"General MacArthur" and "Douglas McArthur" redirect here. For the Canadian politician, see Douglas Francis McArthur. For the diplomat, see Douglas MacArthur II. For other uses, see General MacArthur (disambiguation).Douglas MacArthur (26 January 1880 – 5 April 1964) was an American five-star general and Field Marshal of the Philippine Army. He was Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II.