General of the Army Douglas MacArthur KCB (January 26, 1880 – April 5, 1964), was an American general and Field Marshal of the Philippines Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and later played a prominent role in the Pacific theater of World War II, receiving the Medal of Honor. He was designated to command the invasion of Japan in November 1945 but accepted their surrender on September 2, 1945.
MacArthur oversaw the occupation of Japan from 1945 to 1951 and is credited for making far-ranging democratic changes. He led the United Nations Command forces defending South Korea in 1950–1951 against North Korea's invasion. MacArthur was removed from command by President Harry S Truman in April 1951 for insubordination, for failure to follow Presidential directives.
He is credited with the military dictum, "In war, there is no substitute for victory." MacArthur fought in three major wars (World War I, World War II, Korean War) and was one of only five men ever to rise to the rank of General of the Army.