MacArthur April 19, 1951 Address to Joint Session of Congress

4 months ago
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Since today is General Douglas MacArthur's 144th birthday (born Jan. 26, 1880), I am posting some of his recordings. This recording is General McArthur addressing a Joint Session to Congress, after he was fired by President Harry Truman. The events which led to McArthur firing was:
The Chinese had entered the war and whereas MacArthur said at the conference that the boys will be home by Christmas, well, that was when the Chinese entered the war and in President Truman’s blunt words, "kicked the living hell out of us." Truman felt that MacArthur was forgetting who the president of the United States was. After Truman consulted with General George C. Marshall and General Omar Bradley on what to do, Truman said, "Alright, Fire the son of a bitch."

MacArthur was relieved of his duties and came home to a hero’s welcome. President Truman was being highly criticized in Congress by Joseph McCarthy, William Jenner, and Richard Nixon for the decision. The date of this broadcast is April 19, 1951.

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