VQLUMN V, NUMBER 5, I FEBRUARY i960
General of the Army Douglas A, MacArthur turned octogenarian Jan* 26, and as
birthday greetings showered him from all over the globe his Witt I Staff oftce a^
gain gathered for a stag reunion with their old chief. '
ill is nsa Dean an annuax event ever
since the general’s return from his Far
East command in 1951# Now the senior
officer of all branches of the U.S.mil
itary, Gen. MacArthur today makes few
public appearances, but the yearly
birthday get - together is a tradition
with him.
It begins as he descends from his
Waldorg Towers apartment and is greeted
by his old staff singing "Happy Births
day.” He greets each member individually
and then the group enjoys drinks, and
informal reminiscing t nrefighting the
war” as one observer puts it.
Next comes an elaborate dinner with
the general flanked by the ranking of
ficer of each service under his WWII
Pacific command - the Array’s General
Walter Krueger, the Navy’s Admiral
Thomas C. Kinkaid and the Ait Fprce’s
General George C. Kenney,
After, the dinner Gen. MacArthur talks
to his old- comrades in the rolling ca*
denees for thich he is famous. The ev
ening ends with all present singing
"Old ^Soldiers Never Die," the song he
gave new popularity when he addressed
Congress in 1951.
The general today spends much of his
time in his seven-room apartment on the
37th floor of the Waldorf Towers, He
is chairman of the board of Sperry
Rand Corp., a post, that is largely ad
visory, As a General of the Army, he
is technically still on active duty and
maintains a three-room Manhattan.office
manned by a warrant officer, a master
sergeant and one civilian.
1 Rhymes of the Times!
WE CAM OFT
’■ DISPEL
WORPy AND
4v DOU8T
When with
OTMEQS
WE TALK
._Out ,
13ND—6503