Wikipedia:Today's featured article/requests/Douglas MacArthur

These two nominations predate the introduction in April 2014 of article-specific subpages for nominations and have been created from the edit history of Wikipedia:Today's featured article/requests.

Douglas MacArthur (for January 2013)[edit]

The following discussion is an archived discussion of the TFAR nomination of the article below. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as Wikipedia talk:Today's featured article/requests). Please do not modify this page unless you are renominating the article at TFAR. For renominations, please add {{collapse top|Previous nomination}} to the top of the discussion and {{collapse bottom}} at the bottom, then complete a new {{TFAR nom}} underneath.

The result was: not scheduled (withdrawn by nominator)

Douglas MacArthur (1880–1964) was an American general who played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor, and was one of only five men to rise to the rank of General of the Army in the U.S. Army, and was the only man to become a field marshal in the Philippine Army. After graduating first in his class from West Point in 1903, he participated in the 1914 United States occupation of Veracruz and served on the Western Front during World War I, becoming the U.S. Army's youngest and most highly decorated major general. Thereafter he held a variety of posts, including Chief of Staff of the United States Army. He retired in 1937, but was recalled to active duty during World War II. After the Japanese invasion of the Philippines, he escaped with his family and staff to Australia, where he became Supreme Commander, Southwest Pacific Area. He fulfilled a famous pledge to return to the Philippines, and officially accepted Japan's surrender on 2 September 1945. He oversaw the occupation of Japan from 1945 to 1951, implementing many reforms, and led the United Nations Command in the Korean War until President Harry Truman had him relieved him of his commands in April 1951. (Full article...)

3 points: Vital article (4 points) + date relevance (1 point) - another article on a Medal of Honor winner (Walker on 5 January) (2 points). After MacArthur returned to the United States in 1951, his former staff and subordinates began gathering together annually at his penthouse at the Waldorf Towers in New York to celebrate his birthday. After his death, they continued to hold a reunion every year, but at varying locations, including a visit to Australia in 1974 hosted by Sir Edmund Herring. Hawkeye7 (talk) 19:59, 19 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Blurb tweaked to c.1,200 characters, feel free to tinker if you feel I've got the balance wrong. Bencherlite ^Talk 20:30, 19 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

- I've tweaked it. 1,194 characters, including spaces. I'd like to mention that his Dad got the medal of honor too, but don't have the characters... Hawkeye7 (talk) 19:52, 20 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Comment: Haven't we had a lot of military figures recently? Birthday is an obvious date, just wondering if we have been a little heavy on military officers, particularly American ones? This isn't an oppose, just a question> Montanabw^(talk) 22:44, 19 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

There were two in December (Jesse Brown and William the Conqueror), and this will make it two in January (with Kenneth Walker). I am one of the guilty parties who writes a lot of military biographies. MacArthur is probably the best known though, and I'm sure the article will attract a great deal of interest. Hawkeye7 (talk) 17:10, 20 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]
True enough about interest, and William the Conqueror is a dramatically different character; just thought there'd been a lot of 20th century military articles recently, so figured I'd raise the issue in case it was an issue. Montanabw^(talk) 18:36, 20 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]
Comment I would have run this on 5 April 2014 (fifty years since death) as there's more date relevance, but I've got no objection to this nom either. Sceptre ^(talk) 23:50, 20 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]
Support MacArthur is quite well known and accomplished a great many things, so there are a number of dates that this would work for. I would be fine with this running on the date suggested. I copyedited the blurb a bit. NW (Talk) 06:35, 21 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]
Oppose. The article has always been too hagiographic. Too often it gives Big Mac the podium with long quotes that are not his most famous. (1. "By profession I am a soldier..." 2. "My strategic conception for the Pacific Theater..." 3. "The Japanese people since the war..." 4. "For five hours I toured the front..." 5. "I am closing my 52 years..." 6. "The shadows are lengthening...") Only the fifth quote should be present, and it should be trimmed down to the most famous bit: "...I now close my military career and just fade away, an old soldier who tried to do his duty as God gave him the light to see that duty." I'm surprised that the biography does not include one of his more famous quotes about the "misguided policy that our country is now geared to an arms economy which was bred in an artificially induced psychosis of war hysteria and nurtured upon an incessant propaganda of fear." That one seems to me more applicable to modern times than rah-rah sentiments about the "hordes of death" and "the battalions of life". In general, Wikiquote is where the lengthy quotes should be taken, not here. The bare statement in Wikipedia's voice, "a later generation would rediscover his philosophy of war, and see it as far-sighted", is just too much, as there is nothing like consensus on Mac's controversial legacy. The word "relief" repeatedly used for him getting fired by Truman is a powder puff replacement for the club Truman used. At the same time, the "Legacy" section does not emphasize quite enough how much respect is given MacArthur today for his guidance over occupied Japan. Binksternet (talk) 01:38, 22 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]
- The word "relief" is technically correct; we went over this ground repeatedly with the dismissal article. It is not true though, that Truman personally relieved him. Hawkeye7 (talk) 04:47, 22 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]
Oppose per Binksternet. I see a lot of unresolved discussion on the article talk page from months ago which could if pursued resolve the issues with this article. I don't feel right meantime in promoting this as our best work. --John (talk) 09:33, 22 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]
Oppose, corncob pipes are cool, but I've gotta agree here with Binksternet (talk · contribs) about concerns with regards to hagiography issues. — Cirt (talk) 02:51, 9 January 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Douglas MacArthur (for January 2014)[edit]

The following discussion is an archived discussion of the TFAR nomination of the article below. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as Wikipedia talk:Today's featured article/requests). Please do not modify this page unless you are renominating the article at TFAR. For renominations, please add {{collapse top|Previous nomination}} to the top of the discussion and {{collapse bottom}} at the bottom, then complete a new {{TFAR nom}} underneath.

The result was: scheduled for Wikipedia:Today's featured article/January 26, 2014 by Bencherlite ^Talk 20:48, 13 January 2014‎ (UTC)[reply]

Douglas MacArthur (1880–1964) was an American general who played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor, as did his father, was one of only five men to rise to the rank of General of the Army in the U.S. Army, and the only man to become a field marshal in the Philippine Army. After graduating first in his West Point class in 1903, he participated in the 1914 occupation of Veracruz and served on the Western Front during World War I, becoming the U.S. Army's youngest major general. Thereafter he held a variety of posts, including Superintendent of West Point and Chief of Staff. He retired in 1937, but was recalled to active duty during World War II. After the Japanese invasion of the Philippines, he escaped with his family and staff to Australia, where he became Supreme Commander, Southwest Pacific Area. He fulfilled a famous pledge to return to the Philippines, and officially accepted Japan's surrender on 2 September 1945. He oversaw the occupation of Japan from 1945 to 1951, implementing many reforms, and led the United Nations Command in the Korean War until President Harry Truman had him relieved him of his commands in April 1951. (Full article...)

5 points: vital article (4 points) + date relevance (1 point), was nominated last year, birthday, or should we wait for next year? --Gerda Arendt (talk) 17:10, 5 January 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Support Next year would have been his 135th birthday, but this won't gain any extra points. Tweaked the summary to add his famous father. Hawkeye7 (talk) 20:30, 5 January 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Support: Quite the lengthy read, but it looks to be in good condition. Praemonitus (talk) 05:45, 6 January 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Support. Read this recently, as McArthur's Japanese constitution has been in the news out here in Japan lately—folks in power are looking at scrapping it so Japan can be a military power again. Will there ever be a war to end all wars? Maybe the closest we can hope for is a war to end all. Curly Turkey (gobble) 06:12, 8 January 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Support. Historical and educational. — Cirt (talk) 02:33, 9 January 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Tagged a couple of deadlinks in the article. Bencherlite ^Talk 14:26, 9 January 2014 (UTC)[reply]
I've repaired the two broken links. Hawkeye7 (talk) 20:14, 9 January 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Excellent work, Hawkeye7. You may now stand at ease... Bencherlite ^Talk 19:57, 10 January 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Support. Cas Liber (talk · contribs) 14:32, 9 January 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Support - great article, great man, soon a great TFA.--ColonelHenry (talk) 18:02, 9 January 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Oppose since the only appropriate date can be 20 October, the date of his return. People of the Philippines: I have returned. By the grace of Almighty God our forces stand again on Philippine soil — soil consecrated in the blood of our two peoples. We have come dedicated and committed to the task of destroying every vestige of enemy control over your daily lives, and of restoring upon a foundation of indestructible strength, the liberties of your people. --Demiurge1000 (talk) 22:33, 10 January 2014 (UTC)[reply]
- What do Gerda Arendt, Hawkeye7, Praemonitus, Curly Turkey, Cirt, Casliber and ColonelHenry think of going for 20th October 2014 as TFA, the 70th anniversary of that event? Bencherlite ^Talk 16:35, 13 January 2014 (UTC)[reply]

I hate the wording in the quotation but am without emotion regarding the date, --Gerda Arendt (talk) 16:43, 13 January 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Reply: I'd just as soon ignore the 20 October request since this stronger-supported 26 January request is just as valid a date among many appropriate dates...5 July 2015 to mark the completion of the liberation of the Philippines (1945), the Japanese surrender on the Missouri, the Thayer Award speech (1962), etc., and respond directly to Demiurge1000 that he/she wants to highlight the return to the Philippines on that date, maybe it would be best to improve to FA status the more relevant Philippines Campaign (1944–45) or Battle of Leyte--something that would be entirely feasible within the next 10 months.--ColonelHenry (talk) 16:50, 13 January 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Reply Agreed. MacArthur's senior officers would gather together every year on his birthday. For many years this was at his apartment in New York, but after his death it was held in various places. Sir Edmund Herring attended the 1973 reunion in Washington, DC, and arranged for the 1974 reunion to be held in Australia. Hawkeye7 (talk) 19:48, 13 January 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Reply - the birthday gatherings make his birthday an apt date. I have no strong opinions though. Cas Liber (talk · contribs) 20:14, 13 January 2014 (UTC)[reply]