Interservice rivalry between the US Navy and the US Army was a major factor in the Pacific Theatre during World War II. While such rivalry is common in all militaries because each service has to compete for funding and stake out a unique identity and mission, some scholars argue that in the case of the Pacific Theatre, the rivalry was so problematic that it led to inefficiencies in the conduct of the war. They attribute this rivalry to the powerful service interests and to personality problems. MacArthur stands out as one of the key personalities that played a role in this rivalry – but what exactly was his relationship like with the US Navy during WWII? Was there a US Navy anti-MacArthur cabal at work as he claimed? Did his personality alienate his naval counterparts? Was he the reason for a divided command in the Pacific? Join MacArthur Memorial historians Jim Zobel and Amanda Williams for a discussion of these questions.
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