MacArthur's military career reached its pinnacle after his victorious Pacific campaign during World War II with his appointment as Supreme Allied Commander charged with presiding over the Japanese transition to democratic self-rule. MacArthur's career came to a close during the Korean War, but as recognition of his status as one of the nation's greatest living military leaders, Congress asked him to address a joint session. MacArthur closed his speech with a famous line from an old army ballad: "Old soldiers never die, they just fade away."