lead to consequential communist uprisings in neighboring countries, such as Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. He also that that it could possibly extend as far as India, Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Australia and New Zealand -[1]. This gave The US enough motivation, and more importantly, justification as to why they greatly increased military presence in Vietnam. Eisenhower said, “The possible consequences of the loss [of Indochina] are just incalculable to the free world.” [2]. Even though the theory was imprecise, and only Laos and Cambodia joined communism after the US lost the war, it was significant as the foundation of the US involvement in the conflict.

of a small boat assigned to the battle in the Pacific against the Japanese. After World War II he soon decided to run for political office. In 1946, he was elected to the U.S.

While he was stationed at Tonapah in Nevada, he received a congressional appointment to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. He was to be discharged from the Army report to the Naval Academy in on April 15, 1945.

Went back home so he could be commander charge of the carrier Akagi in 1928.

The older MacArthur, became a prominent general during the Spanish-American War and a revolt against U.S. control of the Philippines.

The paper flows well I can see that you admire what MacArthur spoke about. The approach you made to historical context was great it really made me aware of why the speech was so important when and where it was presented. However you should include a thesis statement in your introductory paragraph, which will give readers a preview of exactly what the paper is going to focus on. You should make your paper a little more clear, it seems like you only talked about ethos. I could not easily identify were you talked about pathos and logos in your paper. The quote in the second paragraph that states “the code of conduct and chivalry of those who guard this beloved land of culture and ancient descent.” should be supported a little more by explaining its significance.