Alfred Gruenther
Alfred Gruenther | |
---|---|
Birth name | Alfred Maximilian Gruenther |
Born | Platte Center, Nebraska, U.S. | March 3, 1899
Died | May 30, 1983 Washington, D.C., U.S. | (aged 84)
Buried | |
Allegiance | United States |
Service/ | United States Army |
Years of service | 1918–1956 |
Rank | General |
Service number | 0-12242 |
Unit | Field Artillery Branch |
Commands held | Supreme Allied Commander Europe (1953−1956) |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Awards | Army Distinguished Service Medal (4) |
Other work | American Red Cross president (1957–1964) |
Early life and military career
Gruenther was born in Platte Center, Nebraska, the son of Mary "Mayme" Shea, a school teacher, and Maximilian Gruenther, a newspaper editor who published the Platte Center Signal.[1]
He attended St. Thomas Academy in Saint Paul, Minnesota. In June 1917, he entered the United States Military Academy at West Point and after studying for nineteen months, graduated early due to the war, on November 1, 1918, with a rank of fourth in a class of 277. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Field Artillery but after the Armistice he was recalled to West Point to complete his training, and graduated a second time in June 1919.[2]
Until May 1935, when he was promoted to captain, he served various tours of duty including teaching mathematics, electricity and chemistry at West Point for eight years.
In September 1941, Gruenther, now a major, took part in the Army's Louisiana Maneuvers, the largest war exercises since World War I. Nearly 400,000 troops were involved. His performance was noticed by the Chief of Staff of the General Headquarters, United States Army (GHQ), Lt. Gen. Lesley J. McNair.
In October 1941, Gruenther was promoted to lieutenant colonel, and became deputy chief of staff and then chief of staff of the
World War II
Gruenther was an adviser and planner to top generals in World War II. He possessed a strong power of analytical reasoning with capacity both to detail and overall perspective for which his colleagues called him "the Brain".[3]
In 1942, he was promoted to brigadier general and became a deputy chief of staff of Allied Force Headquarters in London under Gen. Eisenhower, who assigned him the
Post-war
After the end of World War II in 1945, Gruenther served as deputy commander of U.S. forces in Austria. In 1946-1947, he was appointed deputy commandant of the recently established National War College.
In 1947, he served as Director of the Joint Staff and then Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1947-1949. In 1949, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general and served as the U.S. Army's deputy chief of staff for plans and operations.[5]
In 1951, Gruenther was promoted to
Later years
In the 1956 presidential campaign, Gruenther's name was placed on the list of possible candidates for the Republican nomination after Eisenhower's heart attack on September 24, 1955.[8] After serving two terms, President Eisenhower considered Gruenther as a possible alternative to Richard Nixon for the Republican presidential nomination in 1960, and later suggested Gruenther as a potential vice-president for Nixon, but ultimately realized that Gruenther did not have the political base required to get either place on the ticket.
Gruenther served on the boards of Dart Industries, Inc.,
Gruenther died of complications of pneumonia at Walter Reed Army Hospital on May 30, 1983, and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.[9]
Family
In 1922, Gruenther married Grace Elizabeth Crum of Jeffersonville, Indiana, who gave birth to two sons, Donald A. Gruenther, and Richard L. Gruenther; they both became career military officers. His great-grandson, USAF Captain Lucas Gruenther died at the age of 32 while flying an F-16 jet fighter on January 28, 2013, during a training mission over the Adriatic Sea.[10][11]
Head of American Red Cross
From January 1957 to March 1964, he was president of the American Red Cross. As head of the Red Cross, Gruenther personally visited and inspected disaster areas in the United States. He made frequent public appearances, captivating the audience with "easy manner and conversational style."[12] He received several awards for International Red Cross related activities, which included visits to Russia and Poland.[13]
Bridge expert
Being a
Recognition
Gen. Eisenhower characterized Gruenther as "one of the ablest all-around officers, civilian or military, I have encountered."
In 1952, Gruenther became the youngest four-star general in U.S. history[3] He is also sometimes credited to be the youngest major general in the U.S. Army in World War II, but that distinction belongs to James M. Gavin, who, as commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, was promoted to major general at the age of 37.
Gruenther was featured on the cover of
Gruenther was the recipient of many national medals, including the
See also
References
- ^ Alfred Maximilian Gruenther, General, United States Army, Arlington National Cemetery biography.
- ^ Cullum, George Washington (1920). Robinson, Wirt (ed.). Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. From Its Establishment, in 1802, to 1890. Vol. VI-B: 1910–1920. Association of Graduates, United States Military Academy. p. 2064. Retrieved December 19, 2022 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b c Pace, Eric. Alfred M. Gruenther, 84, Is Dead; Ex-Military Commander of NATO, The New York Times, p. D16, May 31, 1983. (subscription required)
- ^ Alfred Maximilian Gruenther, 1899-1983[usurped], Nebraska State Historical Society
- ^ Profile: Gruenther, Major General Alfred M., Director of the Joint Defense Staff. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of State, 1947.
- ^ Appointment of Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) General Alfred B. Gruenther (US), July 1, 1953, NATO
- ^ a b Dwight D. Eisenhower - American Presidency Project, Citation Accompanying the Distinguished Service Medal Presented to General Gruenther
- ^ Patch, B. W. Presidential possibilities, 1956. Editorial Research Reports, Vol. II. Washington, DC: CQ Press, 1955.
- ^ a b c d General Gruenther, Ex-NATO Chief, Dies, Washington Post, May 31, 1983.
- ^ "Lucas Gruenther, Missing F-16 Pilot In Italy, Found Off Coast Of Pesaro", The Huffington Post, January 31, 2013.
- ^ "Body of missing Aviano F-16 pilot found in Adriatic Sea", Star and Stripes, January 31, 2013.
- ^ "General Gruenther speaks to Open Red Cross Drive", The Stanford Daily, March 8, 1957
- ^ "Red Cross...Gruenther Visits", Times Daily, August 24, 1960.
- ^ Gruenther, Alfred M. Duplicate Contract Complete: A Guide to Playing in and Conducting All Duplicate Bridge Contests. New York: Bridge World, 1933.
- ^ Horton, Mark H. The Hands of Time: The Most Exciting Bridge Deals Ever Played! Toronto, Ont: Master Point, 2005.
- ^ Walker, Karen (June 2009). "D-Day Memories of the Bridge Player in Chief". ACBL District 8. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
- Crown Publishers, New York. p. v.
- ^ Gen. Alfred M. Greunther Archived March 6, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, American Contract Bridge League
- ^ Gen. Alfred Gruenther dies. He was the youngest four-star general in Army history, The Spokesman-Review, May 31, 1983.
- ^ General Alfred Gruenther, Time, February 6, 1956.
- ^ What's My Line? - Alfred Greunther; Fred MacMurray & June Haver; Tab Hunter (panel) (Feb 10, 1957)
- ^ Meet the Press: Sunday, March 10, 1957, with Guest General Alfred M. Gruenther. St. Paul, Minn: 3 MIM Press Co, 1972.
Further reading
- "Men, Missiles and Misunderstandings", Address by Alfred Gruenther, Red Cross president, to the Empire Club of Canada, 25 February 1960.
- Papers of Alfred M. Gruenther, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library
- Finding aid for Alfred M. Gruenther Oral History, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library