During the Meuse-Argone offensive in 1918, Col. Douglas MacArthur, while chief-of-staff of the 42nd RAINBOW Div, got separated from his men behind German lines, and with his non-regulation uniform was nearly shot as a German officer by a wandering patrol from the 1st ID before they contacted HQ who confirmed his identity. On another occasion, he suffered thru a gas attack and was nearly blinded.
Now WI MacArthur in either of these instances had been killed- say if the 1st ID patrol accidentally opened fire prematurely, or if he was fatally wounded or ended up permanently incapacitated from the gas attack ? How would later hist have looked without MacArthur and his inspiring leadership thruout WWII in the SWPA and in Korea ? Would there have been any other American military leader of the same stature who may've been a worthy alternative ?
Now WI MacArthur in either of these instances had been killed- say if the 1st ID patrol accidentally opened fire prematurely, or if he was fatally wounded or ended up permanently incapacitated from the gas attack ? How would later hist have looked without MacArthur and his inspiring leadership thruout WWII in the SWPA and in Korea ? Would there have been any other American military leader of the same stature who may've been a worthy alternative ?