august august united_states_army major general world war korean war received medal honor actions july battle south_korea dean highest ranking american officer captured north korean war born illinois dean attended graduating commission army reserve officer slowly rising ranks inter war years dean worked desk job world war transferred later commanded final days war awarded dean known commanding 24th infantry division outbreak korean war dean led division weeks unsuccessful delaying battles north led division making stand confused retreat city dean separated soldiers badly injured eventually captured north remained north korean custody near remainder war end conflict dean returned united_states hero welcome retired army soon lived quiet life death early life education dean born august illinois worked german descent siblings brother named david sister named elizabeth dean states biography interest military began young age seeing cadets performing military drill childhood dean interested physical fitness began running activities continue life jobs included selling magazines spending money growing dean town main graduating high school dean applied rejected tried enlist united_states_army world war young parents permission mother refused dean instead attended studying pre law time took variety jobs including san_francisco docks briefly worked police chief august dean originally sought attain doctor law degree completed bachelor_of_arts degree berkeley joining army career inter war career dean member berkeley commissioned second lieutenant given active duty commission infantry october assignment 38th infantry regiment utah posting dean took interest polo owning training dean moved panama canal zone coaching boxing basketball teams competing dean returned attending fort georgia serving tank battalion taking course tank school dean assigned 30th west_coast time dean served commander northern california dean moved headquarters california following appointments dean attended kansas assigned post hawaii years following stint dean attended fort field officer course dean promoted captain major promotion dean assigned washington war general staff junior member assistant secretary executive officer ground forces headquarters department concerned acquisition new weapons electronics training literature world war following entry world war dean promoted temporary rank lieutenant colonel colonel promoted brigadier general later year head held office briefly assigned assistant commander major general late division sail dean went despite injured shortly departure accident claimed lives soldiers dean promoted major general late landed france september trained month entering combat october relieved vicinity east seventh united_states_army drive secure passes division hit heavy counterattack forces nazi_germany october attack repulsed 44th remained sector weeks november attacked northeast advancing east capturing november division pushed liberate french 2nd armored division returned attack taking entering division commander major general injured relieved command december dean promoted command division month division caught german_army offensive known fort captured germans december forced retreat defensive positions east december 44th threw attempts germans cross aggressive defense area continued february march division moved worms germany march wake 44th relieved 3rd march crossed attack capture germany march shifting west bank division crossed river early april engaged week period training returning lines division resumed attack april conjunction 44th took april crossed attacked southeast austria taking drive pursuing german forces pass 44th city surrendered 19th german_army surrendered day division involved processing german prisoners day dean troops took prisoners war surrender german army dean awarded leadership division war short period occupation duty returned united_states july began training deployment intended dean lead division planned invasion war came end took place operation subsequently cancelled dean oversaw division relieved command november disbanded end month relieved command dean assigned organize direct command classes october dean appointed commander military forces south_korea deputy military governor lieutenant general commander korea job temporary forces transitioned south independence headquartered seoul dean maintained political control country august new south korean government elected occupation ended dean commander overseeing movement south_korea bases japan january dean division japan island moved serve chief staff lieutenant general october dean returned division command took command 24th korean war delaying action outbreak korean war june dean division closest ground unit general army ordered walker deploy division south_korea quickly possible resist advancing forces north_korea dean ordered send advance battalion division air south_korea mission advance resist leading elements effort delay possible remainder division followed sea dean given command forces korea division numbered men vehicles time july dean organized man task force smith components 21st infantry regiment ordered korea advance force task force smith advanced dean landed july set command post brigadier general assistant division commander brigadier general commander deputies dean ordered forward act forward commander task force smith began digging resist north korean troops advancing capture seoul task force smith subsequently defeated north battle day pushed defeat task force smith dean ordered 34th infantry regiment elements division conduct delaying actions south disappointed frustrated result badly defeated briefly resisted north retreating disarray dean angered poor performance 34th infantry regiment battle allegedly upset regiment retreated quickly attempting delay north considered ordering regiment north immediately fearing unit ambushed dean replaced commander colonel ordered north encountered north korean resistance immediately disorganized forced withdraw north outnumbered dean troops forces weapons heavy destroy north korean tanks following retreat scattered retreated rest 34th infantry regiment located ordered probe north city meet advancing elements north korean 4th infantry division advancing following victories dean command ordering rest regimental commander moved north join newly arrived colonel friend dean dean ordered martin command 34th infantry regiment morning july dean walker arrived outcome begun night discovered martin killed regiment defeated fleeing disarray ordered dean ordered rest 21st infantry conduct final delaying action july delayed north defeated forced july dean ordered division regiments 19th 21st 34th infantry regiments cross destroying bridges establish defensive positions dean formed line facing east held heavily battered reserve southeast stood major transportation hub seoul giving great strategic value sides division attempting stand place conduct delaying action north korean forces converge unfinished infantry regiments wartime strength strength deployment heavy losses preceding weeks reduced numbers men left having suffered casualties 19th men men 24th artillery formations division total strength severely reduced men vehicles arrived korea beginning month 19th 34th regiments engaged north korean 3rd division west july july regiments suffered casualties men committed july walker ordered dean hold july establish defensive lines forming perimeter north moved july north korean forces entered site 24th headquarters dean personally led division stand north quickly surrounded city moved west north south days 34th infantry fought advancing north bitter house house fighting north korean soldiers continued infiltrate city disguised farmers remaining elements 24th pushed block block radios unable communicate remaining elements division dean joined men lines hunting tanks help new shaped charge armor piercing inch super production weeks war point dean personally attacked tank hand grenade destroying repeatedly directed fire armor city exposed north korean fire american forces pulled gradually suffering heavy losses allowing north korean 3rd city freely north south west roads repeatedly attempted establish defensive lines repeatedly pushed numerically superior enemy separation end day july dean ordered headquarters 34th infantry withdraw dean remained assisted troops evacuating city convoy ready leave convoy troops moved city fought north korean dean small force soldiers followed edge city final elements 34th infantry leaving city vehicles ambushed vehicles destroyed machine guns mortars forcing americans retreat foot ensuing fight dean wrong turn separated rest american forces dean small force eventually city past north korean outside city dean stopped tend wounded soldiers wrecked truck ditch attempted escape ran north korean forced continue foot crossing climbing nearby mountain confusion dean separated group going water wounded man dean fell steep slope knocked unconscious regained consciousness found head broken shoulder days dean mountains trying reach safety going food medical treatment feet tall dean weighed pounds war reduced pounds month august south pretended guiding safety led ambush north korean soldiers miles south miles west dean attempted fight north kill easily took weakened dean prisoner july dean missing appointed church commander promoted major general dean widely believed killed october forces captured north korean soldier named near lee assigned live dean month interpreter lee interviewed late military leaders generally thought dean dead imprisonment dean taken local police headquarters kept cage overnight north korean troops initially aware identity dean taken prison camp given food medical treatment began suffering dean transported main north korean prisoner war camp seoul american prisoners attempted identity secret quickly recognized south korean administrator worked war dean moved given larger living quarters underground north korean facility remained sick owing poorly prepared food air raids north intensified dean moved north lived guards began daily primarily aimed forcing military intelligence making sign written condemnation intervention korea dean refused senior north korean military leaders continued october eventually gave dean cooperate intimidated threats dean continued suffer illness related poor food given interpreter interrogated october north korean leaders threatened harm dean cooperate actually tortured dean took playing chess guards allowed exercise daily kept american prisoners remainder confinement dean later wrote extensively capture imprisonment autobiography general dean story claimed north considered war criminal discussions problems capitalism united_states dean later said tried commit suicide feared break torture critical intelligence north aware plans operation feared reveal information north torture remained defiant refusing information acting laughing threats given better treatment prisoners north_korea regularly fed rarely subjected initial capture tried times escape failed moved forces took returned entered war forced forces dean contact outside world interviewed december australian journalist correspondent belgian newspaper interview time dean definitively confirmed alive prisoner rest world dean recounted incident autobiography title friend visit end war dean claimed autobiography visited numerous news claimed lived remainder time prisoner relative comfort july armistice agreement dean remained north_korea prisoner war weeks armistice worked returned forces operation big switch september later life death dean returned united_states received hero welcome presented number decorations including medal honor unaware awarded dean maintained think experience particularly heroic asserted feel deserved award actions korea given tape parade new_york_city return october grand marshal tournament roses parade january months return korea dean assigned deputy commanding general sixth united_states_army california dean held post years retired active duty october retirement dean awarded combat badge line service world war korea dean lived quiet life berkeley california retirement died august age buried wife personal life dean met salt_lake_city utah friends injured fall dean polo tour fort douglas married couple children born born june married army captain attended dean maintained athletic lifestyle life picking running young coaching basketball later years played tennis maintained steady athletic majority life insisting imprisonment later life dean maintained self outlook actions korea maintained feel deserved medal honor time korea dean later said wouldn awarded wooden star commander autobiography opted instead highlight command decisions regretted making contend heroes korea awards decorations dean decorated numerous times world war korean war service awards display medal honor citation congress voted award dean medal honor actions defense medal presented president february dean wife son daughter dean reported missing action korea thought dead rank organization commanding general 24th date korea july entered service california born august february dean distinguished conspicuous gallantry repeated risk life duty command unit suddenly relieved occupation duties japan combat faced ruthless determined enemy highly trained overwhelmingly superior numbers felt duty action man military experience knowledge clearly result death personally attacked enemy tank armed hand grenade directed fire tanks exposed position cover observed artillery small arms fire town finally overrun refused safety leaving leading elements remained organizing retreating forces directing seen assisting wounded place safety actions indicate dean felt necessary sustain courage resolution troops examples excessive gallantry committed threatened portions magnificent response unit willing cheerful sacrifice knowledge certain cost history success phase campaign large measure dean heroic leadership courageous loyal devotion men complete disregard personal safety legacy dean highest ranking prisoner war korean war highest ranking medal honor recipient story capture imprisonment north recorded numerous publications initial capture covered july photo essay detailing life december discovered alive article story imprisonment featuring image magazine cover subsequently received attention press multiple media outlets attempted interview dean north rarely allowed photos little information status released showed good condition release dean story lee told dean ways actions tank dean knocked remained destroyed memorial fight hometown newly renovated bridge named inducted national_register_of_historic_places dean death uniform personal items donated program created memorial dean gym campus designating room dean room dean uniform medals including medal honor housed university selected dean alumnus year
William F. Dean