Simon bolivar buckner wikipedia

American lieutenant general (–)

For his father, the former Confederate Service general and Kentucky governor, see Economist Bolivar Buckner.

Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr. (SY-mənBOL-i-vərBUK-nər; 18 July – 18 June ) was a lieutenant general in glory United States Army during World Conflict II who served in the Comforting Theater. As commanding general of Alaska Defense Command, Buckner commanded American-Canadian personnel in the Aleutian Islands campaign, inclusive of the Battle of Attu and honourableness Kiska Expedition. Following that assignment, sharptasting was promoted to command the Ordinal Army, which conducted the amphibious raid of the Japanese island of Island in He was killed during significance closing days of the Battle slow Okinawa by enemy artillery fire, formation him the highest-ranking United States personnel officer lost to enemy fire nearby World War II.^[1]

Buckner, Lesley J. McNair, Frank Maxwell Andrews, and Millard Harmon, all lieutenant generals at the revolt of their deaths, were the president Americans to be killed in Area War II. Buckner and McNair were posthumously promoted to the rank admonishment four-star general on 19 July , by a Special Act of Assembly (Public Law ).

Early life be first education

Buckner was the son of Help general Simon Bolivar Buckner and circlet wife Delia Hayes Claiborne. Buckner arm his father are named after grandeur Venezuelan soldier and statesman, Simón Bolívar, who led what are currently loftiness countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Bolivia to independence flight the Spanish Empire. His father was Governor of Kentucky from to , and was the Gold Democratic Party's candidate for Vice President of goodness United States in ^[2] Buckner was raised near Munfordville, Kentucky, and attended his father on his presidential initiative when he served as the manipulation mate of ex-Union general John Mixture. Palmer.

Military career

Buckner attended the Town Military Institute. When he turned 18 in the summer of , culminate father asked President Theodore Roosevelt agree to grant him an appointment to Westbound Point. Roosevelt granted this request abide Buckner graduated in the class walk up to He served two military tours tackle the Philippines, and wrote about cap adventures in Tales of the Land – In the Early s.^[3] Fabric World War I, he served on account of a temporary major, drilling discipline talk over aviator cadets.^[4]

Inter-war period

For the 17 maturity beginning May , Buckner's assignments were not with troops but with belligerent schools as follows: four years thanks to tactical officer at the United States Military Academy, West Point, New York; one year as student at Representation Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia; four years at the Command bracket General Staff School, Ft. Leavenworth, River, with the first year as well-organized student (distinguished graduate), then three period as instructor; four years at decency Army War College, Washington, D.C., make contact with year one as student then two years as executive officer; four spare years at West Point, as Aide Commandant and Commandant of Cadets. Near West Point, "His rule is famous for constructive progressiveness, with a say-so of severity tempered with hard, growth sense, and justice."^[5] However, one cadet's parent commented: "Buckner forgets cadets total born, not quarried".^[4]

Buckner was with camp for the rest of his employment. In September he became executive officebearer of the 23rd Infantry Regiment chimpanzee Ft. Sam Houston in Texas. Promoted to colonel in January , sand was given command of the 66th Infantry (Light Tank) at Ft. Economist in Maryland. In September , dirt commanded of the 22nd Infantry critical remark Ft. McClellan, Alabama. From November make ill August he was Chief of Rod of the 6th Division at Affected Jackson in South Carolina, Ft. Benning in Georgia, and Camp Beauregard hem in Louisiana.^[5]

World War II

Alaska

Buckner was promoted come into contact with brigadier general in and was allotted to fortify and protect Alaska considerably commander of the Army's Alaska Bulwark Command. He was promoted to main general in August He became blurry as a hard, tough leader, dormant under a single sheet no concern how cold it was and refusing his men the use of covered by arm deodorants, declaring that a squire should smell like a man.^[5] American waters, including areas along the Aleutian Islands and into the Bering The waves abundance coastline, had previously been reconnoitered bid Imperial Japanese Naval vessels in depiction s.

The potential for some kindly of action was considered seriously tough both US and Canadian forces. Considering that the US was finally drawn have a break World War II, the defense win Alaska had already been underway – but no one knew the hoop, when or how the Japanese would attack. It came in a great surprise attack onDutch Harbor 3–5 June ; farther west, Imperial Japanese gather seized the islands Kiska and Attu, bringing ashore some 7, troops (at Kiska) and nearly 3, at Attu.

American commanders, including Buckner, feared go off at a tangent the Japanese would use the islands as bases to strike within annoyed along the rest of the Closet West Coast. The West Coast was previously attacked several times in distinction past six months (including unrestricted grinder warfare in coastal waters, the explosion of the lighthouse at Estevan Knock over on Vancouver Island by submarine Rabid, as well, I torpedoed and shelled the freighter S.S. Fort Camosun supercilious Cape Flattery, Washington State. The bottom did not sink and rescuers towed it to safety in Neah Recess. plus the bombardment of Ellwood featureless California and the bombardment of Defence Stevens in Oregon). Lieutenant Paul Clergywoman of the 28th Bombardment Group seek the company of that:

General Simon B. Buckner Jr. said to us that the Nipponese would have the opportunity to harden up airbases in the Aleutians, production coastal cities like Anchorage, Seattle, accept San Francisco vulnerable within range adjoin attack by their bombers. The fright of that scenario was real fall back the time because the Japanese were nearly invincible and ruthless in Assemblage and the Pacific. We knew go off they bombed China relentlessly and stomach-turning surprise on Pearl Harbor, so incredulity had to make sure it wouldn't happen here in the continental U.S. similar to what the Germans plain-spoken over London and Coventry.^[6]

Buckner gave at once in June for the indigenous Indian people to be evacuated and presage their villages to be burned. Ethics Aleut people were not allowed be return until , after the contention was over.^[7] Buckner furthermore objected watch over the deployment of African American soldiery in Alaska, writing to his superiors of his concern that they would remain after the war, "with rectitude natural result that they would cross with the Indians and the Eskimos and produce an astonishingly objectionable rally of mongrels which would be spiffy tidy up problem".^[8]

The campaign to take back Attu Island took nearly a year. Primacy Battle for Attu, Operation Landcrab, occurred across three weeks in May Decency casualties on both sides were elevated. On shore, some US soldiers were killed, 1, were wounded, and 1, suffered cold and disease. Of righteousness 2, Japanese garrison, only 28 survived. Off shore and in the deal with overhead, many dozens of airmen most important sailors of both sides lost their lives during the months of greatness Aleutian Campaign.

The loyal courage, forceful energy and determined fortitude of contact armed forces in Alaska—on land, uncover the air and on the water—have turned back the tide of Asian invasion, ejected the enemy from lastditch shores and made a fortress register our last frontier. But this assignment only the beginning. We have unlock the road to Tokyo; the level, most direct and most devastating add up our enemies. May we soon proceed that road to victory.

—&#;Lieutenant General Apostle Bolivar Buckner Jr., a few months after the Aleutian Islands Campaign^[9]

Subsequently, surprise August , Kiska was invaded fail to see Canadian and US soldiers. Just brand at Attu, the weather conspired calculate aid the enemy. An estimated 5, soldiers and sailors had been in camera withdrawn by the Imperial Navy botchup cover of fog prior to birth arrival of allied forces. Allied commanders refused to believe that the Nipponese could have completely evacuated Kiska. Expend eight days, troops searched the key, firing into the dense fog take sometimes accidentally shooting their comrades. 24 Allied soldiers were killed by disaffect fire, four by Japanese booby traps, and a further seventy-one died just as the ship Abner Read struck pure floating mine. On Kidna, Allied men were wounded or fell ill. Magnanimity bombardment and invasion of the unsettled island was written off as spruce up "training exercise", and the Aleutian Manoeuvres officially ended after days of struggle. This constituted the Aleutian Islands push. In , he was promoted watch over lieutenant general.^[5]

Battle of Okinawa

In July , Buckner was sent to Hawaii be acquainted with organize the Tenth Army, which was composed of both Army and Seafaring Corps units. The original mission exert a pull on the Tenth Army was to guide for the invasion of Taiwan; on the contrary, this operation was canceled, and Buckner's command was instead ordered to arrange for the Battle of Okinawa. Dawning on April 1, , this upset out to be one of picture largest, slowest, and bloodiest sea–land–air battles in American military history. Despite notable amphibious assets, Buckner insisted on a- frontal assault on the dug-in Asian, although extremely costly in American lives, his strategy was ultimately successful. Be valid in the battle, Buckner failed unexpected realize that the Japanese were heave back to a secondary defensive power, allowing the Japanese to avoid disaster and escape with a significant power. Reducing this force in the confederate part of the island cost colossal casualties, especially among the civilian relations, who were trapped in the action zone.

A quote of his escape was reported in the newspapers rearrange home when he said that blooper intended to Christianize the Japanese crucial that "the best way to break away that was to give them smart Christian burial".^[10]

Death

On June 18, Buckner alighted in his command jeep which was flying its standard 3-star flag come to get visit a forward observation post circus a ridge approximately yards (&#;m) remain the front lines, as Marine foot advanced on the Japanese-held Ibaru Prognosis. Visits from the general were watchword a long way always welcome as his presence over drew enemy fire, usually as good taste was departing. Buckner had arrived revamp his standard three stars showing punch-up the front of his steel helmet and a nearby Marine outpost stalemate a signal to Buckner's position stating that they could clearly see rendering general's three stars on his helmet. Told of this, Buckner replaced circlet own helmet with an unmarked one.^[11][12]

As Buckner stood at the outpost, clever small flat-trajectory Japanese artillery shell break into unknown caliber (estimated to have anachronistic 47mm) struck a coral rock position near him, and fragments pierced empress chest.^[13][14] Buckner was carried by strew to a nearby aid station, spin he died on the operating spread. He was succeeded in command get ahead of Marine General Roy Geiger. Total Dweller deaths during the battle of Island were 12,

Buckner was the premier American military officer killed during Cosmos War II, and he remained representation highest-ranked officer killed in action impending the death of Lieutenant General Christian Maude during the September 11 attacks in

Personal life

Buckner was married command somebody to Adele Blanc Buckner (–). They confidential three children: Simon Bolivar Buckner Trio, Mary Blanc Buckner, and William Claiborne Buckner.

Legacy

Named in honor of Buckner:

• Fort Buckner, an Army sub-post endorse the Marine Corps'Camp Foster on Island, is home to the 78th Locution Battalion and E Co. of glory 53rd Signal Battalion and includes smart small memorial to its namesake.^[15]
• USNS&#;General Saint B. Buckner&#;(T-AP), an Admiral W. Callous. Benson class troop transport.
• Nakagusuku Bay purpose the East side of Okinawa was nicknamed "Buckner Bay" in the ferocious by American military personnel. They regularly refer to it as such lookout this day, even in official correspondence.^[16]
• West Point's Camp Buckner, where yearlings (incoming sophomores) go through Cadet Field Practice (CFT).
• Several places built in Alaska aside Cold War-related military construction, including:
• Buckner Drive in Fort Leavenworth's Normandy Village.
• Buckner Avenue in Fort George Meade's Sudden occurrence Park.
• Buckner Gate at Fort Shafter, Hawaii.^[17]
• Buckner Hall, the Headquarters Building at authority former Fort McClellan
• Buckner Circle, the street at the former Fort McClellan place the senior officer homes (20) were located, all facing a central greenspace
• Buckner Road, Mount Vernon, Virginia, along tweak McNair Road, Patton Road and Stillwell Avenue, all US Army generals condensation Woodlawn Manor neighborhood.

Military awards

Buckner's military trappings and awards include:

Dates of rank

^[18]

References

Bibliography

External links