Editing Douglas MacArthur (section)

==Veracruz expedition==
On 21 April 1914, President [[Woodrow Wilson]] ordered the [[U.S. occupation of Veracruz|occupation of Veracruz]]. MacArthur joined the headquarters staff sent to the area, arriving on 1 May 1914. He realized that the logistic support of an advance from Veracruz would require the railroad. Finding plenty of railroad cars in Veracruz but no locomotives, MacArthur set out to verify a report that there were locomotives in [[Alvarado, Veracruz|Alvarado]]. For $150 in gold, he acquired a [[handcar]] and the services of three Mexicans, whom he disarmed. MacArthur and his party located five engines in Alvarado, two of which were only [[switcher]]s, but the other three were exactly what was required. On the way back to Veracruz, his party was set upon by five armed men. The party made a run for it and outdistanced all but two of the armed men, whom MacArthur shot. Soon after, they were attacked by about fifteen horsemen. MacArthur took three bullets in his clothes but was unharmed. One of his companions was lightly wounded before the horsemen retired, after MacArthur shot four of them. Further on, the party was attacked a third time by three horsemen. MacArthur received another bullet hole in his shirt, but his men, using their handcar, managed to outrun all but one of their attackers. MacArthur shot both that man and his horse; the party had to remove the horse's carcass from the track before proceeding.{{sfn|James|1970|pp=115–120}}

A fellow officer wrote to Wood recommending that MacArthur be put forward for the Medal of Honor. Wood did so, and Chief of Staff [[Hugh L. Scott]] convened a board to consider the award.{{sfn|James|1970|pp=121–125}} The board questioned "the advisability of this enterprise having been undertaken without the knowledge of the commanding general on the ground".{{sfn|James|1970|p=125}} This was Brigadier General [[Frederick Funston]], a Medal of Honor recipient himself, who considered awarding the medal to MacArthur "entirely appropriate and justifiable".{{sfn|James|1970|p=124}} However, the board feared that "to bestow the award recommended might encourage any other staff officer, under similar conditions, to ignore the local commander, possibly interfering with the latter's plans"; consequently, MacArthur received no award.{{sfn|James|1970|pp=125–127}}