Summary

Chapter 16 opens in the Philippines, where MacArthur continues to prepare for an invasion of Japan to cap his already storied career. However, on July 30 he receives a troubling report: the Japanese, still in control of territory in China and Korea, can use that territory to launch kamikaze attacks against an American fleet. They also have constructed “suicide boats” to ram invading ships, and have begun drafting civilians to build defenses on the Japanese beaches, making them even more dangerous than Normandy had been. A career Army man, MacArthur refuses to consider an option for ending the war, such as aerial bombardment or blockade, that would have allowed the Navy or Air Force to steal the glory. Fearful that his “Operation Olympic” has been jeopardized, he begins to openly criticize the plans of the Navy and the commander of its Pacific fleet, Admiral Chester...