Tag Archives: Douglas MacArthur

Celebrate Gen. Douglas MacArthur birthday on Saturday

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GenMacArthurOn January 26, 1880, Douglas MacArthur was born in the Arsenal Building while his father was stationed at the Little Rock Barracks.  Though he left Arkansas a few weeks later when his father was transferred, he returned to his birthplace on March 23, 1952. On that day he was greeted by crowds welcoming one of the USA’s most famous military figures.

On January 26, 2013, the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History will celebrate the five-star General’s 133rd birthday with a special program by Dr. Paul Fair.  Dr. Fair was the only Arkansan among the original members of the General MacArthur Honor Guard.  He is now one of the Honor Guards’ few surviving members.  He will share his reminiscences of guarding the MacArthur family in the Philippines and Japan.

There will be refreshments and birthday cake. This event begins at 12:00 noon, with Dr. Fair to speak at 1:00 p.m.

The MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History was created to interpret our state’s military heritage from its territorial period to the present.

Located in the historic Tower Building of the Little Rock Arsenal–the birthplace of General Douglas MacArthur–the museum preserves the contributions of Arkansas men and women who served in the armed forces.

Exhibits feature artifacts, photographs, weapons, documents, uniforms and other military items that vividly portray Arkansas’s military history at home and abroad.

Memorial Day — Remembering Arkansas’ Fallen Military Heroes

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Though it is not open today, Memorial Day is a good time to be reminded of one of Little Rock’s museum treasures.  Located in the historic Arsenal Tower in MacArthur Park, the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History honors the Arkansans who have served in the armed forces.  Exhibits feature artifacts, photographs, weapons, documents, uniforms and other military items that vividly portray Arkansas’s military history at home and abroad.

The exhibits include “Through the Camera’s Eye: The Allison Collection of World War II Photographs,” “Alger Cade Gun,” “By the President in the Name of Congress: Arkansas’ Medal of Honor Recipients,” “Camden Expedition,” “Conflict and Crisis: The MacArthur-Truman Controversy,” “David Owen Dodd,” “In Search of Pancho Villa: the Mexican Punitive Expedition of 1916,” “The Forgotten War: Arkansas and the Korean War,” “From Turbulence to Tranquility: The Little Rock Arsenal,” “The Sun Never Sets on the Mighty Jeep: The Jeep During World War II,” “War and Remembrance: The 1911 United Confederate Veterans Reunion, “The War to End All Wars: Arkansas Fights World War I.”

The MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History is a museum of the City of Little Rock.  It is led by executive director Stephan McAteer who works with the MacArthur Military History Museum Commission.  The museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 9am to 4pm, Saturday from 10am to 4pm and Sunday from 1pm to 4pm.

Architeaser – May 7

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Yesterday’s Architeaser showed a Gothic styled lamp on the exterior of Little Rock’s Christ Episcopal Church. though this building was not standing at the time, this was the church where Douglas MacArhtur was baptized as an infant.

Here is today’s Architeaser. It is another lamp, but of a more recent architectural style than Gothic. It (and it’s twin) may be the only lamps in Little Rock with purple-tinted glass.

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Time to Return to MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History

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Tomorrow afternoon (2/16), the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History will open a new exhibit on the life and career of General Douglas MacArthur.  The building which houses the museum was the birthplace of the future five star general.  As a part of the reception, a new painting will be unveiled in commemoration of the 136th anniversary of his birth.

The reception is from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on February 16 at the museum in historic MacArthur Park.

While at the museum, be sure and check out A Splendid Little War: Arkansas and the Spanish-American War which runs through April.  It explores America’s role in the brief war with Spain over territory, the destruction of the “USS Maine” and the many Arkansans who volunteered for service during the war. On display are uniforms, weapons, a battle flag from the 2nd Arkansas Volunteer Infantry, memorabilia surrounding the war and many other artifacts used by Arkansans serving in the war.

He Did Return

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Today marks the birthday of one of Little Rock’s most reluctant native sons.  Douglas MacArthur was rarely at a loss for words, opinions, or nerve.  But when it came to admitting he was born in Little Rock, he was, reticent.

MacArthur was born in Arkansas by mistake. His mother, the product of multiple generations of Virginia breeding, had wanted all of her children born in Virginia. His father, being a career military man, was stationed in a variety of places outside of Virginia. Thus, the problem.

Mrs. MacArthur was not able to get back to Virginia from her husband’s new assignment in Little Rock. So on January 26, 1880, Douglas MacArthur was born in Little Rock at the U.S. Army Arsenal.  He would be baptized at Christ Episcopal Church, but the family left Little Rock in June 1880.

MacArthur would not visit Arkansas again until 1952 when he was testing the waters for a potential Presidential bid.  At the time, Little Rock had its first (and to date only) Republican Mayor in Pratt C.  Remmel.  The park which now stood where the former military arsenal was located had been named in MacAthur’s honor in 1942.

In the 1952 visit, MacArthur made a speech from the Foster Bandshell in MacArthur Park. He also visited Christ Episcopal Church, though the existing building had been built after his baptism.

The only structure remaining from the Arsenal, the Tower Building, is purportedly the building in which MacArthur was born.  Since 2001, that building has housed the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History.  That museum is dedicated to telling Arkansas’ military history past from territorial days onward. While it does have an exhibit about MacArthur, the museum is not solely dedicated to him.

A previous tenant of the building, the then-Museum of Science and Natural History, hosted the premiere of a movie about General MacArthur entitled MacArthur. Gregory Peck played the five star general and attended the premiere.  Though partially inspired by the success of Patton earlier in the decade, this film was not as successful.

General MacArthur is also featured as one of the twenty-five Medal of Honor recipients with Arkansas connections.  The Arkansas State Capitol features a memorial to the honorees.