(1880 - 1964) American general and Allied Supreme Commander in the Pacific in World War II, accepted the surrender of Japan and was later dismissed by Truman for advocating an invasion of China. A printed copy of MacArthur’s famous speech given before Congress on April 19, 1951, 2pp. 4to., signed by him at the top of the first page. The speech, given nine days after Truman had sacked MacArthur for insubordination, ranks as one of the most memorable speeches of all time. In it, MacArthur defended his philosophy of taking the war to China and denounced his nay-sayers. In part: ‘...I stand on this rostrum with a sense of deep humility and great pride...I do not stand here as an advocate for any partisan cause...I address you with neither rancor or bitterness in the fading twilight of life with but one purpose in mind: to serve my country...There are some who, for varying reasons, would appease Red China...history teaches with unmistakable emphasis that appeasement but begets new and bloodier war...Why, my soldiers asked of me, surrender military advantages to an enemy in the field? I could not answer...The world has turned over many times since I took the oath on the Plain at West Point...one of the most popular ballads of that day which proclaimed most profoundly that – Old soldiers never die; they just fade away. And like the old soldier of that ballad, I now close my military service and just fade away – an old soldier who had tried to do his duty as God gave him the light to see that duty. Goodbye.’ MacArthur signs his name at the top left of the first page. Fine.