74 Facts About Walter Krueger

Walter Krueger was an American soldier and general officer in the first half of the 20th century.

Walter Krueger commanded the Sixth United States Army in the South West Pacific Area during World War II.

Walter Krueger rose from the rank of private to general in the United States Army.

Walter Krueger was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1901.

Walter Krueger's regiment was mobilized on 23 June 1916 and served along the Mexican border.

Between the wars, Walter Krueger served in a number of command and staff positions, and attended the Naval War College at his own request.

Walter Krueger expected, because of his age, to spend the war at home training troops, but in 1943 he was sent to General Douglas MacArthur's Southwest Pacific Area as commander of the Sixth Army and Alamo Force, which he led in a series of successful campaigns against the Japanese.

In 1945 at the Battle of Luzon, Walter Krueger faced the Japanese army under Tomoyuki Yamashita and Walter Krueger outmaneuvered his enemies like he had in the 1941 exercises.

Walter Krueger retired to San Antonio, Texas, where he bought a house and wrote From Down Under to Nippon, an account of his campaigns in the Southwest Pacific.

Walter Krueger was sentenced to life imprisonment by a court-martial, but was freed by the Supreme Court in 1957.

Walter Krueger was born on 26 January 1881 in Flatow, West Prussia, then part of the German Empire, now part of Poland.

Walter Krueger was the son of Julius Kruger, a Prussian landowner who had served as an officer in the Franco-Prussian War, and his wife, Anna, formerly Hasse.

Walter Krueger was tutored by his stepfather, educated in the public schools of Madison, and completed high school at Madison's Upper Seminary.

Walter Krueger reached Santiago de Cuba a few weeks after the Battle of San Juan Hill, and spent eight months there on occupation duties, rising to the rank of sergeant.

Walter Krueger took part in the advance from Angeles to Tarlac, Aguinaldo's capital.

Walter Krueger returned to the United States with the 30th Infantry in December 1903.

In 1904, Walter Krueger attended the Infantry-Cavalry School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and upon completing the course was chosen as a Distinguished Graduate.

Walter Krueger then joined the 23rd Infantry at Fort Ontario, New York.

Walter Krueger taught National Guard officers at Camp Benjamin Harrison, Indiana, and Pine Camp, New York.

Walter Krueger published translations of several German military texts, most notably William Balck's Tactics.

Walter Krueger trained units, and helped establish a school for officers at the University of Pennsylvania.

Walter Krueger became the 84th's chief of staff, and along with it came the temporary rank of major, as of 5 August 1917.

All officers from divisions that were not under orders for France were ordered to return home in May 1918, but Walter Krueger stayed on as G-3 of the 26th "Yankee" Division, an Army National Guard formation.

The French government requested that Walter Krueger be sent home due to his German origin, and Walter Krueger was re-posted to the 84th Division, but he soon returned to France and the AEF, as the 84th Division embarked for France in August 1918.

Walter Krueger reverted to his permanent rank of captain on 30 June 1920 but was promoted to the permanent rank of major the next day.

Walter Krueger attended the Army War College, graduating in 1921, and remaining for a year as an instructor, where he taught such classes as the "Art of Command".

Walter Krueger paid a four-month visit to Germany in 1922 as part of the War College's Historical Section, during which he examined documents related to World War I in the German War Archives.

Walter Krueger urged that American commanders in the field should be given wider latitude in carrying out their orders.

From 1922 to 1925, Walter Krueger served in the War Plans Division of the War Department General Staff in Washington, DC.

Walter Krueger worked on the United States color-coded war plans, particularly War Plan Green, for another war with Mexico, and War Plan Blue, for another civil war in the United States.

Walter Krueger traveled to the Panama Canal Zone in January 1923 to report on the state of the defenses there.

Walter Krueger continued to ruminate on the nature of command.

Walter Krueger came to feel the prospects for promotion in the infantry were very poor, and in 1927 he tried to transfer to the United States Army Air Corps.

Walter Krueger attended the Air Corps Primary Flying School at Brooks Field, Texas, but suffered an attack of neuritis in his right arm, and his flight instructor, Lieutenant Claire Lee Chennault, failed him.

In June 1932, Walter Krueger became commander of the 6th Infantry Regiment at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, where he was promoted to colonel again on 1 August 1932.

In September 1938, Krueger went to Fort George G Meade, Maryland, as commander of the 16th Infantry Brigade.

Walter Krueger was promoted to temporary major general in February 1939, when he became commander of the 2nd Infantry Division at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

Walter Krueger became commander of IX Corps on 31 January 1940.

Walter Krueger became commander of the Southern Defense Command on 16 July 1941.

Walter Krueger responded adroitly to a changed battle situation by re-orienting his front from northeast to northwest, and was able to inflict a series of reverses on Lear's forces.

Walter Krueger was replaced by Brigadier General Edwin D Patrick, who had served on the staff of Admiral William F Halsey in the South Pacific Area.

Walter Krueger was dissatisfied with the rate of progress and relieved the task force commander.

Walter Krueger was concerned by reports of the invasion of Kiska in the Aleutian Islands in August 1943, in which a large Allied force invaded an island that had already been evacuated by the Japanese.

Walter Krueger decided that he needed to have his own strategic reconnaissance capability.

An Alamo Scouts Training Center for volunteers was established on Fergusson Island, not far from Alamo Force's headquarters on Goodenough Island, under the command of Colonel Frederick W Bradshaw, whom Krueger had first encountered during the Louisiana maneuvers.

MacArthur was not inflexible and allowed Walter Krueger to alter the staging areas, and postpone the operation by a month.

Walter Krueger hoped to observe the 1st Marine Division's landing at Cape Gloucester in December 1943, but was unable to do so until the planning for the January 1944 landing at Saidor was complete.

Walter Krueger crossed the Dampier Strait in a PT boat in stormy weather.

Walter Krueger accepted reports of a Japanese counterattack at Saidor, and sent reinforcements in response, but the attack did not eventuate.

Walter Krueger sent in the Alamo Scouts, who confirmed that the islands were still well-defended.

Walter Krueger visited the beachhead with MacArthur and Eichelberger on the first day.

Walter Krueger was willing to consider the idea, although he had already ordered the troops designated for Wakde-Sarmi, the 32nd Infantry Division, to reinforce the position at Aitape, where he expected a major Japanese counterattack.

When Walter Krueger discovered that the Japanese were massing for an assault on the American position, he ordered a pre-emptive attack.

Walter Krueger decided that Fuller had too many responsibilities as both task force commander and division commander, and decided to supersede him by sending Eichelberger to take over the task force.

Eichelberger's chief of staff, Brigadier General Clovis Byers, offered to have Decker intercept and destroy the resignation before Walter Krueger saw it, but Fuller decided against this.

Walter Krueger travelled to Aitape where Hall presented him a counterattack plan, which he approved.

Able to view his troops in action more often than hitherto, Walter Krueger found much to criticize.

Walter Krueger noted that tanks were employed poorly, that the infantry were not aggressive enough, and saw poor sanitation and meals as a sign that officers were not taking adequate care of their men.

Walter Krueger intended to make "maximum utilization of America's materiel and industrial superiority".

Walter Krueger sent messages reporting what he saw as a lack of drive among the troops, and even moved his theater headquarters forward of Krueger's.

Walter Krueger eventually sent a flying column from the 1st Cavalry Division, but MacArthur's expectation that the Japanese would not defend Manila was proven incorrect.

Walter Krueger established his headquarters in Kyoto, and assumed responsibility for Kyushu, Shikoku and southern Honshu.

Walter Krueger was awarded a second oak leaf cluster to his Distinguished Service Medal for his part in the Occupation of Japan.

Walter Krueger retired to San Antonio, Texas, where, in February 1946, he bought a house for the first time.

In retirement, Walter Krueger was involved in a number of charity and community organizations, including the United Service Organization, the Red Cross, and the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, and he served as director of civil defense for San Antonio and Bexar County.

Walter Krueger did not wish to write an autobiography, which he felt was "invariably apt to be an apologia", but was willing to write up an account of the Sixth Army's exploits.

Walter Krueger commenced work in 1947, but the project proceeded slowly.

Walter Krueger was proud of the subsequent accomplishments of members of his wartime staff, and traveled to New York each year to celebrate MacArthur's birthday with MacArthur and other former senior commanders of the Southwest Pacific Area.

Walter Krueger lectured at Army Schools and civic organizations, offering opinions on subjects such as the value of training, the benefit of universal military service, and the need for a unified defense establishment.

Walter Krueger was diagnosed with cancer in 1955, and died on 13 May 1956.

Walter Krueger was flown back to the United States in a Military Air Transport Service plane and was imprisoned at the Federal Prison Camp, Alderson, in West Virginia.

Walter Krueger developed glaucoma in his right eye, and sciatica in his left hip.

Walter Krueger died from pneumonia at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, on 20 August 1967, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Walter Krueger's forte was what is today termed the operational level of war, transforming MacArthur's strategic vision into reality.