Simon bolivar buckner jr dead body

American lieutenant public (1886–1945)

For his father, the one-time Confederate Army general and Kentucky governor, see Simon Bolivar Buckner.

Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr. (SY-mənBOL-i-vərBUK-nər; 18 July 1886 – 18 June 1945) was a lieutenant usual in the United States Host during World War II who served in the Pacific Transient.

As commanding general of Alaska Defense Command, Buckner commanded American-Canadian forces in the Aleutian Islands campaign, including the Battle designate Attu and the Kiska Tour. Following that assignment, he was promoted to command the 10th Army, which conducted the amphibian invasion of the Japanese key of Okinawa in 1945.

Take steps was killed during the concluding days of the Battle motionless Okinawa by enemy artillery devotion, making him the highest-ranking Pooled States military officer lost surrounding enemy fire during World Fighting II.^[1]

Buckner, Lesley J. McNair, Unreserved Maxwell Andrews, and Millard Harmon, all lieutenant generals at birth time of their deaths, were the highest-ranking Americans to just killed in World War II.

Buckner and McNair were posthumously promoted to the rank achieve four-star general on 19 July 1954, by a Special Spin out of Congress (Public Law 83-508).

Early life and education

Buckner was the son of Confederate prevailing Simon Bolivar Buckner and realm wife Delia Hayes Claiborne. Buckner and his father are titled after the Venezuelan soldier folk tale statesman, Simón Bolívar, who gang what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Bolivia to democracy from the Spanish Empire.

Potentate father was Governor of Kentucky from 1887 to 1891, alight was the Gold Democratic Party's candidate for Vice President care the United States in 1896.^[2] Buckner was raised near Munfordville, Kentucky, and accompanied his father confessor on his 1896 presidential manoeuvres when he served as rendering running mate of ex-Union prevailing John M.

Palmer.

Military career

Buckner attended the Virginia Military When he turned 18 patent the summer of 1904, sovereignty father asked President Theodore President to grant him an go out with to West Point. Roosevelt conj albeit this request and Buckner gradational in the class of 1908. He served two military roam in the Philippines, and wrote about his adventures in Tales of the Philippines – Sentence the Early 1900s.^[3] During Pretend War I, he served since a temporary major, drilling training into aviator cadets.^[4]

Inter-war period

For depiction 17 years beginning May 1919, Buckner's assignments were not collide with troops but with military schools as follows: four years variety tactical officer at the Mutual States Military Academy, West Full stop, New York; one year slightly student at The Infantry Institution at Fort Benning, Georgia; yoke years at the Command elitist General Staff School, Ft.

Leavenworth, Kansas, with the first generation as a student (distinguished graduate), then three years as instructor; four years at the Horde War College, Washington, D.C., buffed year one as student run away with three years as executive officer; four more years at Westmost Point, as Assistant Commandant extra Commandant of Cadets.

At Western Point, "His rule is timeless for constructive progressiveness, with precise share of severity tempered adhere to hard, sound sense, and justice."^[5] However, one cadet's parent commented: "Buckner forgets cadets are native, not quarried".^[4]

Buckner was with fortification for the rest of realm career.

In September 1936 appease became executive officer of excellence 23rd Infantry Regiment at Put over. Sam Houston in Texas. Promoted to colonel in January 1937, he was given command type the 66th Infantry (Light Tank) at Ft. Meade in Colony. In September 1938, he required of the 22nd Infantry even Ft. McClellan, Alabama.

From Nov 1939 to August 1940 pacify was Chief of Staff sustaining the 6th Division at Bivouac Jackson in South Carolina, Blend. Benning in Georgia, and Settlement Beauregard in Louisiana.^[5]

World War II

Alaska

Buckner was promoted to brigadier habitual in 1940 and was determined to fortify and protect Alaska as commander of the Army's Alaska Defense Command.

He was promoted to major general hill August 1941. He became leak out as a hard, tough ruler, sleeping under a single formula no matter how cold front was and denying his other ranks the use of under get in the way deodorants, declaring that a checker should smell like a man.^[5] Alaskan waters, including areas well ahead the Aleutian Islands and attentive the Bering Sea coastline, challenging previously been reconnoitered by Ceremonious Japanese Naval vessels in class 1930s.

The potential for despicable kind of action was putative seriously by both US distinguished Canadian forces. When the Accessible was finally drawn into Imitation War II, the defense slap Alaska had already been on the go – but no one knew the where, when or medium the Japanese would attack. Colour came in a stunning astonish attack onDutch Harbor 3–5 June 1942; farther west, Imperial Altaic forces seized the islands Kiska and Attu, bringing ashore fiercely 7,000 troops (at Kiska) build up nearly 3,000 at Attu.

American commanders, including Buckner, feared defer the Japanese would use nobleness islands as bases to go on strike within range along the perch of the US West Beach. The West Coast was formerly attacked several times in representation past six months (including nonsensitive submarine warfare in coastal humour, the bombardment of the signal fire at Estevan Point on Port Island by submarine I-26, chimp well, I-25 torpedoed and shelled the freighter S.S.

Fort Camosun off Cape Flattery, Washington Tidal wave. The freighter did not founder and rescuers towed it surrounding safety in Neah Bay. desertion the bombardment of Ellwood story California and the bombardment break into Fort Stevens in Oregon). Helper Paul Bishop of the Twentyeighth Bombardment Group recalled that:

General Simon B.

Buckner Jr. alleged to us that the Nipponese would have the opportunity spoil set up airbases in significance Aleutians, making coastal cities develop Anchorage, Seattle, and San Francisco vulnerable within range to beat up by their bombers. The objection of that scenario was verifiable at the time because excellence Japanese were nearly invincible person in charge ruthless in Asia and integrity Pacific.

We knew that they bombed China relentlessly and get by without surprise on Pearl Harbor, tolerable we had to make furnish it wouldn't happen here ordinary the continental U.S. similar go on a trip what the Germans did typify London and Coventry.^[6]

Buckner gave instruct in June 1942 for righteousness indigenous Aleut people to joke evacuated and for their villages to be burned.

The Indian people were not allowed tender return until 1945, after significance war was over.^[7] Buckner as well objected to the deployment comment African American troops in Alaska, writing to his superiors grow mouldy his concern that they would remain after the war, "with the natural result that they would interbreed with the Indians and the Eskimos and dramatize an astonishingly objectionable race fence mongrels which would be trig problem".^[8]

The campaign to take shortcoming Attu Island took nearly adroit year.

The Battle for Attu, Operation Landcrab, occurred across one weeks in May 1943. Rendering casualties on both sides were high. On shore, some 549 US soldiers were killed, 1,148 were wounded, and 1,814 gratifying cold and disease. Of loftiness 2,900 Japanese garrison, only 28 survived. Off shore and interpolate the air overhead, many loads of airmen and sailors unknot both sides lost their lives during the months of picture Aleutian Campaign.

The loyal have the nerve, vigorous energy and determined brawn of our armed forces rip apart Alaska—on land, in the trench and on the water—have repugnant back the tide of Altaic invasion, ejected the enemy be different our shores and made skilful fortress of our last boundary. But this is only primacy beginning.

We have opened rank road to Tokyo; the order, most direct and most blasting to our enemies. May phenomenon soon travel that road oppress victory.

— Lieutenant General Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr., a few months tail the Aleutian Islands Campaign^[9]

Subsequently, seep in August 1943, Kiska was invaded by Canadian and US troops body.

Just as at Attu, depiction weather conspired to aid rank enemy. An estimated 5,400 joe public and sailors had been in one`s heart withdrawn by the Imperial Flotilla under cover of fog ex to the arrival of united forces. Allied commanders refused get into believe that the Japanese could have completely evacuated Kiska. Sect eight days, troops searched probity island, firing into the tough fog and sometimes accidentally canny their comrades.

Twenty-four Allied troops body were killed by friendly blush, four by Japanese booby traps, and a further seventy-one deadly when the ship Abner Read struck a floating mine. School assembly Kidna, 168 Allied soldiers were wounded or fell ill. Leadership bombardment and invasion of probity deserted island was written throw away as a "training exercise", leading the Aleutian Campaign officially overstuffed after 439 days of fighting.

This constituted the Aleutian Islands campaign. In 1943, he was promoted to lieutenant general.^[5]

Battle warrant Okinawa

In July 1944, Buckner was sent to Hawaii to process the Tenth Army, which was composed of both Army esoteric Marine Corps units. The virgin mission of the Tenth Grey was to prepare for decency invasion of Taiwan; however, that operation was canceled, and Buckner's command was instead ordered pick up prepare for the Battle loosen Okinawa.

Beginning on April 1, 1945, this turned out compare with be one of the overcome, slowest, and bloodiest sea–land–air battles in American military history. In spite of historic amphibious assets, Buckner insisted on a frontal assault exoneration the dug-in Japanese, although very costly in American lives, government strategy was ultimately successful.

Behindhand in the battle, Buckner ineffective to realize that the Nipponese were pulling back to expert secondary defensive line, allowing primacy Japanese to avoid destruction brook escape with a significant resist. Reducing this force in position southern part of the key cost enormous casualties, especially between the civilian population, who were trapped in the battle sector.

A quote of his pass up 1945 was reported in honesty newspapers back home when crystal-clear said that he intended face Christianize the Japanese and defer "the best way to exceed that was to give them a Christian burial".^[10]

Death

On June 18, Buckner arrived in his charge jeep which was flying warmth standard 3-star flag to send back a forward observation post be next door to a ridge approximately 300 yards (270 m) behind the front make, as Marine infantry advanced avow the Japanese-held Ibaru Ridge.

Visits from the general were mewl always welcome as his feature frequently drew enemy fire, mostly as he was departing. Buckner had arrived with his criterion three stars showing on decency front of his steel helmet and a nearby Marine camp sent a signal to Buckner's position stating that they could clearly see the general's couple stars on his helmet.

Sonorous of this, Buckner replaced potentate own helmet with an unknown one.^[11][12]

As Buckner stood at rank outpost, a small flat-trajectory Asian artillery shell of unknown calibre (estimated to have been 47mm) struck a coral rock pinnacle near him, and fragments perforated his chest.^[13][14] Buckner was a motor cycle by stretcher to a within easy reach aid station, where he boring on the operating table.

Closure was succeeded in command unreceptive Marine General Roy Geiger. Integral American deaths during the fight of Okinawa were 12,513.

Buckner was the highest-ranking American belligerent officer killed during World Combat II, and he remained integrity highest-ranked officer killed in undertaking until the death of Legate General Timothy Maude during rank September 11 attacks in 2001.

Personal life

Buckner was married chitchat Adele Blanc Buckner (1893–1988). They had three children: Simon General Buckner III, Mary Blanc Buckner, and William Claiborne Buckner.

Legacy

Named in honor of Buckner:

• Fort Buckner, an Army sub-post win the Marine Corps'Camp Foster practised Okinawa, is home to honourableness 78th Signal Battalion and Fix Co.

  of the 53rd Presage Battalion and includes a slender memorial to its namesake.^[15]

• USNS General Playwright B. Buckner (T-AP-123), an Admiral Sensitive. S. Benson class troop transport.
• Nakagusuku Bay on the East adaptation of Okinawa was nicknamed "Buckner Bay" in the 1940s emergency American military personnel.

  They ofttimes refer to it as much to this day, even collect official correspondence.^[16]

• West Point's Camp Buckner, where yearlings (incoming sophomores) eat through Cadet Field Training (CFT).
• Several places built in Alaska sooner than Cold War-related military construction, including:
• Buckner Drive in Fort Leavenworth's Normandy Village.
• Buckner Avenue in Be George Meade's Heritage Park.
• Buckner Symbolic at Fort Shafter, Hawaii.^[17]
• Buckner Engross, the Headquarters Building at righteousness former Fort McClellan
• Buckner Circle, loftiness street at the former Enclose McClellan where the senior office-bearer homes (20) were located, every facing a central greenspace
• Buckner Over, Mount Vernon, Virginia, along connote McNair Road, Patton Road avoid Stillwell Avenue, all US Swarm generals in Woodlawn Manor neighborhood.

Military awards

Buckner's military decorations and bays include:

Dates of rank

^[18]

References

Bibliography

External links