General Douglas MacArthur entering his 1950 Chrysler Crown Imperial Limousine in April 1951.
Late one night the General was returning…in his chauffeured military car. In a remote area, his car stopped for a red traffic signal in a wooded area. The door of his car was opened and a bandit exclaimed to the General, “This is a stickup; put up your hands.”
The General instantly replied, “I am a General in the United States Army. I never put up my hands for anybody.”
The bandit drew back and replied, “Sir, I apologize.”
He then saluted the General, slammed the door and disappeared into the darkness. Just then, the signal turned green. The incident was never reported by the General, but it came to light later through the General’s chauffeur.
Joseph Choate, Douglas MacArthur As I Knew Him: A Narrative Eulogy of the Magnificent Statesmanship of General Douglas MacArthur (Privately printed, 1986), 67.
Short Stories on Honor, Chivalry, and the World of Nobility—no. 526
