General MacArthur’s famous hat in Norfolk is Virginia’s favorite ‘endangered artifact’

If you come across a photo of Gen. Douglas Macarthur, chances are he’s wearing his trademark khaki cap embroidered with gold leaf.
The famed commander insisted on wearing the hat for almost two decades, including during historic moments such as wading ashore to liberate the Philippines in 1945 and Japan’s surrender aboard the USS Missouri that ended World War II.
“This hat has seen presidents, emperors, just about any famous person you can think of in the mid-20th century,” said Amanda Williams, director of the city-owned MacArthur Memorial in downtown Norfolk, which has housed the item for 61 years.

Supreme Allied Commander U.S. Army Gen. Douglas MacArthur signs the formal Japanese surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, Japan on Sept. 2, 1945.