| Lieutenant General John L. Dewitt |
Article Index for Lieutenant General |
Shopping Dewitt |
Website Links For Lieutenant |
Information AboutLieutenant General John L. Dewitt |
|
John Lessense DeWitt was born at Fort Sidney, Nebraska on January 9, 1880. On October 10 of 1898, DeWitt was appointed as a second Lieutenant with the U.S. Army infantry. Twenty years of service within the infantry in various posts would follow. In 1918 he set out with the 42d Infantry Division to the battlefields of World War I. At this time, he was already a Lieutenant Colonel, and continued duties as a Quartermaster in the General Staff Headquarters. In July of 1918, DeWitt was promoted to full Colonel, and continued Quartermaster duties for the 1st Army. He recieved the Distinguished Service Cross at the end of World War I Between 1919 and 1930, DeWitt served in various Quartermaster Positions at posts such as Assistant Commandant of the General Staff College, Chief of the Storage and Issue Branch, and the supply division. In 1930, he was promoted to the rank of Major General, Quatermaster General of the U.S. Army. As well as his regular duties as Quatermaster General, DeWitt also assumed control of the Gold Star Mothers Pilgrimage. General DeWitt was responsible for all logistics involving this Congress aproved event. After returning to the Infantry, DeWitt assumed control of the Philippine Division. In July of 1937, he also became Commandant of the Army War College. Two years later, in December of 1939, Major General DeWitt was promoted to Lieutenant DeWitt, and then assumed command of the 4th army as well as responsibilities for the West Coast area of the United States. From December 5, 1939 to June 15, 1943, DeWitt Commanded Western Defense. During this time, he administered the evacuation and internment of Japanese and Japanese Americans, as well as supervised the combat operations in the Aleutian Islands. At the end of his tenure as head of Western Defense, he was appointed as the Commandant of the Army and Navy Staff College in Washington. He retired from the Army in 1947. In 1954, Lieutenant General John L. DeWitt because a full General by order of Congress for his services in World War II. He died of a heart attack at the age of 82 on June 20, 1962. |
|
|