War Hero: The Life of General Douglas MacArthur (Plus Bonus WWII Newsreel Shorts)

The life of one of America's greatest heroes, General Douglas MacArthur, is the subject of this Big Picture documentary, narrated by Walter Cronkite. Fighting hard for freedom and justice in a military career that spanned more than half a century, he proved himself one of the most resourceful field commanders of his era, a brilliant chief of staff and a military governor whose wisdom and fairness set new standards of diplomacy. His strategy in America's Pacific War, one of the largest and most complicated victorious military campaigns in history, will be studied for generations to come.

Additional newsreel footage includes:

Marshall Islands: U.S. Navy and Marine photographers film the awesome might of the combined American forces overwhelming the Japanese defenders in bloody island warfare in this News Parade short feature.

Midway: The crushing defeats delivered to the Japanese Imperial fleet at the hand of the American Navy at the battles of Midway and the Coral Sea are documented in archival footage.

Pearl Harbor: The aftermath of 200 Japanese planes pounding Pearl Harbor, the devastation and tons of wreckage, once mighty battleships now molten twisted masses of steel, are captured in footage unreleased by the Navy until after the war.

Burning of S.S. Normandie: Incredible footage of the fire that destroyed the world's greatest luxury liner.

• documentary