march september general officer united_states_army commanded world war graduate west_point saw service panama mexican border joining awarded repeated acts bravery siberia war transferred attended command secretary working chief staff united_states_army general superintendent west_point instituted number reforms cutting activities horseback riding close order drill modern combat training cadets participated military exercises alongside national_guard units acquired training facility gave cadets chance qualify pilots west_point commander march corps june august abruptly sent led american australian troops bloody notable victories commanding general newly formed led invasion clearing islands july forces defeated japanese august began year stint retired army end early life born ohio march youngest children farmer lawyer grew acre family farm established grandfather graduated entered joined gamma delta fraternity persuaded father law partner congressman ohio 8th congressional district appoint west_point entered west_point june class distinguished ultimately wore stars general officers including poor student high school ohio_state cadet lieutenant graduated class commissioned second lieutenant 25th infantry june transferred 10th infantry fort indiana july march 10th infantry san_antonio texas formed undertake offensive operations border war mexico september sent panama canal zone panama met daughter chief justice panama canal zone supreme court brief courtship married april returning united_states march posted 22nd infantry fort porter new_york sent mexican border based douglas arizona promoted lieutenant july september missouri world war following american entry world war april promoted captain june posted 20th infantry utah commanded battalion september transferred newly formed camp pike arkansas senior infantry instructor 3rd officers training camp camp pike february assigned washington assistant brigadier general promoted major june july graves appointed commander 8th division based california scheduled sent france days graves took initially assistant chief staff route california learned graves 8th division destination changed bound siberia instead president agreed support allied intervention russian civil war graves command departed san_francisco august assistant chief staff graves instructed mission political military accordingly maintain strict neutrality found thrust complex political diplomatic military environment soon arriving appointed nation responsible allied strategy convinced america objectives siberia necessarily french british allies far clear actually especially agree american policy called protecting trans railway control admiral forces considered murderers awarded repeated acts bravery assigned citation read extraordinary heroism action june july serving assistant chief staff siberia july capture american troops american platoon detailed clear hostile patrols commanding ridge halted enemy fire seriously wounding members patrol colonel regard safety armed rifle voluntarily covered withdrawal platoon june imminent danger life entered partisan lines effected release american officer enlisted men exchange russian prisoner july american column fired mountain pass colonel voluntarily assisted establishing firing line prevented confusion total disregard safety raised morale american forces high pitch services siberia awarded promoted lieutenant colonel march graves prevented receiving members receive order sacred treasure order rising sun siberia gave chance observe hand impressed saw training discipline concluded properly led match american troops withdrawn april wars instead returning united_states following service siberia assistant chief staff like officers aftermath world war reduced rank permanent rank captain june immediately promoted major day joined march travelled japan moving philippines march head established intelligence offices met president finally returned united_states assigned major disappointment failure general staff eligibility list national defense act required officers list promoted brigadier general concluding prospects promotion infantry poor urging adjutant general major general transferred july continued work april posted fort ohio assistant davis offered nominate place command joined officers july students seated sat officer topped class major students class included graduated distinguished graduate quarter class stayed command student graduation posted washington sent west_point adjutant promoted lieutenant colonel august april secretary working chief staff united_states_army general transferred infantry july remained secretary october rank colonel august new chief staff general offered command 29th infantry demonstration regiment based fort georgia turned away infantry years infantry officers jealous instead accepted command 30th infantry prestigious unit stationed san francisco officers resented attaining command regiment age departing took brief course infantry 30th infantry took series major training exercises years world war training united_states promoted brigadier general october month received orders deputy division commander minute orders changed major general watson president appointed superintendent west_point taking position met successor chief staff general warned courses command drastically shortened order meet needs expanding army west_point suffer similar fate course relevant army immediate needs superintendent attempted bring west_point twentieth century cut activities horseback riding close order drill substituted modern combat training cadets participated military exercises alongside national_guard units acquired training facility required cadets undergo basic flight training gave cadets chance qualify pilots west_point concerned dismal state west_point football team watson able persuade surgeon general united_states_army weight restrictions allow heavier players recruited hired coach team time marshall came believe talents wasted west_point opposed watson wanted remain west_point marshall told watson chances promotion major general adversely affected denied chance command division watson added promotion list president sign manner promoted major general july united_states declaration war japan december applied transfer active command given choice new divisions chose activated south_carolina march divisions given generals attended training course fort chief staff chose officer attended ohio_state west_point fellow member gamma delta fraternity period command brief june commander corps chief staff awarded legion merit service corps consisted 8th 30th given initial task arranging demonstration dignitaries including winston_churchill marshall sir sir demonstration judged success trained eyes noted flaws days division commanders relieved commands nominated command american forces ordered conduct training amphibious warfare 3rd 9th 30th infantry divisions chesapeake_bay cooperation battle august orders abruptly changed supreme commander requested corps headquarters sent command major general originally detailed assignment marshall informed richardson intense feelings service australian command assignment appear corps headquarters ready overseas service training amphibious warfare experience working marshall selected job instead happy assignment especially found richardson knew general know going difficult departed australia august members staff corps controlled american divisions australia major general based queensland promoted lieutenant general october decided establish corps headquarters corps came command lieutenant general sir meeting australian commanders noted combat british north_africa usually considered americans best inexperienced disturbed level training received american divisions instead training jungle warfare following united_states warned chief staff major general divisions expected meet veteran japanese troops equal terms decided september proceed new_guinea inferior camp fears realized suffered reverse confident capture difficulty poor staff work inaccurate intelligence inadequate training japanese resistance frustrated american efforts americans found confronted network sited prepared japanese positions accessible swamp americans failure damaged relationship australians threatened entire campaign small party corps headquarters flown port pair november ordered assume control battle according told grim voice putting command sending bob want remove officers won fight relieve regimental battalion commanders necessary charge battalions charge companies fight time essence japanese land reinforcements night general breezy said reports american soldiers throwing away weapons running enemy stopped short spoke emphasis wanted assignment bob said want come alive moment looking pointed finger goes chief staff day party flown assumed command troops relieved replaced division artillery commander brigadier general relieved officers appointing year old captain command battalion officers privately denounced ruthless prussian set example moving troops lines sharing hardships danger despite risk wore silver stars knew japanese targeted officers wanted troops know commander present seriously wounded shoulder appointed command wounded december left american general forward area assumed personal command division senior general present served command australian lieutenant general referred letters grand colleague fall placed command allied force assembled reduce remaining japanese positions australian major general chief staff battle continued january price victory high 32nd division lost dead wounded hospitalized tropical diseases principally malaria men referred division cemetery square january flew port warmly welcomed herring day flew battle received generals received citation like herring served like created honorary knight commander order british empire recommended medal honor nomination disapproved officer staff colonel submitted recommendation directly informed outside immediate staff officer criticism conduct operations personal gallantry led grave considerations time relief command new guinea campaign february lieutenant general headquarters arrived australia planning little scope corps sized operations found training role preparing arrived hawaii 32nd 41st infantry divisions returned future missions asked released command united_states_army release later asked released command ninth united states army refused job went west_point classmate instead given responsibility visit australia september visited sydney melbourne dinner lord prime minister australia canberra january informed charge operation landing bay 24th 41st infantry divisions march cancelled favor landing force operation meant japanese defenses bay risky outside range land based air cover cover instead provided aircraft carriers meant operation adhere strict hoping avoid repeat planned operation implemented thorough training program emphasized physical fitness individual initiative small unit tactics amphibious warfare operation went mainly surprise achieved japanese present area poor intelligence led inability clear beaches backed swamps supplies beaches fuel ammunition stored instances april single japanese plane ignited fuel dump caused fire resulted casualties loss cent ammunition appalled felt let staff offered transfer assistant division commander post turned offer june summoned headquarters battle landed going badly airfields promised available support american hands found japanese present larger numbers originally reported caves overlooking airfield sites americans better trained equipped japanese employed new tactics avoiding costly maximum toll ground gained seeing situation concluded fuller badly nonetheless relieved number officers felt performing battle ground orders fuller task force commander relieve division commander fuller requested relief obliged recommendation fuller replaced brigadier general unimpressed performance concluding tactics better fuller delayed capture island hand thought sufficiently highly performance award silver star learned selected command newly formed arrived august took officers corps colonel assumed control operations december day announced organized resistance ended troops included old command months sixth army killed japanese soldiers estimated remained alive island killed january entered combat landing major general january near san_antonio major general 11th days later combining manila great movement assumed personal command operation involved advance manila lightly equipped advance rapid progress halted prepared positions outskirts manila awarded silver star final operation war clearing southern philippines including major island effort occupied soldiers rest war weeks conducted major minor amphibious operations clearing august instance japanese formed self help guard protect women rape duty ordered armoured vehicles battle array streets arrested leaders leaders received long prison terms awarded oak leaf cluster distinguished service medal services commander corps second command philippines occupation japan received oak leaf clusters silver star medal bronze star medal air medal received number foreign awards including grand officer swords netherlands grand officer france grand officer palm belgium order ecuador philippines grand officer retirement death nearly years service retired rank lieutenant general december moved north_carolina lived wife rest life suffered number health problems including diabetes removed appeared series articles campaigns actually written subsequently expanded articles book jungle road tokyo book sold reasonably requested copies traveled hollywood served technical consultant west point day band played altogether happy results turned hand writing articles far_east newsweek gave away worked lecture circuit giving speeches experiences gave campaigned richard_nixon united_states congress recognition service promoted number officers commanded armies similar higher formations general distressed fuller hurt angry relieved commands felt fault turn real imagined tried talk refused speak eventually decided write tell book destroy myth forever purpose gave papers historian published letters dear miss general war pacific maintained warm wartime relationship herring herring wife mary stayed exchanged regular letters underwent surgery september complications set died pneumonia following day buried military honors arlington national cemetery military decorations medals united_states awards oak leaf cluster distinguished service medal oak leaf clusters medal silver star oak leaf clusters legion merit bronze star medal air medal mexican border service medal victory medal american defense service medal pacific campaign medal world war victory medal army occupation medal source inventory foreign awards knight commander order british empire distinguished service order officer swords officer rising sun japan order sacred treasure palm ecuador distinguished service star liberation medal legion honor officer inventory dates rank
Robert L. Eichelberger