
Loyalty First
The Life and Times of Charles A. Willoughby, MacArthur's Chief Intelligence Officer
David A. Foy(Author)
Casemate Publishers
Published on 31. July 2023
Book
Hardback
288 pages
978-1-63624-349-8 (ISBN)
Description
Major General Charles A. Willoughby served as Douglas MacArthur's stalwart chief intelligence officer (G-2} for over a decade, throughout World War II and the Korean War. This first full biography examines Willoughby's shadowy origins in his native Germany, his curious arrival in the United States, and his military service in World War I, as well as his work during the interwar years as a junior diplomat, budding historian, and neophyte intelligence officer. His chance encounter with MacArthur in the mid-1930s would prove to be the genesis of a near-symbiotic relationship between the two, with significant consequences for both.
Throughout his life, Willoughby identified with strong, authoritarian leaders, notably Franco, and - especially - MacArthur. The author also assesses Willoughby's performance as a professional intelligence officer both in World War II and Korea, where he is often vilified for his inaccurate assessments of enemy strength and most likely courses of action, as well as his sycophantic relationship with his commander. Willoughby is most often criticised for his failing to foresee the entry of Chinese forces into the Korean War and its impact upon the US Army and the prosecution of the war. Following MacArthur's removal by President Truman in 1951, Willoughby retired and spent the rest of his days engaged in right-wing political activity and in staunchly defending his much-maligned boss.
The legacy he left is one filled with lingering and important questions about loyalty to superiors, in civilian as well as military environments, how far that loyalty should extend, and walking the tightrope involved in telling truth to power.
Throughout his life, Willoughby identified with strong, authoritarian leaders, notably Franco, and - especially - MacArthur. The author also assesses Willoughby's performance as a professional intelligence officer both in World War II and Korea, where he is often vilified for his inaccurate assessments of enemy strength and most likely courses of action, as well as his sycophantic relationship with his commander. Willoughby is most often criticised for his failing to foresee the entry of Chinese forces into the Korean War and its impact upon the US Army and the prosecution of the war. Following MacArthur's removal by President Truman in 1951, Willoughby retired and spent the rest of his days engaged in right-wing political activity and in staunchly defending his much-maligned boss.
The legacy he left is one filled with lingering and important questions about loyalty to superiors, in civilian as well as military environments, how far that loyalty should extend, and walking the tightrope involved in telling truth to power.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
25-30 photographs
Dimensions
Height: 232 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 30 mm
Weight
635 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-63624-349-8 (9781636243498)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Foy David A. Foy
Loyalty First
The Life and Times of Charles A. Willoughby, MacArthur's Chief Intelligence Officer
E-Book
08/2023
Casemate
€25.99
Available for download
Person
Dr. David Foy received his Ph.D. in Modern European History from the University of Arkansas, where he also was selected for Phi Beta Kappa. He has more than three decades' experience as a professional historian and intelligence officer, having worked as a college faculty member, an active-duty and civilian member of the US Army, a defence contractor, and an intelligence officer for several agencies within the US Intelligence Community. He is also the author of For You the War is Over: American POWs in Nazi Germany During World War II, a history of the tenure of a Director of National Intelligence, and numerous book reviews. He lives in the greater Raleigh, North Carolina area.
Content
1. Of Uncertain Origins: The Early Years of "Sir Charles"
2. Willoughby in the Pacific, 1942-1945
3. Victory and the Occupation of Japan
4. The Korean War: The Curtain Rises
5. The Dragon Sharpens Its Claws
6. A Period of Miscalculations"
7. "Don't Let a Bunch of Chinese Laundrymen Stop You!"
8. "A Mishandling of Intelligence"
9. Postwar Paranoia
10. Watchman of the Republic
11. To the Grave...and Beyond
Appendix 1. Dramatis Personae
Appendix 2. Dates of Rank and Military Awards, Charles A. Willoughby
Notes
Bibliography
2. Willoughby in the Pacific, 1942-1945
3. Victory and the Occupation of Japan
4. The Korean War: The Curtain Rises
5. The Dragon Sharpens Its Claws
6. A Period of Miscalculations"
7. "Don't Let a Bunch of Chinese Laundrymen Stop You!"
8. "A Mishandling of Intelligence"
9. Postwar Paranoia
10. Watchman of the Republic
11. To the Grave...and Beyond
Appendix 1. Dramatis Personae
Appendix 2. Dates of Rank and Military Awards, Charles A. Willoughby
Notes
Bibliography