James Van Fleet

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James Alward Van Fleet
March 19, 1892 - September 23, 1992
General James Van Fleet
Place of birth	Coytesville, New Jersey
Place of death	Polk City, Florida
Allegiance	United States of America
Years of service	1915 to 1953
Rank	General
Unit	3rd Infantry Regiment U.S. 6th Division 5th Infantry Regiment
Commands	17th Machine Gun Battalion 42nd Infantry 29th Infantry regiment 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division 4th Infantry Division 90th Infantry Division XXIII Corps III Corps U.S. Second Army U.S. Eighth Army
Awards	Distinguished Service Cross with two Oak leaf cluster Distinguished Service Medal with three Oak leaf clusters Silver Star with two Oak leaf clusters Bronze Star with two Oak leaf clusters Purple Heart with two Oak leaf clusters World War I Victory Medal American Defense Service Medal European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal World War II Victory Medal National Defense Service Medal Korean Service Medal Combat Infantryman Badge United Nations Service Medal
Other work	diplomat businessman author rancher

James Alward Van Fleet (March 19, 1892 - September 23, 1992) was a U.S. Army general during World War II and the Korean War.

Van Fleet was born in Coytesville, New Jersey and was a 1915 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He was a classmate of both Dwight D. Eisenhower and Omar Bradley. Upon graduation, he became an infantry officer.

He served as a battalion commander in World War I, as part of the American Expeditionary Force under General John J. Pershing.

He coached the University of Florida football team in 1923 and 1924, leading them to a 12-3-4 record. In his two years of coaching he led the UF football team their first national reputation. He setup a schedule for the UF football team that was rather difficult. The UF football team had played powerhouse schools during that time like Army or U.S. Military Academy, University of Texas, and Georgia Tech University. They tied Texas the one time they played them, and tied Georgia Tech twice, but beat Army twice. He taught his players by leading by example. If he couldn’t do it himself the players didn’t have to do it, and in the process he taught the players “the will to win”, which later became known not just as a football slogan but a military one at that. He is also the namesake of Van Fleet Hall on the University of Florida campus, home of all four ROTC programs. A famous lore is also left in his name at the University of Florida.

The last week of the 1923 season, UF played Alabama. It was a muddy game due to rain. At halftime down 6-0, he had the starters change uniforms with the reserves and kept his players inside the locker room until the last possible moment, keeping the team less held back from the weight of the rain in their clothes. This little piece of psychological warfare worked and the Gators came back to win, 16-6.

During World War II, Van Fleet served first as a regimental commander. Although widely regarded as an outstanding officer, he was blocked from promotion because the Army Chief of Staff, General George Marshall, erroneously believed Van Fleet to be an alcoholic. When Marshall learned of his mistake, Van Fleet was soon promoted to divisional and corps command. He saw action during the D-Day landings on Utah Beach in June 1944 as commander of the 8th Infantry Regiment of the U.S. 4th Infantry Division, and later with General George S. Patton's U.S. Third Army.

In 1946, Van Fleet was sent to Greece, where he was instrumental in defeating the communist insurgency.

Van Fleet was Commanding General, U.S. Second Army from 10 AUG 1950 to 11 APR 1951.

In 1951, he replaced General Matthew B. Ridgway as commander of the U.S. Eighth Army and United Nations forces in Korea. He continued Ridgway's efforts to strengthen the Eighth Army in its campaign against numerically superior communist foes. He lost his only son, who was an Air Force officer, in the Korean War.

In 1957, General Van Fleet was the moving spirit behind the establishment in New York of The Korea Society, the first nonprofit organization in the U.S. dedicated to the promotion of friendly relations between the people of the United States and Korea "through mutual understanding and appreciation of their respective cultures, aims, ideals, arts, sciences and industries."

Van Fleet died in 1992 in Polk City, Florida several months after reaching his 100th birthday. Until his death, he was the oldest living flag officer in the United States. Van Fleet was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Shortly after his death, The Korea Society established its annual James A. Van Fleet Award to recognize those who have made outstanding contributions to closer U.S.-Korea ties. The Gen. James A. Van Fleet State Trail, running from Polk City, Florida to Mabel, Florida, is also named in his honor.

Contents 1 Awards and decorations 2 External links 3 References 4 See also

[edit] Awards and decorations

• Distinguished Service Cross with two Oak leaf clusters
• Distinguished Service Medal with three Oak leaf clusters
• Silver Star with two Oak leaf clusters
• Bronze Star with two Oak leaf clusters
• Purple Heart with two Oak leaf clusters
• World War I Victory Medal
• American Defense Service Medal
• European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
• World War II Victory Medal
• National Defense Service Medal
• Korean Service Medal
• Combat Infantryman Badge
• United Nations Service Medal

[edit] External links

• James Alward Van Fleet
• One of the "Top 50 Most Important Floridians of the 20th Century," as voted by The Ledger
• The Korea Society
• Gen. James A. Van Fleet State Trail, Florida

[edit] References

• Obituary, Los Angeles Times, September 24, 1992, p. A28
• Obituary, New York Times, September 24, 1992, p. D24

[edit] See also

• Report of Van Fleet mission to the Far East, 1954
• List of Korean War veterans who are recipients of the Bronze Star