American general who served as US chief of staff (1930-1935) and commanded Allied forces in the South Pacific during World War II. After losing the Philippines to the Japanese (1942), he regained the islands (1944) and accepted the surrender of Japan (1945). He commanded the United Nations forces in Korea (1950-1951) until a conflict in strategies led to his dismissal by President Harry S. Truman. His father, Arthur MacArthur (1845-1912), commanded American troops in the Spanish-American War and thwarted Emilio Aguinaldo's insurgence in the Philippines (1899).