Walter Krueger
Encyclopedia
Walter Krueger was an American soldier of German descent and General in the first half of the 20th century. He is best known for his command of the Sixth United States Army in the South West Pacific Area
during World War II
. He was the first soldier to rise from the rank of Private to General in the United States Army.
) (since 1945 Złotów, Poland), the son of Julius Krüger, a Prussia
n landowner who had served as an officer in the Franco-Prussian War
, and his wife, Anna, formerly Hasse. Following Julius's death, Anna and her three children emigrated to the United States to be near her uncle in St. Louis, Missouri
. Walter was then eight years old. After Anna remarried, the family settled in Madison, Indiana
.
with the 2nd Volunteer Infantry. He reached Santiago de Cuba
a few weeks after the Battle of San Juan Hill
. Mustered out of the volunteers in February 1899, he returned home to Ohio
planning to be a civil engineer.
However, many of his comrades were re-enlisting for service in the Philippine-American War
and in June 1899 Krueger re-enlisted as a private in M Company of the 12th Infantry. Soon he was on his way to fight Emilio Aguinaldo
's Insurrectos as part of Major General
Arthur MacArthur, Jr.
's 2nd Infantry Division. He took part in the advance from Angeles City
to Tarlac City
, Aguinaldo's capital. But Aguinaldo had fled, and the 12th Infantry pursued him vainly all the way through Luzon's central plain to Dagupan City
.
While serving in an infantry unit in the Philippines
, he was promoted to sergeant. On July 1, 1901, he was commissioned a second lieutenant and posted to the 30th Infantry
on Marinduque
.
Krueger returned to the United States with the 30th Infantry in December 1903. In September 1904, he married Grace Aileen Norvell, whom he had met in the Philippines. They had three children: James Norvell (July 29, 1905-December, 1964), Walter Jr (April 25, 1910-February 15, 1997) and Dorothy Jane, born on January 24, 1913. Both James and Walter Jr attended the United States Military Academy
, James graduating with the class of 1926 and Walter Jr. with the class of 1931. Dorothy married an Army officer, Aubrey D. Smith.
In 1904, Krueger attended and graduated from the Infantry-Cavalry School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, followed by the General Staff College
in 1907. After a second tour in the Philippines, he was assigned to Department of Languages at Fort Leavenworth as an instructor in Spanish and German, which he could speak fluently, along with French and English. Not only was Krueger an expert on discipline and training, he was also a noted military historian and scholar of military affairs. He published translations of several German military texts, most notably William Balck's Tactics.
but was forced to turn it down due to familial commitments. Instead, he was posted to the 10th Infantry Regiment of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard
. The regiment was mobilized on 23 June 1916 and served along the Mexican border for five months as part of the Mexican Punitive Expedition
under General John J. Pershing
, although no Guard units fought Mexican troops. The unit was mustered out in October 1916.
After the United States commenced hostilities in World War I
, Krueger became Assistant Chief of Staff G-3 (Operations) of the
U.S. 84th Infantry Division at Camp Zachary Taylor
. He became its chief of staff, with the rank of Major as of 5 August 1917. In February 1918, he was sent to Langres
to attend the American Expeditionary Force
General Staff School. In May 1918, all officers whose division was not under orders for France were ordered to return home but Krueger stayed on as G-3 of the 26th Infantry Division
. Apparently the French Army
requested that Krueger be sent home due to his German origin and Krueger was re-posted to the 84th Division, but he soon returned, as it embarked for France in August 1918. In October 1918, he became Chief of Staff of the Tank Corps. Following the end of the war, Krueger was assistant chief of staff of VI
and IV Corps on occupation duty, advancing to the rank of temporary colonel
. For his service in France, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal
in 1919.
the next day. After periods at the Infantry School
, Fort Benning, Georgia, and in command of the 55th Infantry Regiment at Camp Funston, Kansas, Krueger attended the Army War College, graduating in 1921, and remaining for a year as an instructor. From 1922 to 1925, he served in the War Plans Division of the U.S. Army General Staff
. In 1927 he tried to transfer to the United States Army Air Corps
but his flight instructor, Lieutenant
Claire Lee Chennault
flunked him. Krueger graduated from the Naval War College
in 1926, and from 1928 to 1932 he was an instructor there.
Krueger commanded the 6th Infantry at Jefferson Barracks from 1932 to 1934, then returned to the War Plans Division, becoming chief of the division in May 1936. He was promoted to temporary Brigadier General
in October 1936. In June 1938, Krueger went to Fort George G. Meade
as commander of the 16th Infantry Brigade. He was promoted to temporary Major General
in February 1939, commanded the 2nd Infantry Division at Fort Sam Houston
rising in October 1939 to the command of VIII Corps.
In May 1941, Krueger was promoted to temporary Lieutenant General
, in command of the U.S. Third Army and the Southern Defense Command
, a post he held for more than a year after the U.S entered World War II
.
A month after the activation of the Sixth Army, in January 1943, Krueger took command of the army, based in Australia
. He remained in command of the Sixth Army — which included in various combinations at different times I, X, XIV and XXIV Corps — throughout its combat duties. These included the assaults on Japanese
positions on Kiriwina
and Woodlark Island
s (July 1943) as part of Operation Coronet
; New Britain
(December 1943-February 1944); Admiralty Islands
(February–May 1944); mainland New Guinea
(July–August 1944); Morotai
(Netherlands East Indies, September–October 1944); Leyte
and Mindoro
(the Philippines, October–December 1944); and Luzon
(January–February 1945).
In November 1943, Krueger formed a top secret ad hoc unit called the Alamo Scouts
. Named for his beloved association with San Antonio, Texas, and the Alamo, Krueger envisioned that the Alamo Scouts, consisting of small teams of highly trained volunteers, would operate deep behind enemy lines to provide intelligence-gathering and tactical reconnaissance in advance of Sixth U.S. Army landing operations.
Krueger was promoted to temporary General
(four-star) in March 1945. In September 1945, the Sixth Army took up occupation duty in Japan
. In January 1946 it was deactivated and Krueger reverted to lieutenant general. However, he retired as a full general in July 1946.
, where he bought a house for the first time. In retirement, he wrote From Down Under to Nippon: the Story of the 6th Army In World War II, which was published in 1953.
His retirement was marred by family tragedies. His son James was dismissed from the Army in 1947 for conduct unbecoming an officer
. Grace's health deteriorated and she died on 13 May 1956. In 1952, Dorothy fatally stabbed her husband, Colonel Aubrey Dewitt Smith, with a hunting knife while he slept in their Army quarters in occupied Japan. By six votes to three, a U.S. Army court-martial found her guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced her "to be confined at hard labor for the rest of her natural life" (a unanimous verdict of guilty would have made the death sentence mandatory). In 1955, the US Supreme Court ruled that military trials of civilians were unconstitutional, and Dorothy was released. The Supreme Court considered the issue of the jurisdiction of the Uniform Code of Military Justice
to civilian dependents of service personnel stationed overseas and initially affirmed the conviction of Dorothy Krueger Smith in 1956, but reversed itself in 1957, overturning her conviction.
In 1962, Krueger Middle School
was established in San Antonio, Texas
.
Krueger died at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
in 1967 and was buried in Section 30 of Arlington National Cemetery
, among a number of family members.
Krueger was portrayed by actor Dale Dye
in the 2005 war film The Great Raid
, a little-known true story of the rescue of American POWs from the notorious Cabanatuan Japanese POW camp on Luzon.
South West Pacific Area
South West Pacific Area was the name given to the Allied supreme military command in the South West Pacific Theatre of World War II. It was one of four major Allied commands in the Pacific theatres of World War II, during 1942–45...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He was the first soldier to rise from the rank of Private to General in the United States Army.
Education and early life
Walter Krueger was born in Flatow, West Prussia (German EmpireGerman Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
) (since 1945 Złotów, Poland), the son of Julius Krüger, a Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n landowner who had served as an officer in the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
, and his wife, Anna, formerly Hasse. Following Julius's death, Anna and her three children emigrated to the United States to be near her uncle in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. Walter was then eight years old. After Anna remarried, the family settled in Madison, Indiana
Madison, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,004 people, 5,092 households, and 3,085 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,402.9 people per square mile . There were 5,597 housing units at an average density of 654.1 per square mile...
.
Early military service
On 17 June 1898, Krueger, along with many of his fellow high-school students, enlisted for service in the Spanish-American WarSpanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
with the 2nd Volunteer Infantry. He reached Santiago de Cuba
Santiago de Cuba
Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city of Cuba and capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province in the south-eastern area of the island, some south-east of the Cuban capital of Havana....
a few weeks after the Battle of San Juan Hill
Battle of San Juan Hill
The Battle of San Juan Hill , also known as the battle for the San Juan Heights, was a decisive battle of the Spanish-American War. The San Juan heights was a north-south running elevation about two kilometers east of Santiago de Cuba. The names San Juan Hill and Kettle Hill were names given by the...
. Mustered out of the volunteers in February 1899, he returned home to Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
planning to be a civil engineer.
However, many of his comrades were re-enlisting for service in the Philippine-American War
Philippine-American War
The Philippine–American War, also known as the Philippine War of Independence or the Philippine Insurrection , was an armed conflict between a group of Filipino revolutionaries and the United States which arose from the struggle of the First Philippine Republic to gain independence following...
and in June 1899 Krueger re-enlisted as a private in M Company of the 12th Infantry. Soon he was on his way to fight Emilio Aguinaldo
Emilio Aguinaldo
Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy was a Filipino general, politician, and independence leader. He played an instrumental role during the Philippines' revolution against Spain, and the subsequent Philippine-American War or War of Philippine Independence that resisted American occupation...
's Insurrectos as part of Major General
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
Arthur MacArthur, Jr.
Arthur MacArthur, Jr.
Lieutenant General Arthur MacArthur, Jr. , was a United States Army General. He became the military Governor-General of the American-occupied Philippines in 1900 but his term ended a year later due to clashes with the civilian governor, future President William Howard Taft...
's 2nd Infantry Division. He took part in the advance from Angeles City
Angeles City
The City of Angeles , located within the province of Pampanga in the Philippines, is locally classified as a first-class, highly-urbanized city. Its name is derived from El Pueblo de los Ángeles in honor of its patron saints, Los Santos Ángeles de los Custodios , and the name of its founder, Don...
to Tarlac City
Tarlac City
The City of Tarlac is a 1st class city in the province of Tarlac, Philippines. Tarlac provincial capitol building is shown on the back of the Philippines 500 peso note that features former Senator Benigno Aquino Jr...
, Aguinaldo's capital. But Aguinaldo had fled, and the 12th Infantry pursued him vainly all the way through Luzon's central plain to Dagupan City
Dagupan City
The City of Dagupan is a 1st class city in the Philippines. It is an independent component city of the province of Pangasinan. According to the latest census, Dagupan City has a population of 149,554 people in 25,921 households. Located on Lingayen Gulf on the island of Luzon, Dagupan is the...
.
While serving in an infantry unit in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, he was promoted to sergeant. On July 1, 1901, he was commissioned a second lieutenant and posted to the 30th Infantry
30th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 30th Infantry Regiment is a United States Army infantry regiment.-Lineage:*Constituted 2 February 1901 in the Regular Army as the 30th Infantry...
on Marinduque
Marinduque
In 1945, combined American and Philippine Commonwealth troops attacked from the Japanese Troops liberated to the Battle of Marinduque in the Second World War.-Archaeology:...
.
Krueger returned to the United States with the 30th Infantry in December 1903. In September 1904, he married Grace Aileen Norvell, whom he had met in the Philippines. They had three children: James Norvell (July 29, 1905-December, 1964), Walter Jr (April 25, 1910-February 15, 1997) and Dorothy Jane, born on January 24, 1913. Both James and Walter Jr attended the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
, James graduating with the class of 1926 and Walter Jr. with the class of 1931. Dorothy married an Army officer, Aubrey D. Smith.
In 1904, Krueger attended and graduated from the Infantry-Cavalry School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, followed by the General Staff College
Command and General Staff College
The United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military officers. The college was established in 1881 by William Tecumseh Sherman as a...
in 1907. After a second tour in the Philippines, he was assigned to Department of Languages at Fort Leavenworth as an instructor in Spanish and German, which he could speak fluently, along with French and English. Not only was Krueger an expert on discipline and training, he was also a noted military historian and scholar of military affairs. He published translations of several German military texts, most notably William Balck's Tactics.
Great War
With the outbreak of the Great War in 1914, Krueger was offered a post as an observer with the German ArmyGerman Army
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
but was forced to turn it down due to familial commitments. Instead, he was posted to the 10th Infantry Regiment of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard
Pennsylvania Army National Guard
The Pennsylvania Army National Guard, abbreviated PAARNG, is part of the United States Army National Guard and is based in the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania...
. The regiment was mobilized on 23 June 1916 and served along the Mexican border for five months as part of the Mexican Punitive Expedition
Pancho Villa Expedition
The Pancho Villa Expedition—officially known in the United States as the Mexican Expedition and sometimes colloquially referred to as the Punitive Expedition—was a military operation conducted by the United States Army against the paramilitary forces of Mexican insurgent Francisco "Pancho" Villa...
under General John J. Pershing
John J. Pershing
John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing, GCB , was a general officer in the United States Army who led the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I...
, although no Guard units fought Mexican troops. The unit was mustered out in October 1916.
After the United States commenced hostilities in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Krueger became Assistant Chief of Staff G-3 (Operations) of the
U.S. 84th Infantry Division at Camp Zachary Taylor
Camp Zachary Taylor
Camp Zachary Taylor was a military training camp in Louisville, Kentucky. It opened in 1917, to train soldiers for U.S. involvement in World War I, and was closed three years later. Its name live on as the Camp Taylor neighborhood of Louisville...
. He became its chief of staff, with the rank of Major as of 5 August 1917. In February 1918, he was sent to Langres
Langres
Langres is a commune in north-eastern France. It is a subprefecture of the Haute-Marne département in the Champagne-Ardenne region.-History:As the capital of the Romanized Gallic tribe the Lingones, it was called Andematunnum, then Lingones, and now Langres.The town is built on a limestone...
to attend the American Expeditionary Force
American Expeditionary Force
The American Expeditionary Forces or AEF were the United States Armed Forces sent to Europe in World War I. During the United States campaigns in World War I the AEF fought in France alongside British and French allied forces in the last year of the war, against Imperial German forces...
General Staff School. In May 1918, all officers whose division was not under orders for France were ordered to return home but Krueger stayed on as G-3 of the 26th Infantry Division
26th Infantry Division (United States)
The 26th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the United States Army. As a major formation of the Massachusetts Army National Guard, it was based in Boston, Massachusetts for most of its history...
. Apparently the French Army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
requested that Krueger be sent home due to his German origin and Krueger was re-posted to the 84th Division, but he soon returned, as it embarked for France in August 1918. In October 1918, he became Chief of Staff of the Tank Corps. Following the end of the war, Krueger was assistant chief of staff of VI
U.S. VI Corps
The VI Corps was activated as VI Army Corps in August 1918 at Neufchâteau, France, serving in the Lorraine Campaign. Constituted in the Organized Reserves in 1921, it was allotted to the Regular Army in 1933 and activated on 1 August 1940 at Fort Sheridan, Illinois...
and IV Corps on occupation duty, advancing to the rank of temporary colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
. For his service in France, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal (United States)
The Distinguished Service Medal is the highest non-valorous military and civilian decoration of the United States military which is issued for exceptionally meritorious service to the government of the United States in either a senior government service position or as a senior officer of the United...
in 1919.
Interwar years
With the end of the war, Krueger reverted to his permanent rank of captain on 30 June 1920 but was promoted to the permanent rank of majorMajor (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
the next day. After periods at the Infantry School
United States Army Infantry School
The United States Army Infantry School is located in Fort Benning, Georgia. It is made up of the following components:*192d Infantry Brigade...
, Fort Benning, Georgia, and in command of the 55th Infantry Regiment at Camp Funston, Kansas, Krueger attended the Army War College, graduating in 1921, and remaining for a year as an instructor. From 1922 to 1925, he served in the War Plans Division of the U.S. Army General Staff
General Staff
A military staff, often referred to as General Staff, Army Staff, Navy Staff or Air Staff within the individual services, is a group of officers and enlisted personnel that provides a bi-directional flow of information between a commanding officer and subordinate military units...
. In 1927 he tried to transfer to the United States Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
but his flight instructor, Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
Claire Lee Chennault
Claire Lee Chennault
Lieutenant General Claire Lee Chennault , was an American military aviator. A contentious officer, he was a fierce advocate of "pursuit" or fight-interceptor aircraft during the 1930s when the U.S. Army Air Corps was focused primarily on high-altitude bombardment...
flunked him. Krueger graduated from the Naval War College
Naval War College
The Naval War College is an education and research institution of the United States Navy that specializes in developing ideas for naval warfare and passing them along to officers of the Navy. The college is located on the grounds of Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island...
in 1926, and from 1928 to 1932 he was an instructor there.
Krueger commanded the 6th Infantry at Jefferson Barracks from 1932 to 1934, then returned to the War Plans Division, becoming chief of the division in May 1936. He was promoted to temporary Brigadier General
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
in October 1936. In June 1938, Krueger went to Fort George G. Meade
Fort George G. Meade
Fort George G. Meade is a United States Army installation that includes the Defense Information School, the United States Army Field Band, and the headquarters of United States Cyber Command, the National Security Agency, and the Defense Courier Service...
as commander of the 16th Infantry Brigade. He was promoted to temporary Major General
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
in February 1939, commanded the 2nd Infantry Division at Fort Sam Houston
Fort Sam Houston
Fort Sam Houston is a U.S. Army post in San Antonio, Texas.Known colloquially as "Fort Sam," it is named for the first President of the Republic of Texas, Sam Houston....
rising in October 1939 to the command of VIII Corps.
World War II
Lieutenant General (United States)
In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
, in command of the U.S. Third Army and the Southern Defense Command
Southern Defense Command
Southern Defense Command was established on 17 March 1941 as the command formation of the U.S. Army responsible for coordinating the defense of the Gulf of Mexico coastal region of the United States. A second major responsibility of SDC was the training of soldiers prior to their deployment overseas...
, a post he held for more than a year after the U.S entered World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. He remained in command of the Sixth Army — which included in various combinations at different times I, X, XIV and XXIV Corps — throughout its combat duties. These included the assaults on Japanese
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
positions on Kiriwina
Kiriwina
Kiriwina is the largest of the Trobriand Islands, with an area of 290.5 km². It is part of the Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea. Most of the 12,000 people who live in the Trobriands live on Kiriwina. The Kilivila language, also known as Kiriwina, is spoken on the island...
and Woodlark Island
Woodlark Island
Woodlark Island, known to its inhabitants simply as Woodlark or Muyua, is an island in Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea. It is called Murua by the inhabitants of some other islands in the province...
s (July 1943) as part of Operation Coronet
Operation Coronet
During World War II, two operations in the Pacific theater were called Operation Coronet.* an early planning name for Operation Chronicle, which was executed in June 1943...
; New Britain
New Britain
New Britain, or Niu Briten, is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from the island of New Guinea by the Dampier and Vitiaz Straits and from New Ireland by St. George's Channel...
(December 1943-February 1944); Admiralty Islands
Admiralty Islands
The Admiralty Islands are a group of eighteen islands in the Bismarck Archipelago, to the north of New Guinea in the south Pacific Ocean. These are also sometimes called the Manus Islands, after the largest island. These rainforest-covered islands form part of Manus Province, the smallest and...
(February–May 1944); mainland New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
(July–August 1944); Morotai
Morotai
Morotai Island Regency is a regency of North Maluku province, Indonesia, located on Morotai Island. The population was 54,876 in 2007.-History:...
(Netherlands East Indies, September–October 1944); Leyte
Leyte
Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
and Mindoro
Mindoro
Mindoro is the seventh-largest island in the Philippines. It is located off the coast of Luzon, and northeast of Palawan. The southern coast of Mindoro forms the northeastern extremum of the Sulu Sea.-History:...
(the Philippines, October–December 1944); and Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
(January–February 1945).
In November 1943, Krueger formed a top secret ad hoc unit called the Alamo Scouts
Alamo scouts
The Alamo Scouts was a reconnaissance unit of the Sixth United States Army in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II...
. Named for his beloved association with San Antonio, Texas, and the Alamo, Krueger envisioned that the Alamo Scouts, consisting of small teams of highly trained volunteers, would operate deep behind enemy lines to provide intelligence-gathering and tactical reconnaissance in advance of Sixth U.S. Army landing operations.
Krueger was promoted to temporary General
General (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. General ranks above lieutenant general and below General of the Army or General of the Air Force; the Marine Corps does not have an...
(four-star) in March 1945. In September 1945, the Sixth Army took up occupation duty in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. In January 1946 it was deactivated and Krueger reverted to lieutenant general. However, he retired as a full general in July 1946.
Later life
Krueger retired to San Antonio, TexasSan Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, where he bought a house for the first time. In retirement, he wrote From Down Under to Nippon: the Story of the 6th Army In World War II, which was published in 1953.
His retirement was marred by family tragedies. His son James was dismissed from the Army in 1947 for conduct unbecoming an officer
Conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman
Conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman is an offense subject to court martial defined in the punitive code, Article 133, of the United States Uniform Code of Military Justice , enacted at ....
. Grace's health deteriorated and she died on 13 May 1956. In 1952, Dorothy fatally stabbed her husband, Colonel Aubrey Dewitt Smith, with a hunting knife while he slept in their Army quarters in occupied Japan. By six votes to three, a U.S. Army court-martial found her guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced her "to be confined at hard labor for the rest of her natural life" (a unanimous verdict of guilty would have made the death sentence mandatory). In 1955, the US Supreme Court ruled that military trials of civilians were unconstitutional, and Dorothy was released. The Supreme Court considered the issue of the jurisdiction of the Uniform Code of Military Justice
Uniform Code of Military Justice
The Uniform Code of Military Justice , is the foundation of military law in the United States. It is was established by the United States Congress in accordance with the authority given by the United States Constitution in Article I, Section 8, which provides that "The Congress shall have Power . ....
to civilian dependents of service personnel stationed overseas and initially affirmed the conviction of Dorothy Krueger Smith in 1956, but reversed itself in 1957, overturning her conviction.
In 1962, Krueger Middle School
Krueger Middle School
Krueger Middle School is located in San Antonio. It is part of North East Independent School District. Serving grades sixth, seventh, and eighth grades, Krueger Middle School was honored during the 2005-2006 school year by the Texas Education Agency as a Recognized School. Two magnet school...
was established in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
.
Krueger died at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
The Village of Valley Forge is an unincorporated settlement located on the west side of Valley Forge National Historical Park at the confluence of Valley Creek and the Schuylkill River in Pennsylvania, United States. The remaining village is in Schuylkill Township of Chester County, but once...
in 1967 and was buried in Section 30 of Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
, among a number of family members.
Krueger was portrayed by actor Dale Dye
Dale Dye
Dale Adam Dye is an American actor, presenter, businessman, and retired U.S. Marine captain who served in combat during the Vietnam War.-Early life & Marine service:...
in the 2005 war film The Great Raid
The Great Raid
The Great Raid is a 2005 war film about the Raid at Cabanatuan, adapted from William Breuer's book of the same name. It tells the story of the January 1945 liberation of the Cabanatuan Prison Camp on the Philippine island of Luzon during World War II. It is directed by John Dahl and stars Benjamin...
, a little-known true story of the rescue of American POWs from the notorious Cabanatuan Japanese POW camp on Luzon.
External links
- Walter Krueger, General, United States Army at http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net