Gaetano Faillace

Capt. Gaetano Faillace, who started out in WWII as one of General Douglas MacArthur's personal photographers, was the subject of a query and comment.

Avrum Fine, who was a second lieutenant at APC in 1957, in the Maintenance & Engineering Branch, recalled, "I had lunch with Capt. Gaetano Faillace, Gen. MacArthur's photographer.

"M&E was repairing his French Eclair Cameflex. He told me that his famous photograph of MacArthur wading ashore was actually 'Take 2.' MacArthur wasn't satisfied with his staff's action in the first take, and ordered all to repeat the landing for the camera. The rest is history."

Roger Hawkins wrote, "I don't see Capt. Gaetano Faillace on the APC roster, but I have a copy of an APC newsletter called "In Focus" from January 1958 that talks about a six month TDY he did for MAAG that took him on a filming expedition throughout the MidEast. He started out in WWII as one of General MacArthurs's personal photographers. The next thing you know he is with DASPO (Dept of the Army Special Photographic Office) as a SSG. The DASPO troops are totally surprised when he retires in about 1965 as a Major.  Can you shed any light on this? I am trying to write a story about him, but he was a man of many mysteries."  When he inquired back around 2007, Hawkins provided his web links to www.azcreative.com www.combatcamera.org, and www.daspo.com.

In 2009, D. S. Ross of Oakland, California, wrote, "Captain Faillace was at the Army Pictorial Center in Queens, New York, when I was there from February 1964 to August 1964.  I was a still cameraman (MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) 841.10) awaiting assignment. In Sepember of 1964 I arrived in Thailand as batallion photographer assigned to the 809th Engineers. We were building a military bypass road to the north. There is info on the internet regarding this project. I returned stateside in September 1965.  I spent many mornings with Capt. Faillace at the APC. He was very proud of his career as Gen. MacArthur's personal photographer and showed many of his photographs from that time. I believe that he was a staff sergeant at APC."  Ross served in the Army from November 19, 1963, to September 5, 1965. 

William Hurst mentions working with Faillace in the late 1940s.

John H. Beach explained how Faillace went captain to sergeant and then to major.

 

(Updated November 21, 2010, October 7, 2020, and June 12, 2021.)

 

 


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