PETILLO: Jean Faircloth was exactly the right woman at the right time in
Douglas MacArthur's life. His mother was dying and then she died. He needed
the solace of a woman. And in many ways, Jean Faircloth merged a lot of the
characteristics that he had been drawn to before. She was adventuresome. She
was traveling alone in Asia and was clearly not daunted by the opportunities or
the problems that his career might provide.
On the other hand she was devoted to the military life. She was a daughter of
the south from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. And she was quite taken by the bugle
and flag aspect of the military. She referred to him all of their married life
as either "Sir Boss" or "The General." And she was devoted to him and she was
delightful. She was also physically small, which may or may not have had some
connection to his response to her. But certainly she was much smaller than
either Louise or his mother had been. And [she was] much more on the scale of
Isabelle Cooper. She was perfect for Douglas MacArthur.
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