Interesting that Bradley was the only Army commander in attendance.
Military Personalities
- Thread starter Bootie
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What about Montgomery?
Bradly seemed to be he lowest rank as far as responsibility. He was only responsible for an army. 
Montgomery was 21st Army Group Commander, CiC of ground forces for Overlord ... Dempsey was British 2nd Army commander.
Crerar later Canadian army commander.
Still an Army commander, no?
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Bernard Montgomery (centre) standing with his four army generals, Sir Miles ‘Bimbo’ Dempsey, Courtney Hodges, William Hood Simpson and Henry Duncan Graham "Harry" Crerar during the Battle of the Bulge.
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FDR meeting with Gen MacArthur, Admiral Leahy, and Admiral Nimitz in 1944.
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Left: Brig. Gen. Theodore Roosevelt Jr. with Lt. Gen. George S. Patton Jr. in Gela, Sicily, 1943.
Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., would never attain the presidency like his father did, but he would fight in WWI and II.
He earned the Distinguished Service Cross and two Silver Stars in WW1, and then came back into service in WW2 as an almost 60-year-old man. But still, he earned another two Silver Stars in combat in North Africa near one of his own sons (who also earned a Silver Star, there).
In the preparations for D-Day, he pushed repeatedly for permission to go ashore with the first wave, but his division commander kept denying it on the basis of the brigadier's rank and age. So, Roosevelt, Jr., wrote to his distant cousin, then-President F.D.R.
Before the reply came back, the division commander finally relented and gave Roosevelt, Jr., permission, certain he would never see him again.
The 4th Infantry Div, like nearly everyone else that day, landed out of position, but they were lucky to have their deputy commanding general there to take charge. Roosevelt, Jr., personally led infantry waves into position under fire multiple times while walking with a cane.
His re-making of the division landing plan was credited with keeping Omaha Beach open, and the commanding general gave his compliments when he landed with a later wave.
Roosevelt Jr. was nominated for promotion to major general, the Medal of Honor, and command of the 90th Infantry Div, but he died of a heart attack just hours before Gen. Eisenhower called to give him the news.
The medal was awarded posthumously.
Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., would never attain the presidency like his father did, but he would fight in WWI and II.
He earned the Distinguished Service Cross and two Silver Stars in WW1, and then came back into service in WW2 as an almost 60-year-old man. But still, he earned another two Silver Stars in combat in North Africa near one of his own sons (who also earned a Silver Star, there).
In the preparations for D-Day, he pushed repeatedly for permission to go ashore with the first wave, but his division commander kept denying it on the basis of the brigadier's rank and age. So, Roosevelt, Jr., wrote to his distant cousin, then-President F.D.R.
Before the reply came back, the division commander finally relented and gave Roosevelt, Jr., permission, certain he would never see him again.
The 4th Infantry Div, like nearly everyone else that day, landed out of position, but they were lucky to have their deputy commanding general there to take charge. Roosevelt, Jr., personally led infantry waves into position under fire multiple times while walking with a cane.
His re-making of the division landing plan was credited with keeping Omaha Beach open, and the commanding general gave his compliments when he landed with a later wave.
Roosevelt Jr. was nominated for promotion to major general, the Medal of Honor, and command of the 90th Infantry Div, but he died of a heart attack just hours before Gen. Eisenhower called to give him the news.
The medal was awarded posthumously.
Wouldn't Field Marshal Paulus of Sixth Army have been the second highest ranking German POW ?
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Brigadier Gen. Jesse C Auton (1904/1952), Gen. D. Eisenhower (1890/1969), Gen. Carl Spaatz (1891/1974), Gen. James Doolittle (1896/1993), Major Gen. William Kepner (1893/1982) and Colonel Donald Blakeslee (1917/2008) taken on the occasion of the awarding of the Distinguished Flying Cross to Col. Blakeslee and Capt. Dominic Gentile - out of picture - (1920/1951). Debden, England, April 1944.
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Inside Montgomery's mobile command lorry, Field Marshal explaining his plans to King George VI, 1944.
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James H. “Jimmy†Doolittle (1896-1993)
Whoa. 97 when he died. Good for him.
Model should have been a B-25 like he flew off the flight deck on his way to bomb Japan.
But it is a sweet model of a B29 though.
Model should have been a B-25 like he flew off the flight deck on his way to bomb Japan.
But it is a sweet model of a B29 though.
Where did we find men with that kind of courage?
That was the “Greatest Generation.†If a WW2-type situation arose today, I question whether the “ younger set†(on the whole) would have what it takes to answer the bell. I’d like to think they would surprise me.
'Why we fight' has always been the question on all people who do the dying. Better the answer better the response I guess.
I wouldn't want any kid to die because one of our politicians told him to go off and fight without a good reason.
Depends on the amount of blood spilt I guess.
I wouldn't want any kid to die because one of our politicians told him to go off and fight without a good reason.
Depends on the amount of blood spilt I guess.
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One more pic of the meeting of the Supreme Command, Allied Expeditionary Force, London, 1 Feb 1944.
Lt. Gen. Omar Bradley (1893/1981) - Admiral Sir Bertram H Ramsay, Allied Naval Commander in Chief (1883/1945) - Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur W Tedder, Deputy Supreme Commander, Expeditionary Force (1890/1967) - Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, Supreme Commander, Expeditionary Force (1890/1969) - Gen Bernard Montgomery, Commander in Chief, 21st Army Group (1887/1976) - Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory, Allied Air Commander in Chief (1892/1944) - Lt. Gen. Walter Bedell Smith (1895/1961).
Lt. Gen. Omar Bradley (1893/1981) - Admiral Sir Bertram H Ramsay, Allied Naval Commander in Chief (1883/1945) - Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur W Tedder, Deputy Supreme Commander, Expeditionary Force (1890/1967) - Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, Supreme Commander, Expeditionary Force (1890/1969) - Gen Bernard Montgomery, Commander in Chief, 21st Army Group (1887/1976) - Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory, Allied Air Commander in Chief (1892/1944) - Lt. Gen. Walter Bedell Smith (1895/1961).
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Canadian Brigadier John Kelburne Lawson (27 Dec 1886 – 19 Dec 1941)
Lawson was KIA in the Battle of Hong Kong. After fierce fighting, Japanese forces surrounded Lawson's headquarters at around 10 a.m. on 19 Dec 1941. Lawson radioed his commanders that he was "going outside to fight it out" and left his pillbox with a pistol in each hand. He was killed in the ensuing fight.
When the Japanese arrived and found his body, they gave him a military burial nearby in Wong Nai Chong Gap out of respect for his courage.
He was the ranking Canadian combat death in WWII.-
Lawson was KIA in the Battle of Hong Kong. After fierce fighting, Japanese forces surrounded Lawson's headquarters at around 10 a.m. on 19 Dec 1941. Lawson radioed his commanders that he was "going outside to fight it out" and left his pillbox with a pistol in each hand. He was killed in the ensuing fight.
When the Japanese arrived and found his body, they gave him a military burial nearby in Wong Nai Chong Gap out of respect for his courage.
He was the ranking Canadian combat death in WWII.-
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French Gen. Maurice Gamelin (1872/1958) studiying a map.
As a staff officer in WW1he helped to plan the successful Battle of the Marne (1914) and served with distinction through the war. But in WW2 as commander-in-chief of the Allied forces, he was unprepared for the German thrust through the Ardennes which resulted in absoluty disaster for his forces. In mid-May 1940 Gamelin was replaced by General Weygand.
As a staff officer in WW1he helped to plan the successful Battle of the Marne (1914) and served with distinction through the war. But in WW2 as commander-in-chief of the Allied forces, he was unprepared for the German thrust through the Ardennes which resulted in absoluty disaster for his forces. In mid-May 1940 Gamelin was replaced by General Weygand.