The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.

Born on January 26, 1880, Douglas MacArthur came to be best known for his command of Allied forces during Word War ll.

On December 8, 1941, MacArthur’s air force was destroyed due to a Japanese surprise attack. Forced to retreat, MacArthur and his team left to the Bataan peninsula, where MacArthur and his team struggled to survive. Despite harsh conditions, MacArthur promised, “I shall return.”

By April of 1942 MacArthur was appointed supreme commander of Allied Forces , and was awarded the Medal of Honor for his resilient defense of the Philippines. Shortly after, he spent just over two years in charge of the island-hopping campaign. By 1944, he returned to liberate the Philippines.

MacArthur famously said, “I have returned. By the grace of the Almighty God, our forces stand again on Philippine soil.”

Just two years later after being appointed to supreme commander of Allied Forces, MacArthur was promoted to general of the Army and soon thereafter he was given command of all Army forces in the Pacific.

After Japans surrender on September 2, 1945, MacArthur oversaw the demobilization of Japan’s military forces and many reforms.

MacArthur’s return to the U.S was filled with parades in order to honor his heroism and success as a general. Through a televised address regarding President Truman’s policies, he uttered the famous words: “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.”

In 1952, many called on MacArthur to run for president as a Republican; however, Dwight Eisenhower became the face of the Republican party. Later that year, MacArthur became chairman of Remington Rand, a maker of electrical equipment and business machines.

MacArthur eventually passed on April 5, 1964.