General Douglas MacArthur emerged as one of America’s most admired military commanders during World War II, albeit one who generated a share of controversy and criticism due to his seemingly boundless vanity and ambition. The son of Arthur MacArthur Jr., a Civil War hero and military Governor-General of the Philippines, MacArthur graduated from West Point at the top of his class in 1903 and won numerous decorations for his service during World War I. He rose through the ranks rapidly, becoming the youngest general to command a division and then serving as army chief of staff from 1930 to 1935. He returned to the Philippines in 1935 after being appointed military advisor for what was then a commonwealth to the United States possessing limited government.