Plymouth Woman Reflects On Time Under Gen. MacArthur

It was the week before Election Day when WBUR first met Alba Thompson, a 92-year-old independent voter from the bellwether town of Plymouth.

"I've always been active in politics, whether it was Plymouth or someplace else in the world," Thompson said then. "It fascinates me and I really think that's the way democracy operates, in terms of energy."

In the interview, we also learned that Thompson was a longtime aide to General Douglas MacArthur — one of the most iconic military figures in American history — during both World War II and the Korean War. So on this Veterans Day, we wanted to hear from Thompson again.

"He was an icon of course," Thompson said of MacArthur. "I was the only woman on his staff at that point, and I don't ever recall the general asking me a personal question. He acted as though I was an automaton and I'd go on forever if he just wound me up."