Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Speech ·138 of 348
"I will return."
They never said that.
What people say
"I will return."
What was actually said
"I shall return." Douglas MacArthur — Press statement, Terowie, South Australia, 20 March 1942
Why it stuck
MacArthur used "shall" — a deliberate grammatical choice for strong future intention. "Will" softens it. He kept the distinction for the rest of his life.
The U.S. Office of War Information pushed MacArthur to change it to "We shall return." He refused.
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.