Saving MacArthur, a work of military history nonfiction, provides a provocative look at one of the most iconic moments of World War II, the extraction of Gen. Douglas MacArthur out of the Philippines on patrol torpedo (PT) boats. Saving MacArthur cast a shadow on the tale of bold leadership associated with MacArthur and Lt. John D. Bulkeley, the Naval Academy graduate who orchestrated the high-risk PT boat mission and would later earn the Medal of Honor. The book offers a sobering view of the moral and ethical dilemmas these officers accepted when embarking upon a mission that would result in them leaving behind the crews who participated in the mission in the Philippines.
Rudy Tomedi offers a critical analysis based on historical accounts that suggests MacArthur had other viable alternatives to escaping via submarine from the Philippines rather than the PT boats. For a variety of reasons to include his comfort, preference, and prioritization of his family and staff, he insisted on the PT boat operation despite the vessels’ poor condition, the crews’ exhaustion, and the increased risk for all involved. Further complicating matters, Bulkeley failed to challenge or mitigate the general’s assumptions of the danger he was placing on the crews of those vessels. Tomedi suggests MacArthur prioritized his image, family, and staff in his escape over the men who dedicated their lives to help him do that.
After crews successfully navigated treacherous waters and evaded Japanese patrol boats, ensuring MacArthur’s safe passage to the Mindanao, he was able to fly via a B-17 to Australia. As Bulkeley and MacArthur returned home to the United States and were celebrated as national heroes, the crews who aided their escape remained in the Philippines and suffered unimaginable conditions, wounds, imprisonment, and death at the hands of the Japanese. The book does a powerful job of humanizing the stories of the brave men who did not make it out after the daring rescue. These men were not just injured at the hands of the enemy but bore the second- and third-order effects of the decisions of their superior officers.
The book is not just a historical account of the fate of the crews of that mission but becomes a profound reflection on the moral dilemmas of decision-making during war. The author walks the reader through President Franklin Roosevelt’s calculus to extract MacArthur, to MacArthur’s escape via PT boats despite other viable alternative, and to Bulkeley’s failure to advocate for his men, ultimately leading to tragic consequences for those involved. Tomedi shifts the lens of the story from getting one man out, to what the cost was to do it and how many had to stay and suffer to do it, engaging the reader in the ethical aspects of war.
Saving MacArthur is a read for anyone who wants to delve into military history on the unique intersection of the joint operations of the Navy and Army during World War II, the ethical dilemmas of war, and how the public-facing narrative of war accounts do not always tell the true story of sacrifice. The way Tomedi captures this part of history not only makes the reader reflect on what happened, but also why it happened and whether it was necessary.