Q: After MacArthur's relieved and he's retired in New York, an aide calls
you and actually tells you that MacArthur was a bit down and needed you to do
a favor. Can you tell me that story.
MAIHAFER: My office at the time was on Governor's Island, in New York Harbor
and we had some contact with General MacArthur's suite up in the Waldorf. He
had an army warrant officer working for him. And he used to call from time to
time and ask for things. This one day when he called, I said well this, you
might be interested in . I have three daughters and finally my wife and I had
a baby boy. And I said, I didn't name him for General MacArthur, but I never
liked my name of Harry, and I was reading a biography of MacArthur and I
thought Douglas is a nice strong name, and so he had been christened Douglas.
Well, the warrant officer called me back a little bit later and he said,
"You know, the old General thinks sometimes that the army has forgotten about
him. And, I went in to him," and he said, "I changed your story a little bit."
And, he said, "General there's a young Major over there on Governor's Island
and General, he had three daughters and then he just had a son. And, General
he named him for you." And, he said, "You know, the old General got tears in
his eyes, just almost started to cry." And, a few days later, in the mail here
came this beautiful photo -- "Best Wishes to Douglas, Douglas MacArthur."
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