# What American generals died in action? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 6, 2007, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-generals-died-in-action/406957 "2007-06-06T05:50:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2007, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-generals-died-in-action/406957/1 "2007-06-06T05:50:17Z")
For the moment, leave out the Civil War. Which generals of the Continental or US Army died as a direct result of enemy action? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2007, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-generals-died-in-action/406957/2 "2007-06-06T06:29:10Z")
[This article](http://www.wwiihistorymagazine.com/2005/july/col-insight.html) talks about the American generals killed during WWII. It states: > [@](#): > > The United States suffered about 407,000 military deaths during World War II. The vast majority of those killed were enlisted and lower ranking officers. However, there were some “fallen stars” as well. Nearly 1,100 U.S. Army generals served at some point during World War II, and of those about 40 died during or immediately following the war. Not all were in combat units, and some were not in enemy territory when they died. > > Of these generals, at least 11 were killed in action or died of wounds from hostile actions, two were executed by the Japanese while POWs, four were killed in plane crashes, one was killed by friendly fire, and five died of natural causes, including two of heart attacks. The remainder died of various causes in the first few months after the end of hostilities. It then goes on to list the dead and circumstances of their deaths. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2007, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-generals-died-in-action/406957/3 "2007-06-06T06:54:01Z")
Custer comes to mind ---
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2007, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-generals-died-in-action/406957/4 "2007-06-06T11:35:10Z")
[QUOTE=outlierrn] Custer comes to mind [/QUOTE] [Custer](http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/a_c/custer.htm) was a Lt. Colonel when he was killed. ---
**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2007, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-generals-died-in-action/406957/5 "2007-06-06T11:48:22Z")
Here’s a [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=341910) on the related question of who were the highest ranking generals who died in actual combat operations during WWII. ---
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2007, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-generals-died-in-action/406957/6 "2007-06-07T23:44:44Z")
there are many useful databases e.g. [NARA - AAD - Main Page](http://aad.archives.gov/aad/) searching korean war for general gives two useful hits GEN WALKER, WALTON H (MIA) GEN MOORE, BRYANT E (MIA) ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-generals-died-in-action/406957/7 "2007-06-08T00:29:31Z")
[QUOTE=scm1001] there are many useful databases e.g. [NARA - AAD - Main Page](http://aad.archives.gov/aad/) searching korean war for general gives two useful hits GEN WALKER, WALTON H (MIA) GEN MOORE, BRYANT E (MIA) [/QUOTE] Walton Walker was not MIA. He was commander of the 8th Army in Korea. During the retreat south after the Chinese attack he was killed in a jeep accident. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-generals-died-in-action/406957/8 "2007-06-08T01:00:32Z")
I know **Edward Canby** , assassinated at a parley during the Modoc War, was supposedly the only American general killed in any of the various Indian wars. - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-generals-died-in-action/406957/9 "2007-06-08T03:27:24Z")
[QUOTE=Loach] Walton Walker was not MIA. He was commander of the 8th Army in Korea. During the retreat south after the Chinese attack he was killed in a jeep accident. [/QUOTE] You are right - I was only referencing that from the AAD site which has his casualty group as “HOSTILE - Died while missing” . Maybe “died while missing” is army speak for something else or much broader, however I assumed it meant MIA. see [NARA - AAD - Display Full Records - Korean Conflict Casualty File, 1/1/1950 - 2/7/1957](http://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=194&mtch=7&cat=WR27&tf=F&q=general&bc=sl&rpp=10&pg=1&rid=25852&rlst=25852,17181,449,6103,11905,18871,26976) ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-generals-died-in-action/406957/10 "2007-06-08T12:18:29Z")
[QUOTE=Who\_me?] [Custer](http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/a_c/custer.htm) was a Lt. Colonel when he was killed. [/QUOTE] I had no idea, I too assumed he was a general. Thank you for fighting my ignorance. That’s why I love this place. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-generals-died-in-action/406957/11 "2007-06-08T12:47:41Z")
[QUOTE=Fear Itself] I had no idea, I too assumed he was a general. Thank you for fighting my ignorance. That’s why I love this place. [/QUOTE] He HAD been a general during the American Civil War, when the Army was MUCH bigger than it had been, and trained officers were in short supply. But once the Civil War was over, and the Army began to shrink back toward its pre-war size, many generals were demoted, since fewer generals were needed. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-generals-died-in-action/406957/12 "2007-06-08T18:37:25Z")
[QUOTE=Fear Itself] I had no idea, I too assumed he was a general. Thank you for fighting my ignorance. That’s why I love this place. [/QUOTE] He was breveted to General, but his perm rank was Col. However, this was not uncommon in the Civil war, and when it happened those dudes were allowed to be called “General” as an honorific, even though their true rank was Col. So his men likely called him “General”. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2007, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-generals-died-in-action/406957/13 "2007-06-09T06:10:24Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth] He was breveted to General, but his perm rank was Col. However, this was not uncommon in the Civil war, and when it happened those dudes were allowed to be called “General” as an honorific, even though their true rank was Col. So his men likely called him “General”. [/QUOTE] Even more interesting, the promotion was an error when Custer’s name got transcribed to the wrong list. within a few days, he was instrumental in the victory at Gettysburg so the Army decided to let him stay a general. ---
**Author:** ![A.R.Cane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2007, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-generals-died-in-action/406957/14 "2007-06-09T06:17:04Z")
[QUOTE=SaintCad] Even more interesting, the promotion was an error when Custer’s name got transcribed to the wrong list. within a few days, he was instrumental in the victory at Gettysburg so the Army decided to let him stay a general. [/QUOTE] I’d be interested in seeing a cite on the “error” part. I’ve read a great deal about GAC and that claim is a surprise to me. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2007, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-generals-died-in-action/406957/15 "2007-06-10T18:24:24Z")
[QUOTE=A.R. Cane] I’d be interested in seeing a cite on the “error” part. I’ve read a great deal about GAC and that claim is a surprise to me. [/QUOTE] I know it was in a book I was writing for a report in high school (hence not a “This guy said . . .” sort of cite). IIRC, he was on a due to be transfered and this transfer was sitting on some War Department desk while a list of promotions was being compiled. In typical bureaucratic fashion, his name got on the wrong list and you now have the youngest general in US history. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-generals-died-in-action/406957/16 "2007-06-11T12:22:07Z")
[QUOTE=SaintCad] I know it was in a book I was writing for a report in high school (hence not a “This guy said . . .” sort of cite). IIRC, he was on a due to be transfered and this transfer was sitting on some War Department desk while a list of promotions was being compiled. In typical bureaucratic fashion, his name got on the wrong list and you now have the youngest general in US history. [/QUOTE] I think [this](http://imdb.com/title/tt0034277/) is your cite. It is the only place that I saw this bit of information. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-american-generals-died-in-action/406957/17 "2007-06-11T14:34:48Z")
[QUOTE=astorian] He HAD been a general during the American Civil War, when the Army was MUCH bigger than it had been, and trained officers were in short supply. But once the Civil War was over, and the Army began to shrink back toward its pre-war size, many generals were demoted, since fewer generals were needed. [/QUOTE] As **DrDeth** noted he was given a brevet rank. This meant that he and everyone around him knew that his rank was temporary (with no dishonor associatd with that) and that when the war ended, he would be returned to the lower rank. The use of the word “demoted” conveys a bit different idea. During WWII, they did not name officers “brevet,” but they did use a similar system. Alongside the U.S. Army (or Regular Army) they established the Army of the United States (built around a Regular Army corps of officers, but populated with draftees). Officer ranks within the Army of the United States were not tied directly to Regular Army ranks. At the end of WWII, an officer who wished to keep his AUS rank needed to transfer to the Regular Army. (There were occasions when officers in the AUS were given “theatre” ranks (as in theatre of operations) and on a few occasions, they lost those ranks when they were returned to the U.S. away from their theatre, but the punitive aspect was coincidental to the structure of the hierarchy and was not established specifically to demote anyone.