Charles Willoughby

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Major General Charles Andrew Willoughby (March 8, 1892-October 25th, 1972) was a Major General in the U.S. Army, serving as General Douglas MacArthur's Chief of Intelligence during most of WWII and the Korean Conflict.

Contents

[edit] Early Life and Education

Willoughby claimed to have been born Adolf Karl (or Charles) Tscheppe-Weidenbach in the town of Heidelberg, Germany, the son of "Freiherr" (Baron) T. von Tscheppe-Weidenbach from Baden, Germany and Emma Willoughby Scheppe-Weidenbach of Baltimore, Maryland.

However, in the Heidelberg town registry under the date March 8, 1892, only the birth of one Adolf August Weidenbach is entered, with ropemaker August Weidenbach as father and Emma, née Langhäuser, as mother . . ."

According to the Gothaisches Genealogisches Taschenbuch der Briefadeligen, (a standard catalogue of the German gentry), General Franz Erich Theodor Tülff von Tschepe (with one "p") und Weidenbach not only lacked the title "Freiherr" (Baron) but did not receive the honor from Wilhelm II until 1913. General von Tschepe had five children, none of them born in 1892.

His early life was spent in Germany, only moving to the United States after attending the University of Heidelberg in 1910. He changed his name from Adolf Tscheppe-Weidenbach to Charles Willoughby (His mother's maiden name) at the same time.

Willoughby served in the Army as an enlisted man beginning in 1910, eventually reaching the rank of Sergeant.

He entered Gettysburg College in 1913 at the age of 21, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1914. After receiving his degree, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Officer's Volunteer Corps in 1914.

[edit] World War I

Willoughby, commissioned a both Second and First Lieutenant in the Regular Army on 27 November 1916. He joined the American Expeditionary Force in June 1917 and was promoted to Captain on 30 June 1917.

[edit] Inter-war years

After the war, Captain Willoughby joined the 24th Infantry in New Mexico in 1919. He spent 2 years at his post before being posted to San Juan, Puerto Rico. He became involved in Military Intelligence while in San Juan.

1929 saw Willoughby assigned to Command & General Staff College as a student and in 1931 as an instructor.

In 1936, Major Willoughby was promoted Lieutenant Colonel.

[edit] World War II

Willoughby was the chief of intelligence on General MacArthur's staff during World War II, the occupation of Japan, and the Korean war. Willoughby became a major general on 12 April 1945.

[edit] Korea

[edit] Other Activities

He was involved in the creation of Field Operations Intelligence, a top secret Army Intelligence unit that later came under joint military and CIA control. Willoughby retired from the army in 1951.

[edit] Retirement, Death and Legacy

After his retirement, Willoughby travelled to Spain and became an unofficial advisor to the Spanish dictator, Francisco Franco, whom he described as "the second greatest military commander in the world" (MacArthur being the 'greatest'.) Willoughby had first met Franco in the 1920s, and had admired him ever since.

An avowed racist and fanatical supporter of extreme right wing causes, Willoughby was once described as "my little fascist" by MacArthur. In this vein, Willoughby had once written of Italian dictator Mussolini: "Historical judgement, freed from the emotional haze of the moment, will credit Mussolini with wiping out a memory of defeat by re-establishing the traditional military supremecy of the white race."

In his later years, Willoughby would publish the racist 'Foreign Intelligence Digest' newspaper, and work closely with Texas oil tycoon H.L. Hunt on the International Committee for the Defence of Christian Culture, an extreme right "umbrella" organization that had connections to para-military groups such as the John Birch Society and the Minutemen. Note: The Minutemen were created three decades after Willoughby's death, so whomever wrote that is stretching the truth at best. (The preceding note is in error, see "Minutemen" on the discussion page.) In 1968 Willoughby moved with his wife to Naples, Florida. Charles Willoughby died on 25th October, 1972.

In September 1975, investigative reporter Dick Russell received an anonymous letter that stated, in part:

"... You are now part of the great game of solving the JFK assassination riddle. The danger to those involved is immense, tantamount to playing Russian Roulette... Prior to his death some time ago I spent several days with Tscheppe Weidenbach... an enlightened conversation... you may want to research down to the name which is part of the game we can't make it too easy... "

Enclosed with this anonymous letter was a type-written note, with the letterhead of the King Edward Sheraton Hotel in Toronto, Canada. It read:

"... YOUR CANADIAN COMPUTERS RESEARCHING THE ASSASSINATION OF JOHN KENNEDY DEVELOPED LEADS TO A MAN NAMED TSCHEPPE-WEIDENBACH BORN IN 1892 IN HEIDELBERG, GERMANY AS HAVING MASTERMINDED THE ASSASSINATION WITH THE APPROVAL. 'THE' MAN WHO COULD DO NO WRONG IN AMERICAN HISTORY? YOUR GENERAL (EASY RESEARCH0 MIGHT WELL PROVIDE A LEAD TO THE CLEVER MIND FROM HEIDELBERG... "

[edit] Dates of rank

No pin insignia Second Lieutenant, United States Army: 27 November 1916
First Lieutenant, United States Army: 27 November 1916
Captain, United States Army: 30 June 1917
Major, United States Army: 6 March 1928
Colonel, National Army: 1 June 1938
Brigadier General, National Army: 20 June 1942
Major General, United States Army: 12 April 1945

[edit] Decorations

  • Silver Star - Jan 24, 1942 (Bataan)
  • Distinguished Service Cross - Jan 9, 1943 (Buna)
  • Order of Saints Maurizio and Lazzaro [Italian award, given by Mussolini's government] - Date unknown

[edit] Published Works

Guerrilla Resistance Movement in the Philippines, 1941-1945 New York: Vantage, 1972

MacArthur, 1941-1951 New York: McGraw-Hill, 1954

Shanghai Conspiracy: The Sorge Spy Ring Boston: Western, 1952

Intelligence Series: G-2 USAFFE, SWPA, AFPAC, FEC, SCAP Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1948

Campaigns of MacArthur in the Pacific Japanese Operations Against MacArthur MacArthur in Japan: Military Phases Written by Willoughby and a team of American and Japanese military commanders after WWII. Intended to be the basis for MacArthur's memoirs, the final version disappeared when MacArthur left Japan after Truman fired him. No copy has turned up in MacArthur's or Willoughby's papers.


Argosy Jan 1966 "America Needs a Foreign Legion!" (with Edward Hymoff),

Willoughby is a member of the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame.

[edit] References and notes

[edit] Notes

    [edit] Bibliography

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