Robert C. Richardson Jr.
Robert C. Richardson Jr. | |
---|---|
Legion of Honor | |
Relations | Brig General Robert C. Richardson III, USAF (son) |
Robert Charlwood Richardson Jr. (October 27, 1882 – March 2, 1954) was born in Charleston, South Carolina, on October 27, 1882, and was admitted as a cadet at the United States Military Academy on June 19, 1900. His military career spanned the first half of the 20th century. He was a veteran of the 1904 Philippine insurrection, World War I, and World War II. He commanded the
Commissioned from the
Prior to World War II, Richardson commanded the 1st Cavalry Division from 1940 to 1941. He then directed the War Department Bureau of Public Relations before becoming Commanding General of the VII Corps in Alabama, moving it to set up the defense of California immediately following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. In 1943 he was made Commanding General of the Hawaiian Department, Military Governor of Hawaii, and all Army personnel in the Pacific Ocean and Mid-Pacific Areas. As Commander of all Pacific Army personnel, he had administrative or what is called UCMJ authority of all Army units, while tactical or what is called today operational Joint control fell to Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. He was responsible for all Army disciplinary, training, and tactical unit preparations. He was the first senior Army general officer to ever serve as Joint forces subordinate commander under a non-Army flag officer, Fleet Admiral Nimitz.
Early career
Upon graduation from the
On October 25, 1906, he returned to West Point as an Assistant Instructor of Modern Languages until August 13, 1911. Then 1st Lt Richardson returned to San Francisco, California until October 4, 1911, when he sailed for his second Philippines tour with the 14th Cavalry at Camp Stotsenburg. On March 4, 1912, he returned to the United States to join the 23d Infantry at Texas City and Fort Clark, Texas. In August 1914 he returned for his second tour at West Point as Assistant Professor of English until June 1917.[1]
World War One and post-Great War Europe
In June 1917, then Captain Richardson was assigned to the 2nd Cavalry at Fort Ethan Allen, Vermont and on July 9, 1917, he was appointed Aide to Major General T. H. Barry who commanded the Central Department, Chicago, Illinois. He helped in the rapid buildup and training of the
Interwar Period
Richardson returned to the United States on July 6, 1919, to join the Morale Division, War Plans Division,
In the Philippines, soon to be Major Richardson served as Assistant to the Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters, Philippine Department, Manila until April 6, 1923, when he returned to the United States to attend the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Upon graduation in June 1924, Major Richardson sailed for France to attend the
On August 20, 1928, he was again assigned to West Point as Commanding Officer, Provisional Battalion and Executive Officer until March 2, 1929, when he became Commandant of Cadets and Head of Department of Tactics. On June 30, 1933, he attended the
World War II
At the start of World War II and the Pearl Harbor bombing, then Major General Richardson commanded Seventh Corps Area where he oversaw the buildup of US California defenses following the Pearl Harbor bombing. Several months after Pearl Harbor, General Marshall sent him out on a personal reconnaissance of the whole Pacific theater to assess the extent of the allied situation. While in Australia, General MacArthur, his USMA classmate, requested of General Marshall that Gen Richardson return to command the Army corps being stood up in Australia. Upon his return to Washington, Gen Richardson frankly reported to Gen Marshall the inappropriateness of US forces being placed under the command of foreign officers. This was based on his World War I experience from Gen Pershing insisting that US forces fight under US command. This led to the unconfirmed rumor that his report cost him the corps command under Gen MacArthur.
In June 1943 he was promoted to
During his Hawaiian command, General Richardson built up an extensive training operation on the Hawaiian Islands to training all military personnel in amphibious operations, jungle fighting, and other command and support operation. He oversaw the construction of Fort Shafter's headquarters buildings in a scant 49 days. The "Pineapple Pentagon," has remained the planning and operational support centers for soldiers of the U.S. Army, Pacific since 1944 and was memorialized for General Richardson after his death.
General Walter Short, in collaboration with the Territorial Governor of Hawaii proclaimed martial law in Hawaii on 7 December 1941. The Army commanders who succeeded Short maintained martial law, along with suspending the right of habeas corpus, and in late 1943 a test case challenging this suspension was brought to court. Federal Judge Delbert Metzger ordered the Military Governor to allow two German Americans then being held in military custody to appear in court, and when Richardson refused to comply, Metzger charged him with contempt and issued a $5,000 fine. He was later pardoned by President Roosevelt.[2]
During this period another controversy arose. In June 1944 General Richardson disputed Marine General Holland Smith's removal of Army General Ralph C. Smith from command of the Army 27th Division during the Saipan campaign. General Richardson, as the administrative commander of all Pacific Army personnel, questioned whether Marine General Smith, as the operational commander, had the authority to relieve Army General Smith and whether the relief was justified by the facts. This minor inter-service controversy was fanned by the media into controversy over Pacific war strategy and led to a bitter inter-service relationship in the Pacific Theater. At the core, this was a difference of opinion between U.S. Navy/USMC and U.S. Army over command authority, pre-campaign planning, and operational tactics. Also fueling this was Gen Holland Smith's low opinion and poor treatment of the Army personnel under his control.[3]
He retired in October 1946, having reached the mandatory retirement age of 64.
Retirement
General Richarson died on March 2, 1954, while on vacation in Italy. He was posthumously promoted to full general on July 19, 1954, by special act of U.S. Congress, Public Law 83-508.
Orders, decorations and medals
Army Distinguished Service Medal |
Navy Distinguished Service Medal |
Silver Star |
Legion of Merit |
Purple Heart |
Philippine Campaign Medal |
campaign stars[4]
|
Army of Occupation of Germany Medal |
American Defense Service Medal |
American Campaign Medal |
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
|
World War II Victory Medal |
Legion of Honor, Officer (France)
|
Order of Leopold, Officer (Belgium)[4] |
Order of S. Maurice and St. Lazarus, Officer (Italy)[4] |
Croix de Guerre with Palm (France)[4] |
Medal of Solidarity, 1918, second Class (Panama)[4] |
Dates of rank
No insignia | Cadet, United States Military Academy: June 19, 1900 |
No pin insignia in 1904 | Second Lieutenant, United States Army : June 15, 1904
|
First Lieutenant , United States Army: March 11, 1911
| |
Captain , United States Army: July 1, 1916
| |
Major, Temporary: August 7, 1917 | |
Lieutenant Colonel, Temporary: August 26, 1918 | |
Colonel, Temporary: November 2, 1918 | |
Captain, Regular Army: March 15, 1920 | |
Major, Regular Army: July 1, 1920 | |
Lieutenant Colonel, Regular Army: March 20, 1928 | |
Colonel, Regular Army: July 1, 1935 | |
Brigadier General, Regular Army: June 1, 1938 | |
Major General, Army of the United States: October 1, 1940 | |
Lieutenant General , Army of the United States: June 1, 1943(Later appointed Lieutenant General in the Regular Army with same date of rank.) | |
Major General, Regular Army: October 1, 1944 | |
Lieutenant General , Retired List: November 1, 1946
| |
General, Posthumous: July 19, 1954 |
References
- ^ a b c From 20 February 1941 War Department Biography of Major General R C Richardson Jr.
- ^ Nakamura, Kelli Y. "Robert C. Richardson". Densho Encyclopedia. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
- ^ Howlin' Mad Vs. the Army: Conflict in Command Saipan 1944 by Gailey, Harry A., Dell Publishing Co., NY 1987 (Pg 219-229)
- ^ a b c d e George Washington Cullum, United States Military Academy. Association of Graduates (1930). Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, since its establishment in 1802. Vol. VII: 1920‑1930. Houghton Mifflin. p. 622.
February 20, 1941 Official War Department Biography, Major General Robert C. Richardson Jr.
This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Army