Description:

MacArthur Douglas



Douglas MacArthur and THE BOMB:  "The Manhattan Project Represented the Greatest Development of Military Power Since the Invention of Gunpowder"

 

Single page typed letter signed, 8" x 10.5". Boldly signed by Douglas MacArthur "Douglas Mac Arthur", and dated "April 17, 1962".  Fine condition with a dark, vibrant signature. Expected folds. Accompanied by a copy of General Leslie Groves' book referenced in the TLS, Now It Can Be Told, The Story of the Manhattan Project.

 

MacArthur writes to General Leslie Groves, instrumental developer and director of "The Bomb" and the Manhattan Project, thanking him for his just published book Now It Can Be Told, The Story of The Manhattan Project.  MacArthur commanded the Southwest Pacific in World War II (1939-1945), and oversaw the successful Allied occupation of postwar Japan.  A larger-than-life, controversial figure, MacArthur was talented, outspoken and, in the eyes of many, egotistical (traits often also ascribed to General Groves). In April 1942, MacArthur was appointed supreme commander of Allied forces in the Southwest Pacific and awarded the Medal of Honor for his defense of the Philippines. He spent the next two and a half years commanding an island-hopping campaign in the Pacific before famously returning to liberate the Philippines in October 1944. Wading ashore at Leyte, he announced, “I have returned. By the grace of Almighty God, our forces stand again on Philippine soil.” In December 1944, he was promoted to the rank of general of the Army and soon given command of all Army forces in the Pacific.

 

On September 2, 1945, MacArthur officially accepted Japan’s surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. From 1945 to 1951, as Allied commander of the Japanese occupation, MacArthur oversaw the successful demobilization of Japan’s military forces as well as the restoration of the economy, the drafting of a new constitution and numerous other reforms. His direct involvement with Japan during the end of the war placed him in an important position within the front line to see the impact of The Manhattan Project. This fascinating letter to Leslie Groves , the developer and director of The Manhattan Project, bears a unique and important association. By the spring of 1945, the outcome of World War II was not in doubt. What was in serious doubt was the number of casualties that would eventually be required to bring the war to a successful conclusion. The invasion of Japan was expected to result in one million or more casualties. Groves was appointed to head the Manhattan Project with the rank of Temporary Brigadier General. As project leader, he was in charge of all of the project's phases, including scientific, technical and process development; construction; production; security and military intelligence of enemy activities; and planning for use of the bomb. Grove's initial role was to build the facilities needed to produce fissionable material, and it quickly expanded. His mission became the implementation of a project that many thought utterly impossible, the “Star Wars” of World War II. Results exceeded realistic probabilities, primarily through the hardheaded leadership of Groves. He led with an intensity few can comprehend, using a goal-oriented approach unavailable in today’s era of political correctness. He personally chose and guided excellent subordinates. His efforts and their contributions made the project successful.

The letter offered here was written by the man who was present at the signing of Japan's surrender (MacArthur), to the man who developed the Bomb instrumental in contributing to the end of World War II (Groves). A scarce and important association making reference to the "untold" story.



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