beetle smith october august senior officer united_states_army served general chief staff allied invasion italy world war chief staff western_europe smith enlisted private world war commissioned second lieutenant wounded offensive world war staff officer instructor secretary secretary duties involved taking discussions war plans highest level smith president strategic matters smith chief staff september acquired reputation man demanding manner capable representing sensitive missions requiring diplomatic skill smith involved negotiating armistice italy allies signed behalf chief staff position smith negotiated successfully food fuel aid sent german lines cold dutch civilian population opened discussions peaceful complete german capitulation netherlands smith met representatives france conduct surrender signed behalf world war served ambassador soviet_union smith director head cia intelligence agencies united_states smith reorganized cia structure mission gave new sense purpose cia arm government primarily responsible covert operations left cia secretary state retiring smith continued serve posts years retirement death early life born indianapolis indiana october eldest sons silk buyer wife née worked company smith called early age nicknamed beetle occasionally educated peter paul school public schools studied took job eventually left high school graduating smith enrolled father developed health problems smith left university return job support family age smith enlisted private company 2nd called twice ohio river flood indianapolis strike smith promoted corporal sergeant served staff personal life smith met married traditional roman catholic wedding ceremony july marriage long duration childless world war smith work ohio river flood led nomination officer training sent officer candidate training camp fort indiana graduation november commissioned second lieutenant assigned newly formed company 39th infantry camp north_carolina embarked europe embroiled world war new_jersey reaching brest france 23rd training british french armies entered lines june joining offensive july smith wounded shell fragments attack days later wounds smith returned united_states service general staff assigned september commissioned lieutenant regular army united_states smith sent newly formed intelligence officer regiment based ohio disbanded following signing armistice germany november february smith assigned iowa involved disposal surplus equipment supplies march transferred 2nd infantry regiment regular unit based camp dodge remaining november moved wars staff moved illinois smith aide camp brigadier general commander 12th smith worked assistant served year tour duty overseas staff fort william philippines years lieutenant promoted captain september returning united_states smith reported fort georgia march graduation june stayed instructor responsible demonstrating weapons like automatic rifle sent command kansas afterward returned detached attend graduated returned promoted major january years captain slow promotion common army 1920s 1930s officers like smith commissioned november november percent army officer corps promotions usually based modest objective promoting officers major seventeen years service met shortage posts fill world war washington general army chief staff september brought smith washington assistant secretary secretary primarily concerned records collection statistics performed great deal analysis liaison administration smith duties liaison watson senior military aide president smith promoted lieutenant colonel colonel august september secretary colonel given command 1st armored division smith secretary held washington december january mandated creation counterpart smith named secretary january conference brought creation consisted american british chiefs staff committee meeting single body brigadier provided arrangements new organization general marshall thought american required appointed smith secretary senior service time smith marshall wanted smith charge smith promoted brigadier general february assumed new post week later deputy men worked partnership create organize build organization coordinate war efforts allies canadians australians french smith duties involved taking discussions strategy highest level president roosevelt strategic matters smith frustrated watched officers receive operational commands desired later remarked year spent working secretary general staff rewarding entire career year life major general appointed commander june requested smith sent washington chief staff smith record staff officer proven ability work british natural choice post reluctantly marshall request smith took chief staff september reporting deputy chiefs staff brigadier general brigadier chief administrative officer balanced organization chief section paired deputy structure generally american british aspects example gale controlled personnel supply functions american system reported directly smith initially located london moved november december smith arriving december authorized strength smith aggressively expanded january american component strength eventually topped men women chief staff smith guarded access acquired reputation tough manager referred man pending organization smith acted chief staff february brigadier general deputy theater commander commanding general relationship smith hughes old friend tense smith later accused hughes empire building clashed trivial issues smith seldom smith conducted formal villa estate surrounded gardens large drawing rooms decorated oriental art treasures like smith female companion nurse captain following disastrous battle pass sent smith forward report state affairs smith recommended relief commander general advice replaced major general relieved assistant chief staff intelligence brigadier faulty intelligence contributing factor defeat replaced brigadier strained relations allies crisis developed reported enemy aviation operating sector absence allied air cover scathing response american troops drafted letter marshall suggesting relieved command control senior allied commanders smith persuaded send instead air chief marshal major general paid visit headquarters meeting interrupted german air raid convinced airmen general point withdrew written criticisms apologized allied invasion sicily designated overall commander ordered component commanders alexander admiral sir royal_navy cooperate command arrangement meant old british committee system drafted cable demanding unified command structure smith persuaded tear disagreements arose allied commanders operational plan called series dispersed landings based desire air naval logistical planners concerning early capture ports airfields general commander objected aspect plan exposed allied forces defeat detail montgomery forward alternate plan involved american british forces landing convinced smith alternate plan sound men persuaded allied commanders montgomery plan provided early seizure airfields satisfied fears like supply practical port resolved use amphibious trucks august smith strong flew lisbon gibraltar civilian clothes met british embassy hoped arrange terms italy join united_nations nazi_germany smith empowered draw armistice italy allied armed forces unable negotiate political matters september smith signed agreed text behalf respectively simple ceremony beneath olive tree october smith traveled washington weeks represent series meetings including president roosevelt park new_york october european theater december appointed commander invasion wished smith key members staff new assignment prime minister winston_churchill wanted retain smith deputy supreme commander mediterranean churchill reluctantly gave way insistence new year eve smith met general day later field marshal sir discuss transfer key british staff members released gale strong appeal smith refused transfer strong heated exchange resulted later complained smith behavior time senior british officer complained openly smith chief intelligence instead strong smith way long run strong assumed post deputy smith promoted lieutenant general knight commander january january set london half tons personal baggage loaded pair staff chief staff commander active planning overlord operation time staff absorbed smith deputy chief staff gale held title deputy chief staff chief administrative officer deputy chief staff air air vice marshal heads staff divisions major general major general major general major general sir morgan located headquarters london smith moved outskirts london according expressed desire headquarters inside major city camp built square feet floor space time overlord began accommodations provided officers enlisted men women smith offices subterranean complex smith office dominated large portrait marshall advanced command post established near portsmouth montgomery admiral sir headquarters located ground operations normandy controlled montgomery headquarters moved august september assumed control bradley montgomery smith soon realized mistake forward headquarters remote inaccessible lacked necessary communications equipment september ordered versailles soon possible forward began september opened versailles september followed moving air completed october remained february moved time grown size officers enlisted men american british november strong reporting possibility german smith sent strong personally warn bradley preparing offensive magnitude came shock smith defend strong criticism failing sound alarm felt strong given ample warning battle joined acted decisively committing armored divisions 12th reserve bradley objection reserves airborne divisions visited headquarters unimpressed way commanders handling situation strong recommended command armies north transferred bradley montgomery smith immediate reaction dismiss suggestion hand told strong fired pack bags return united_kingdom morning smith apologized second thoughts informed present recommendation realized military political implications knew recommendation come american officer december recommended general bradley montgomery ordered decision greatly resented americans particularly felt action command structure heavy casualties start resulted critical shortage infantry replacements crisis situation created steps taken divert men communications zone units commander lieutenant general persuaded allow soldiers volunteer service regard color race units assistance needed opportunity fighting shoulder shoulder bring victory smith immediately political implications position writing somewhat touch negro policy know handle time general marshall radical change sentence marked attached circular letter place grave difficulties inevitable statement equally inevitable result negro organization pressure group newspaper attitude colored troops organizations desires pleas negro race army perfectly willing lines mixed units white soldiers battle emergency arises years ago considered marked statement dangerous thing seen regard negro relations talked lee believes right colored white soldiers mixed company belief argue policy different convinced circular letter repercussions united_states believe duty draw attention fact statement warning happen facts use counter pressure undoubtedly placed policy revised negro soldiers serving provisional 12th attached regiments 6th grouped companies attached division arrangement generally better rated units attached negro company level unit training april nazi governor netherlands offered open amsterdam food coal shipments ease suffering civilian population smith strong representing representing soviet_union prince representing dutch government major general sir met dutch village april threatening prosecution war crimes smith successfully negotiated provision food suffering dutch civilian population cities west country opened discussions peaceful complete german capitulation netherlands follow 5th smith conduct set surrender negotiations german armed forces smith met representatives der colonel general general admiral von strong acted interpreter smith took hard line threatening terms accepted allies seal forcing remaining germans hands concessions surrender came effect smith signed surrender document french representative war ambassador soviet_union smith briefly returned united_states june august nominated smith successor commander redesignated july smith passed favor general took chief staff november summoned smith assistant chief staff operations planning soon arrival washington asked president secretary state united_states ambassador soviet_union putting smith nomination post united states senate asked received special legislation permitting smith retain permanent military rank major general smith service american ambassador success fault smith tenure relationship united_states soviet_union deteriorated rapidly cold war set smith purpose came lack flexibility soviet fears american intentions thoroughly disillusioned turned hardened cold warrior saw soviet_union secretive antagonistic state years moscow smith account time ambassador wrote forced continuing struggle free way life extend period years dare allow false sense security soviet tactic wear weak spots patience degree required smith returned united_states march offered post assistant secretary state general smith declined appointment preferring return military duty appointed commander army new_york command war smith troubled recurring stomach problem severe longer able eat normal diet suffering smith admitted decided remove stomach cure smith remained thin director central intelligence selected smith director head cia post established directors wanted job produced jackson report found cia failed responsibilities coordination production intelligence response accepted conclusions recommendations report remained implement president decided smith man needed cia smith assume post october major intelligence failure north korean invasion south_korea june started korean war took administration entirely surprise raised fears world war smith knew little agency asked deputy executive secretary recommended authors jackson report smith jackson accepted post deputy director conditions smith jackson moved agency line recommendations jackson report streamlined procedures gathering intelligence october smith asked prepare estimates wake island conference president general smith insisted estimates simple conclusive useful mere background reflected best information available unfortunately estimate concluded chinese intervene korea major intelligence failure months outbreak korean war agency produced coordinated estimate situation korea smith created new direction harvard historian led research analysis branch wartime staff created procedures followed decades smith stepped efforts obtain economic psychological photographic intelligence december smith formed agency ultimately divided function administration plans intelligence smith remembered cia successful director effective structure mission cia expansive covert action program remained responsibility quasi independent smith began bring control early january deputy director plans supervise cia separate espionage organization january intelligence functions consolidated deputy director intelligence succeeded august took august merge culture methods pay scales effective single consolidating responsibility covert operations smith cia arm government primarily responsible smith wanted cia career service war called law limited duration officer temporary assignments effectively prevented making career general staff officer schools intelligence training little peacetime career officers tended avoid work military smith consolidated training director training developed career service program appointed supreme allied commander europe asked smith serve chief staff turned request stating important post took lieutenant general chief staff later recommended elevation star rank decided general smith promoted smith omitted promotion list announced promoted smith occurred august smith retired army leaving cia february secretary state january president elect announced smith secretary state smith appointment confirmed united states senate february resigned days later smith traveled europe attempt convince british participate intervention french defeat failed reached agreement soviet foreign minister partition vietnam separate states president guatemala threatened land belonging smith ordered american ambassador guatemala cia plan coup effect accomplished following year smith left october took position served president chairman vice chairman director retiring secretary state smith continued serve administration posts member board president smith consultant president served chairman president member large recognition boss member death legacy smith approached perform voice opening scene movie hell based autobiography accepted small parts movie notably beginning dressed old service uniform narrated parts movie referring constantly foot soldier smith portrayed screen longest day countdown day television portrayed war remembrance days war years smith suffered heart attack august home washington died ambulance way entitled special honor funeral request widow simple joint service funeral held patterned given general marshall selected grave site husband section arlington national cemetery close marshall grave smith buried death smith papers kansas awards decorations source general october august retrieved august
Walter Bedell Smith