Whatever happend to Arthur MacArthur?

Arthur was named after his famous grandfather, a Civil War veteran, Arthur MacArthur. He was the only child of General Douglas MacArthur and Jean Marie Faircloth.

Arthur MacArthur did not attend West Point like his father and went to Columbia University instead.

After his father’s death in 1964, Arthur reportedly moved to the other side of Manhattan and changed his name to conceal his identity. He had a keen interest in music, literature, arts and the theatre. William Manchester, author of “American Caesar: Douglas MacArthur" said that Arthur was "a fugitive from his father’s relentless love.”

If you would like to know much more about Arthur MacArthur
you may be interested in my above E-Book
which provides an interesting insight into Arthur
MacArthur's time in Australia during WWII.

The following are the Chapter titles from my E-Book on Arthur MacArthur. Lots of interesting details and stories and lots of photos:-

BREAKING NEWS - Has Arthur been found?
For more details purchase my E-Book

Arthur MacArthur, only son of World War II hero General Douglas MacArthur, escaped the limelight many years ago by adopting another name. Today, at 65, he's living in New York City, still leading his own life - in what might well be termed "relative" obscurity.

He covered his tracks so well that my wife, Jerry, and I took more than a month to discover that much about him.

Back in 1942, Jerry, formerly Staff-Sergeant E.F. Germaine, of the Australian Women's Army Service, was a member of General MacArthur's office staff in Brisbane, Australia. A few weeks ago, at the age of 87, she wrote a nostalgic story, "Where Is Arthur MacArthur?" which was published in our local newspaper, the New South Wales Central Coast Herald:-

Where is Arthur MacArthur?

When four-year-old Arthur MacArthur stretched out an arm to pat Prince, the beautiful white German Shepherd I was holding on a leash, the two U.S. Army sergeants guarding General Douglas MacArthur's wife and young son drew their pistols, ready to shoot the dog if it as much as licked the boy's hand.

Fortunately, Jean MacArthur recognised me, and assured her minders that her son was in no danger of being attacked.

The scene was a public park in Brisbane, Australia's third largest city, in 1942. The General, Supreme Allied Commander in the Southwest Pacific, had his operational headquarters in Brisbane from 1942 to 1944. His office was on the eighth floor of what is now the heritage listed MacArthur Chambers in the city's central business district.

As a Brisbane-born staff-sergeant in the Australian Women's Army Service (AWAS), I was attached to his office staff. I think he selected me ahead of American personnel because I could take a shorthand record of his dictation (mostly Top Secret) at 200 words a minute, and type it out at 120 words a minute.

I had often spoken to Jean MacArthur and her son when they visited the office, so they had given me a friendly wave when they spotted me walking past the park, exercising a friend's German Shepherd on one of my all-too-rare rest days.

Jean must have reported the drawn guns episode to the General, because he issued instructions that in future her guards were not to interfere with me and my dog. After that, whenever we met, they saluted and addressed me as "Ma'am," but still kept a wary watch on Prince.

I remember Arthur as a polite and well-behaved little boy, although Harold Tichman, one of his Australian bodyguards, is said to described him as "a terror of a kid," who once had kicked him, leaving a long-lasting mark on his leg.

Jean was a tiny person, even shorter than me (and I was just 5ft. 2in. in those days). Her dress size was SSW (very hard to find during the war).

Shortly before the General died in 1964, he described Jean as "my constant friend, sweetheart and devoted supporter." After his death, AP reported, she remained active in theatre, opera, civic and philanthropic pursuits and served as honorary chairman of the Norfolk, Virginia, foundation created as a memorial to her husband.

"Jean MacArthur has witnessed the great cataclysms of our time, survived war and peace, conquered tragedy and known triumph," President Reagan said in awarding her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1988. The citation for the medal, the nation's highest civilian award, called her "a shining example, a woman of substance and character, a loyal wife and mother, and like her general, a patriot."

Jean died on January 22, 2000, aged 101. She was buried alongside the General at the MacArthur Memorial in Virginia, an old domed building that is part of a complex which includes the Jean MacArthur Research Center, where her husband's archives are held.

From time to time over the last 60 years, I've wondered what became of young Arthur MacArthur. He received so much publicity in the 1940s, as the son and grandson of two famous generals, that it seems he has chosen to disappear from public gaze.

Searching the internet the other day, I found an interesting story, "Where Is General MacArthur's Son?" written some years ago by Oscar Samuel Roloff (1918-1999) for the Woodinville Weekly in Washington state. It said:-

"In 1950, a colleague and I were the two-man press team for VADM [Vice Admiral] Turner Joy, Commander Naval Forces, Far East, in Tokyo, Japan. Our top boss was the flamboyant General Douglas MacArthur, who ruled from his high Tokyo tower over his family, friends, and foes. No one dared challenge his dictates."

"One day, he ruled that his son, Arthur, 12, would take a warship ride from Yokosuka to Tokyo. Col. S.C. Huff, aide de camp to the General, was ordered to go along and watch the kid's every move, to protect him. During this stint, my colleague boarded the ship to take photos. I took some, too."

"I watched the lad, who seemed entirely uninterested, ill at ease, as he sat on a forward bitt [bollard]. No sailor was allowed to talk with him. His dad had ruled his son would go to West Point, become a General, and possibly some day be awarded the Medal of Honor as his Dad and Grandpa had received for bravery."

"As I studied the lad, and later took down the file folder of the photos we had taken, I studied them and came to the same conclusion. The kid wanted to march to a different drummer--not his Dad's drum. He was a sensitive lad, one who had his own ideas of what he wanted to do, wanted to be."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Why should we be in such desperate haste to succeed, and in such desperate enterprises? If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.-- Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Where is Arthur MacArthur right now? I found this possible answer on a Fayetteville Observer (North Carolina) webpage: "Whatever happened to Gen. MacArthur's son? Did he go into the military? - H.P., Pinehurst ... A: No, he didn't. Instead, [he] became a concert pianist and writer, according to June Weatherly."

I found one other clue on the internet. In an article about the Spanish-born artist Juvenal Sanso, Philippine novelist, poet, playwright, and essayist Nick Joaquin wrote: "One hears that General MacArthur's son is now an artist in Greenwich Village, but one doubts he's doing any recollections of the Manila of his childhood."

I suppose he can't recollect our Brisbane park encounter either. If he reads this story, I'd like him to know that, after all these years, I still have fond memories of him and his mother, and hope that he has found happiness in following the beat of that different drummer.

After that story was published, Jerry and I began a long search of the internet, leading to dozens of email messages, in a bid to find the answer to her question "Where Is Arthur MacArthur?"

We thought we were hot on Arthur's trail when we discovered a story about Pixie Windsor, owner of Miss Pixie's Furnishing and Whatnot in the May-June 1999 issue of The Washington Flyer, the official magazine of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority:-

But that story proved to be a red herring. We checked it out with MacArthur Memorial archivist James Zobel, in Richmond, Virginia. Was it true, we asked. Had Arthur died in Washington four years ago?

"No," he replied. "This was the estate sale of one of MacArthur's nephews. Included in the estate were the items belonging to his brother, Captain Arthur MacArthur, USN."

Miss Pixie told us: "I was misquoted in that article. The items (and I got a lot!) were from the estate of the nephew of Douglas MacArthur, who served as Ambassador to Belgium."

We hit pay dirt when we emailed an inquiry to Colonel William J. Davis, USMC (Retired), Executive Director of the General Douglas MacArthur Foundation and The MacArthur Memorial. We asked him what he could tell us about Arthur.

"Arthur lives in New York City and I will send him a copy of your email.," he told us.

Finally, we discovered the existence of a worldwide Arthur clan, which traces its origins back to King Arthur, and embraces hundreds of MacArthurs, spelt in various ways. It issues a quarterly newsletter called The Round Table.

So we emailed its editor, Bob McArtor, who lives in Alexandria, Virginia, and he replied:-

Paul Reeder contacted me in January 2011, to say that he remembered Arthur MacArthur IV going to his school, Capitol Heights Jr. High, in Montgomery, Alabama in about 1951. Paul Reeder had a faint recollection of Arthur. He said he remembers "he had dark brown hair, lean build. A talker. But that was so long ago I am 73 now and then I was around 13 or 14." Paul Redder attended the school from September 1950 until May 1952.

Charles Canada, Junior was the son of General Douglas MacArthur's new physician. Are you related to Charles? Please contact me.

The Pittsburgh's Press - April 8, 1946

8-year-old MacArthur Son
Composes Two Piano Pieces

Arthur Considered Musical Prodigy,
Needs New Teacher for Advanced Study

TOKYO, April 8 (UP) - Arthur MacArthur, 8-year-old son of Gen. Douglas MacArthur, has written two compositions for the piano. He is considered by those close to the family to be a musical prodigy.

"He loves music and practices for hours at a time on his own initiative," said one of the few persons able to penetrate the screen of secrecy Gen. MacArthur maintains around his son.

"Little Arthur takes to music naturally." This person said. "He has a good sense of rhythm and everybody says he is very musical."

The boy has been taking music lessons since he was 4 1/2 years old.

His family feels he has progressed to such a point that he needs a new teacher for more advanced work. His present instructor is from Manila.

Arthur's two compositions were described as "pleasant little melodies." However, some people said they were of a rather complicated nature. The boy has not named them yet.

Little Arthur is said to have a particular fondness for classical music. Much of the music he plays is of this kind. He has mastered some of the works of Chopin and other classical composers.

Gen MacArthur's son likes to play the piano for guests who call at his home. On several occasions he has played for GI friends of his father.

If you would like to know much more about Arthur MacArthur
you may be interested in my above E-Book
which provides an interesting insight into Arthur
MacArthur's time in Australia during WWII.

I'd like to thank Del Ipsen and Judy Henderson for their assistance with this web page.

I'd like to thank Eric Shackle for allowing me to use the above story on my web page.

Eric Shackle is a retired journalist whose hobby is searching the Internet and writing about it. He is author of The World's First Multi-National e-Book, http://bdb.co.za/shackle. His work has been published by the New York Times (U.S.), Globe and Mail (Canada), Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) and Straits Times (Singapore). He writes a regular column for senior citizen webzines in U.S., Canada, South Africa and Australia, and is copy editor of Anu Garg's U.S.-based A Word A Day free newsletter, which is e-mailed five days a week to more than half a million wordlovers in 210 countries.

I would like to thank Charlie Gall of Toowoomba for his assistance with this web page. I would also like to thank John Bray and Rod Bechtel for their assistance with this web page.

I'd like to thank Marty Gruss for his assistance with this web page. Marty is the son of Jack Gruss, who was in MacArthur's Honor Guard in Tokyo after WWII. Marty Gruss is also keen to chat with Arthur MacArthur.

I'd also like to thank Ken Cox and Karen Nunan for their assistance with this web page.