MacARTHUR'S FINAL FLIGHT HOME

PART 11

On April 16, in Tokyo, thousands of Japanese gathered along the route to Haneda Airport from where MacArthur would depart. He had helped their country out of confusion and poverty, everywhere he moved he was applauded, many of the thousands were crying. He received a cannon salute, and a flyover by 18 jet fighters and 4 B-29s. As the army band played Auld Lang Syne, General MacArthur boarded the Constellation and waved his final goodby to the tearful crowd.

Back in the U.S. the public thought the dismissal was demeaning, even insulting. 69% sympathized with MacArthur. Truman was burned in effigy. Everyone wondered how such an event could have happened, and felt the U.S. had suffered a great loss of a man who had devoted his entire life to defending his country.