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When I was a kid, I read "American Caesar," an almost-religious bio on Gen. Douglas MacArthur. The book mentioned several times that he had a son w/ his 2nd wife named "Arthur MacArthur IV" (Named after his dad and older brother). He completely disappears from the story, however, in a manner that (in retrospect) I can only imagine was because he became an embarassment to the author.
I was hunting around for info, and found this:
>>>MacArthur and his second wife, Jean Faircloth, are buried together in downtown Norfolk, Virginia; their burial site is in a small museum dedicated to his memory, and there is a major shopping mall named for him across the street from the burial site. The couple's son changed his surname and now lives anonymously as a saxophonist in the New York area.<<<
What the hell? I could understand that if you were Hitler's kid (Were such a thing possible), or even Jimmy Carter's kid (Who...ah, nevermind), but MacArthur? WTF?
I was hunting around for info, and found this:
>>>MacArthur and his second wife, Jean Faircloth, are buried together in downtown Norfolk, Virginia; their burial site is in a small museum dedicated to his memory, and there is a major shopping mall named for him across the street from the burial site. The couple's son changed his surname and now lives anonymously as a saxophonist in the New York area.<<<
What the hell? I could understand that if you were Hitler's kid (Were such a thing possible), or even Jimmy Carter's kid (Who...ah, nevermind), but MacArthur? WTF?
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Re: The 'Whatever Happened To Douglas MacArthur's Son?' Topic
Tue, February 21, 2006 - 5:58 AMAlso, I find myself wondering if he's any good on the Sax.
I mean, as odd as the whole story appears to be, being the son of a majorly important general, changing your name and living in anonymity as a Saxophonist immediately jumps to utter patheticness if, you know, he just can't play for shit. -
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Re: The 'Whatever Happened To Douglas MacArthur's Son?' Topic
Tue, February 21, 2006 - 6:17 PMi think he ran off and changed his name specifically to avoid having that expectation of greatness. Maybe he was just mediocre, and got tired of everyone expecting so much of him just because of who his father was. it's like expecting Lisa Marie Presley to have the influence on music for decades to come that her father had. -
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Re: The 'Whatever Happened To Douglas MacArthur's Son?' Topic
Wed, February 22, 2006 - 6:00 AMexcepting, of course, that no one let Lisa Marie in on that particular joke...
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Re: The 'Whatever Happened To Douglas MacArthur's Son?' Topic
Mon, October 1, 2007 - 8:51 PMI am a US citzen and migrated to a South Pacific destination in 1987. In 1989 I purchased a "practice" from another health professional. After the purchase of the "practice", the other health professional stayed on several months to introduce me to patients. During that time, this health professional revealed how General MacArthur's wife, Jean, was a friend and patient during the World War II years. I was informed at that time about some details I did not realize were definitely not in the public domain. I tend to be a private individual myself. Consequently, I can appreciate the need, want, and desire for others like Arthur IV to remain anonymous and beyond reach of scrutiny or public opinion. Out of respect for him and his family I will not and would not divulge what was confided to me.
