This Memorial Day weekend the National Review Online is running a reader poll of who is the best U.S. general, the list going back to Washington and including Scott, Lee, Grant, Pershing, Eisenhower, Patton, MacArthur, Ridgway, and Schwartzkopf. Washington is winning, but perhaps more interesting is who is second as his "father of the nation" status makes ol' George an obvious choice.
Leading for second with conservative National Review readers is another George, Patton this time. Third is Robert E. Lee, fourth is Dwight Eisenhower, and fifth is U.S. Grant. Douglas MacArthur only comes in sixth, and he was my first choice, after Washington, of course.
Many denigrate MacArthur for being fired by President Truman, and for not being captured with his troops in the Philippines; I don't. I believe the evidence shows MacArthur won more battles while losing fewer soldiers, killed and wounded, than any general in our history. Using those criteria, Patton probably comes in second although Patton also may have been insane.
