Hi Virginia: From what I've read over the years? MacArthur had a huge ego and made many military blunders before and at the start of WW2. But he was Roosevelt's favorite and Roosevelt listened to almost every thing he said. When Chester Nimitz and MacArthur presented their plans for the war in the Pacific? Roosevelt chose MacArthur's plan. Which history has shown was slower but less bloody than a Central Pacific plan. MacArthur was much more familiar with the Oriental thought at the time than anyone else.
After Roosevelt died, Truman quickly started putting the stops on Mac and pushed Nimitz's plan harder.
Truman did not like MacArthur and he states it in his book and was jealous of his popularity among the American people at the time. But MacArthur's ego led to a near disaster in Korea and that gave Truman an excuse to rid himself of his nemesis for good.
MacArthur was a great General and his great deeds far outweigh his mistakes. To me? He is one of America's greatest heroes.
Think of what the world might be like today if we had let loose Patton on the Russians and MacArthur on China. Too very similar type men.