Generals of the Army: Marshall, MacArthur, Eisenhower, Arnold, Bradley

275 Pages·2013·20.41 MB·English

by  James H. Willbanks

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(continued from front flap) history/military ll Generals
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Each of the five-star generals left an enduring k
“A wonderful read. Generals of the Army provides rich, objective, and instructive descriptions of the five- s
mark on Fort Leavenworth during his years star generals who led our Army and America’s ‘Greatest Generation’ during World War II and in a
of the
of service. Marshall, Eisenhower, Arnold, variety of postwar endeavors. Readable and impressively researched, the accounts of these legendary
and Bradley studied at the fort’s Command figures will be enjoyed—and revisited—by all those who want to recall the lives and times of the men G
marshall, macarthur,
and General Staff School; Eisenhower was who shaped the strategies and oversaw the operations of the greatest alliance of all times.”
e
particularly successful, as the top graduate in army
—General David H. Petraeus, USA (Ret.), Commander of U.S. and Coalition Forces in
n eisenhower, arnold, Bradley
his class. Marshall also served as an instructor
Iraq (2007–2008) and Afghanistan (2010–2011)
during his prewar service. MacArthur, who e
never studied at the fort, held his first com- “Generals of the Army is an excellent review of their lives and challenges, on and off the battlefield, dur- r
H
mand at Leavenworth in the Third Engineer ing trying times for our country. I recommend that every young American officer read it and learn of H H marshall, macarthur,
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Battalion, later becoming both battalion these five great Americans who made a positive difference for the national security of our nation.” HH
adjutant and engineer officer. Though there l eisenhower, arnold, Bradley
—Ike Skelton, former chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, U.S. Congress
are many biographies of the five-star generals, s
this innovative study reveals how these legend- “This book heralds the contributions of our nation’s highest-ranking general officer graduates of G e n e r a l s Edited by James H. Willbanks
ary figures influenced and were influenced by o
the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. Recognition of the five-star generals’ service,
Leavenworth. Coinciding with the U.S. Mint’s how they were influenced by the ‘Leavenworth experience,’ and how it enabled them to better serve f Foreword by General Gordon R. Sullivan, USA (Ret.)
release of a series of special commemorative and lead our deployed forces in World War II is of enormous importance, as is appropriate and due
Formally titled “General of the Army,” the
coins honoring the five-star generals and the recognition of the institution that helped form them.” t five-star general is the highest possible rank
institution where they served, this concise —Lt. General John E. Miller, USA (Ret.) h o f t h e awarded in the U.S. Army in modern times
volume offers an intriguing look at the lives of
and has been awarded to only five men in the
these remarkable men and their contributions e
“Provides a concise account of the extraordinary careers of the five men who had perhaps the greatest nation’s history: George C. Marshall, Douglas
to the defense of the nation. impact on the U.S. military of the late twentieth century, while also delineating how their lives were
MacArthur, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Henry
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affected by and had an impact on the American military education system. A highly recommended study
H. Arnold, and Omar N. Bradley. In addition
James H. Willbanks is General of the Army of the interaction between education and the real world of the military.” r a r m y
to their rank, these distinguished soldiers all
George C. Marshall Chair of Military History
—Andrew Wiest, founding director of the Center for the Study of War and Society, m shared the experience of serving or study-
and director of the Department of Military
University of Southern Mississippi ing at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where they
History at the U.S. Army Command and Gen- y
gained the knowledge that would prepare them
eral Staff College at Fort Leavenworth. He is
“Generals of the Army offers a timely and thoughtfully crafted series of biographical portraits of the five for command during World War II and the
a retired lieutenant colonel with twenty-three
individuals awarded five-star rank by a grateful nation in the era of World War II. Distinguished
Korean War.
years of service as an Infantry officer.
historian James H. Willbanks has enlisted superbly qualified scholars from the U.S. Army Command
m
e
and General Staff College’s Department of Military History to trace the careers of these officers, giv- is ar In Generals of the Army, James H. Willbanks
e s
ing noteworthy emphasis to the influence of Fort Leavenworth, deservedly described as the cradle of n h
h a assembles top military historians to examine
U.S. Army senior leaders of the World War II generation.” B o l
r w l the connection between the institution and
—Theodore A. Wilson, University of Kansas adley er, ar , macar Edited by James H. Willbanks tchalel ys ukcncoewssn o afs t thhees e“ ienxtceellpetcitounaal lc menetne.r H ofis tthoer i-
n t
o h Army,” Fort Leavenworth is one of the most
l u Foreword by General Gordon R. Sullivan, USA (Ret.)
d r important military installations in the United
an ausa title , ,
american warriors States; in operation for more than 180 years,
series editor: roger cirillo it is the oldest active U.S. Army post west of
ISBN: 978-0-8131-4213-5 Washington, D.C., and is known as the hub of
90000
the officer corps.
Jacket photographs are courtesy of the United States Army.
Cover design by Jen Huppert Design (continued on Back flap)
9 780813 142135
Generals of the Army
Willbanks Generals BOOK.indb 1 2/26/2013 4:02:12 PM
AmericAn WArriors
Throughout the nation’s history, numerous men and women of all
ranks and branches of the U.S. military have served their country
with honor and distinction. During times of war and peace, there
are individuals whose exemplary achievements embody the highest
standards of the U.S. armed forces. The aim of the American War-
riors series is to examine the unique historical contributions of these
individuals, whose legacies serve as enduring examples for soldiers
and citizens alike. The series will promote a deeper and more com-
prehensive understanding of the U.S. armed forces.
series editor: Roger Cirillo
An AUSA Book
Willbanks Generals BOOK.indb 2 2/26/2013 4:02:12 PM
G
enerals

of the
a
rmy
Marshall, MacArthur,
Eisenhower, Arnold,
Bradley
Edited by
James H. Willbanks
Foreword by
General Gordon R. Sullivan, USA (Ret.)
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Copyright © 2013 by the Command and General Staff College Foundation, Inc.
Published by The University Press of Kentucky,
scholarly publisher for the Commonwealth,
serving Bellarmine University, Berea College, Centre College of Kentucky, Eastern
Kentucky University, The Filson Historical Society, Georgetown College, Kentucky
Historical Society, Kentucky State University, Morehead State University, Murray State
University, Northern Kentucky University, Transylvania University, University of
Kentucky, University of Louisville, and Western Kentucky University.
All rights reserved.
Editorial and Sales Offices: The University Press of Kentucky
663 South Limestone Street, Lexington, Kentucky 40508-4008
www.kentuckypress.com
17 16 15 14 13 5 4 3 2 1
Maps are courtesy of the U.S. Army Center of Military History.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Generals of the Army : Marshall, MacArthur, Eisenhower, Arnold, Bradley / edited by
James H. Willbanks ; foreword by General Gordon R. Sullivan, USA (Ret.).
pages cm. — (American warriors series)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-8131-4213-5 (hbk : alk. paper) —
ISBN 978-0-8131-4214-2 (epub) — ISBN 978-0-8131-4212-8 (pdf)
1. Generals—United States—Biography. 2. Fort Leavenworth (Kan.)—Influence.
3. Marshall, George C. (George Catlett), 1880-1959. 4. MacArthur, Douglas, 1880-1964
5. Eisenhower, Dwight D. (Dwight David), 1890-1969 6. Arnold, Henry Harley, 1886-
1950. 7. Generals—United States—History—20th century. I. Willbanks, James H., 1947-
II. Title: Marshall, MacArthur, Eisenhower, Arnold, Bradley.
D736.G46 2013
940.54’12730922—dc23 2013000346
This book is printed on acid-free paper meeting the requirements of the American
National Standard for Permanence in Paper for Printed Library Materials.
Manufactured in the United States of America.
Member of the Association of
American University Presses
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To all those who have served
at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas—
the intellectual center of the U.S. Army
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Contents
List of Maps and Illustrations viii
Foreword xi
General Gordon R. Sullivan, USA (Ret.)
Introduction 1
James H. Willbanks
1. Officer Education and the Fort Leavenworth Schools,
1881–1940 5
Jonathan M. House
2. George Catlett Marshall 19
Christopher R. Gabel
3. Douglas MacArthur 63
Tony R. Mullis
4. Dwight D. Eisenhower 113
Sean N. Kalic
5. Henry H. “Hap” Arnold 147
John M. Curatola
6. Omar Nelson Bradley 183
Joseph R. Fischer
Afterword 233
Ethan S. Rafuse
Acknowledgments 237
List of Contributors 239
Index 243
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Maps and Illustrations
Maps
The ABDACOM Area, January–February 1942 84
The Philippines, 1942 85
The Inch’on Landing, 15–16 September 1950 100
Allied Operations in World War II, 1942–1945 188
Taking the Bridgehead, 20 April–13 May 1943 190
The Fight for Sicily, 12 July–17 August 1943 192
The Final Overlord Plan 197
First Army Breakout, 24 July–4 August 1944 203
The Battleground, 15 December 1944 210
The Ardennes, 15 December 1944 211
Wacht am Rhein, 16–25 December 1944 212
Erasing the Bulge, 26 December 1944–25 January 1945 214
Illustrations
United States Infantry and Cavalry School, Class of 1907 9
World War II mobilization class for staff officers 16
George C. Marshall in dress blues 21
Marshall’s first class picture 22
George C. Marshall, chief of staff, 1940 38
Roosevelt and Churchill during the Atlantic Charter Conference,
1941 51
Krueger, MacArthur, and Marshall at a field headquarters,
1943 53
Lieutenant Douglas MacArthur at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, 1909
69
Major MacArthur 72
Brigadier General MacArthur in France, September 1918 75
viii
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Maps and Illustrations ix
General MacArthur with the Eisenhowers and President
Quezon 79
General MacArthur with Major General Jonathan Wainwright,
1943 91
General MacArthur, 1945 95
MacArthur at the front lines above Suwon, Korea 101
Eisenhower as a West Point cadet 118
Major Eisenhower 123
General Eisenhower at Green Common Airfield, England,
1944 134
President Dwight D. Eisenhower 137
Hap Arnold in a Wright Flyer in Dayton, Ohio, 1912 151
Major Arnold, 1927 159
Arnold with a B-10 from his 1934 Alaskan expedition 162
General Arnold as chief of staff, Army Air Forces 165
Arnold inspecting the Memphis Belle 171
Omar Bradley as chief of staff 219
Bradley as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 221
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