Western Defense Command
Encyclopedia
Western Defense Command (WDC) was established on 17 March 1941 as the command formation of the U.S. Army responsible for coordinating the defense of the Pacific Coast region of the United States. A second major responsibility was the training of soldiers prior to their deployment overseas. The first Commanding General of WDC was Lieutenant General
John L. DeWitt
, who continued on in command of the Fourth U.S. Army. WDC headquarters were co-located at the existing Fourth Army headquarters at the Presidio of San Francisco
. WDC's operational region covered the states of Washington, Oregon
, California, Idaho
, Montana
, Nevada
, Utah
and Arizona
. Until 1 November 1943, Alaska Defense Command
was controlled through WDC.
On 14 February 1942, Western Defense Command sent a memorandum to Secretary of War
Henry Stimson recommending that "Japanese and other subversive elements" be removed
from the West Coast region. This led President Franklin D. Roosevelt
to issue
Executive Order 9066
on 19 February, which gave U.S. military commanders the
authority to designate
"military areas" and to then exclude any or all people from them. On 2 March 1942
General DeWitt issued a proclamation that designated the western halves of Washington, Oregon and California,
and the southern third of Arizona to be military areas from which Americans of Japanese ancestry would be excluded
. Americans of German and
Italian ancestry were also affected by restrictions and in some cases internment.
From June 1942 to August 1943, WDC was heavily involved in the planning
and execution of the Aleutian Islands Campaign, which succeeded in expelling Japanese forces from their toehold in North America on the islands of Attu
and Kiska
.
The operation to re-capture Kiska Island, Operation Cottage
, involved both U.S. troops
and a brigade of Canadian troops from Pacific Command
.
Western Defense Command was disbanded on 6 March 1946.
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
John L. DeWitt
John L. DeWitt
John Lesesne DeWitt was a general in the United States Army, best known for his vocal support of the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II....
, who continued on in command of the Fourth U.S. Army. WDC headquarters were co-located at the existing Fourth Army headquarters at the Presidio of San Francisco
Presidio of San Francisco
The Presidio of San Francisco is a park on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula in San Francisco, California, within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area...
. WDC's operational region covered the states of Washington, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, California, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
and Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. Until 1 November 1943, Alaska Defense Command
Alaska Defense Command
Alaska Defense Command was established on 4 February 1941 as the command formation of the U.S. Army responsible for coordinating the defense of the Alaska Territory of the United States...
was controlled through WDC.
Henry Stimson recommending that "Japanese and other subversive elements" be removed
from the West Coast region. This led President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
to issue
Executive Order 9066
Executive Order 9066
United States Executive Order 9066 was a United States presidential executive order signed and issued during World War II by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942 authorizing the Secretary of War to prescribe certain areas as military zones...
on 19 February, which gave U.S. military commanders the
authority to designate
"military areas" and to then exclude any or all people from them. On 2 March 1942
General DeWitt issued a proclamation that designated the western halves of Washington, Oregon and California,
and the southern third of Arizona to be military areas from which Americans of Japanese ancestry would be excluded
Japanese American internment
Japanese-American internment was the relocation and internment by the United States government in 1942 of approximately 110,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese who lived along the Pacific coast of the United States to camps called "War Relocation Camps," in the wake of Imperial Japan's attack on...
. Americans of German and
Italian ancestry were also affected by restrictions and in some cases internment.
From June 1942 to August 1943, WDC was heavily involved in the planning
and execution of the Aleutian Islands Campaign, which succeeded in expelling Japanese forces from their toehold in North America on the islands of Attu
Attu Island
Attu is the westernmost and largest island in the Near Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, making it the westernmost point of land relative to Alaska and the United States. It was the site of the only World War II land battle fought on the incorporated territory of the United States ,...
and Kiska
Kiska
Kiska is an island in the Rat Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska located at . It is about long and varies in width from - Discovery :...
.
The operation to re-capture Kiska Island, Operation Cottage
Operation Cottage
Operation Cottage was a tactical maneuver during the Aleutian Islands campaign. In the operation, which took place on August 15, 1943, Allied military forces landed unopposed on Kiska Island, which had been occupied by Japanese forces since June, 1942. The Japanese forces, however, had secretly...
, involved both U.S. troops
and a brigade of Canadian troops from Pacific Command
Pacific Command (Canadian Army)
Pacific Command was a formation of the Canadian Army created during the Second World War to strengthen and administer home defence facilities on Canada's Pacific Coast against possible Japanese attack. A second major function was to train reinforcements to be sent to the Canadian divisions in...
.
Western Defense Command was disbanded on 6 March 1946.
Commanders
The following men served as Commanding General, Western Defense Command:- Lieutenant General John L. DeWittJohn L. DeWittJohn Lesesne DeWitt was a general in the United States Army, best known for his vocal support of the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II....
, 17 March 1941 – September 1943 - Lieutenant General Delos C. Emmons, September 1943 – June 1944
- Major General Robert H. Lewis, June 1944
- Major General Charles H. Bonesteel, Jr., June 1944 – November 1944
- Major General Henry Conger PrattHenry Conger PrattHenry Conger Pratt was a Major General in the United States Army.-Career:Pratt was appointed to the United States Military Academy from Wisconsin in 1900 and graduated in 1904. In 1911 he became an aide to President William Howard Taft. He was given command of Brooks Field in 1918 and soon after...
, December 1944 – November 1945 - Major General Harold R. Nichols, December 1945
- General Joseph W. Stilwell, December 1945 – March 1946
See also
- Eastern Defense CommandEastern Defense CommandEastern Defense Command was established on 17 March 1941 as the command formation of the U.S. Army responsible for coordinating the defense of the Atlantic Coast region of the United States. EDC replaced the existing Northeast Defense Command. A second major responsibility of EDC was the training...
- Central Defense CommandCentral Defense CommandCentral Defense Command was established on 17 March 1941 as the command formation of the U.S. Army responsible for coordinating the defense of the Midwest region of the United States. A second major responsibility of CDC was the training of soldiers prior to their deployment overseas...
- Southern Defense CommandSouthern Defense CommandSouthern 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...
- Alaska Defense CommandAlaska Defense CommandAlaska Defense Command was established on 4 February 1941 as the command formation of the U.S. Army responsible for coordinating the defense of the Alaska Territory of the United States...
- Caribbean Defense Command