Wake Island Conference
Encyclopedia
15 October 1950 U.S. President Harry S. Truman
and General Douglas MacArthur
met on Wake Island
to "confer with General [Douglas] MacArthur about the progress of the war [in Korea] and that he would meet him between here and Korea
so that General MacArthur would not have to be away from the troops in the field for long."
On 30 October 1950, MacArthur wrote to Truman:
Despite the understanding achieved between Truman and MacArthur on Wake Island, their agreement would be short lived. They would quickly regress into disagreement with each other over policy in Korea, ultimately resulting in Truman's Dismissal of General Douglas MacArthur
.
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
and General Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
met on Wake Island
Wake Island
Wake Island is a coral atoll having a coastline of in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu west to Guam east. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior...
to "confer with General [Douglas] MacArthur about the progress of the war [in Korea] and that he would meet him between here and Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
so that General MacArthur would not have to be away from the troops in the field for long."
On 30 October 1950, MacArthur wrote to Truman:
"I left the Wake Island conference with a distinct sense of satisfaction that the county's interests had been well served through the better mutual understanding and exchange of views which it afforded. I hope it will result in building a strong defense against future efforts of those who seek for one reason or another (none of them worthy) to breach the understanding between us."
Despite the understanding achieved between Truman and MacArthur on Wake Island, their agreement would be short lived. They would quickly regress into disagreement with each other over policy in Korea, ultimately resulting in Truman's Dismissal of General Douglas MacArthur
Dismissal of General Douglas MacArthur
On 11 April 1951, US President Harry S. Truman relieved General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, a popular war hero, of his commands for making public statements that contradicted the administration's policies...
.
External links
- Wake Island Meeting President Truman and General MacArthur from Truman Presidential Library
- Substance of Statements made at Wake Island Conference, dated 15 October 1950, compiled by General of the Army Omar N. Bradley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, from notes kept by the conferees from Washington. Papers of George M. Elsey.
- Personal memo of Harry S. Truman, November 25, 1950 on the Wake Island Conference