The MacArthur Memorial received a most unexpected gift at the opening of the special exhibit Generations: The MacArthur Family. Francine Yount Landa, of
Colonial Heights, VA, whose father Chief Warrant Officer George Yount was an aide to General Douglas MacArthur 1945-1964, has been a long-time supporter of the Memorial, donating
many fine artifacts and papers to the collection over the years.
When Ms. Landa arrived at the Memorial on Saturday November 4 for the dedication of Generations, she brought with her an interesting leather jacket with
a large peacock on the back made of hundreds of tiny beads. This jacket has a most unique history – it had been given to Arthur MacArthur IV, son of Douglas and Jean MacArthur, by Boy Scout Troop 126 of Seattle, WA, in November 1951. Sometime in the late 1950s, when Arthur had outgrown the jacket, Jean gave the jacket to CWO Yount thinking that it might fit young Francine.
“As I recall, my dad came home one day and said that Mrs. Mac gave him the jacket because ‘it was too small for Arthur now, and that maybe Francine could
wear it,’” Ms. Landa recently recalled. “When I come across things that bring back memories of the MacArthurs and my Dad’s military service with them, I realize more than ever how important it is
now to preserve that history and have it displayed where people who appreciated him can see how he lived his life.”
This jacket is a most welcome addition to the MacArthur Memorial’s collection and is a fine example of the fanfare which greeted not only General MacArthur but his whole family upon their return to the United States in 1951.
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