What did MacArthur mean by "bombing half a bridge"?

[Francis C.]

When MacArthur reputedly said he didn't know how to bomb half a bridge,
was he talking metaphorically (about running a limited war), or, was
he speaking literally - as in destroying exactly half the bridge over
the River Yalu?

[JTEM]

Either you take out a bridge or you don't.

There's no such thing as bombing only "Half
a bridge." It's like killing only half of
someone's body.


-- --

http://jtem.tumblr.com

[Don Phillipson]

"Francis C." <f...@fc.com> wrote in message news:kjna1n$e1f$4...@dont-email.me...

We need a source of course: but we remember MacArthur was given
in 1950 strict instructions to permit no warlike behavior beyond Korean
territory (viz. on the Chinese side of the the Yalu R.) Whatever he said,
and exactly when, must be placed in the context of:
1. Known failure of MacArthur's intelligence staff to foresee Chinese
intervention and either warn Washington or prepare soldiers in the
field. MacArthur had personal incentives to cover this up.
2. MacArthur's general personality, disliking and resisting restrictive
orders from senior command. (He was dismissed in 1951 for
deliberate disobedience of a direct order.)
--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

[micky]

I heard an interview with a book author fairly recently maintaining
that Korea wasn't the first time he disobeyed orders (or at least went
beyond his orders. I don't remember all the details, but maybe as I
reread this stuff, I will.)

In 1932 when Herbert Hoover was still President and the Depression in
the US had already put a lot of people out of work for years, the
so-called Bonus Army assembled in DC to ask for early payment of WWI
bonuses, issued in 1924 but not redeemable until 1945.

Well, I'm not going to find it in Wikip, which doesn't find any fault
with his actions: " On July 28, U.S. Attorney General William D.
Mitchell ordered the veterans removed from all government property.
Washington police met with resistance, shots were fired and two
veterans were wounded and later died. Veterans were also shot dead at
other locations during the demonstration. President Herbert Hoover
then ordered the army to clear the veterans' campsite. Army Chief of
Staff General Douglas MacArthur commanded the infantry and cavalry
supported by six tanks. The Bonus Army marchers with their wives and
children were driven out, and their shelters and belongings burned."

I came in in the middle of the interview, probably on C-SPAN during
their week-end book reviews. If I had known this was a controversy, I
would have paid more attention to the book name and author, but
anyhow, he said that MacArthur was only told to look around and I
suppose stop obvious law-breakers who were going beyond just camping
on public land, and instead MacArthur led his cavalry to break up all
the tents (and there were probably temporary kitchens making oatmeal
and things that are cheap and can be cooked for many people at the
same time) and beating them over their heads, and as it says, killing
several of them.

I never know whether to believe later histories that make someone out
to be bad. If a person wants to be known as a historian, and if a
historian wants to be famous or well-paid, he has to claim something
new. Look at that Oliver guy who made up nonsense about John
Kennedy's death and see how much money he made with his crap. OTOH,
there are cover-ups and it may be that this guy whose name I forget
is right about MacArthur. It's certainly consistent with his behaviour
in Korea.


MacArthur had a strange background. When he went to West Point, his
mother moved into a hotel next to the Academy and she stayed there the
entire 4 years. Although at least one other cadet had his mother
there too! When I toured West Point, they gave more details. A fun
tour. Best to go on one of the Sundays that they have Formation, but
tours are almost every day.

[Danny D.]

On Mon, 08 Apr 2013 17:49:18 -0400 micky wrote:

> it may be that this guy whose name I forget is right about MacArthur.
> It's certainly consistent with his behaviour in Korea.

MacArthur was a self-serving pompous egomaniac who, in a notably long
military career, cowed more than one president.

But, in the end, he:
a) Lost the Philippines <=== planes caught napping on the ground
b) Won back the Philippines <=== I shall return
c) Won over Japan <=== he ruled, rather wisely, as an emperor
d) Lost South Korea <=== pushed into Pusang
e) Won back South Korea <=== his one moment of risky gamble + genius
f) Stalemated South Korea <=== gambled too much on the lack of Chinese

Had he retired after Incheon, he'd only have the initial devastating loss
of the Phillipines and S. Korea on his record, with subsequent face-
saving winbacks.

But, he feigned to be Emperor of China; and that, is his memory.