Robert C. Richardson, Jr.
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| Robert C. Richardson, Jr. | |
|---|---|
| 1882-1954 | |
 General Robert C. Richardson, Jr. |
|
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1904-1946 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands held | U.S. Army Pacific Command VII Corps 1st Cavalry Division |
| Battles/wars | World War I World War II |
| Awards | Legion of Merit Silver Star Purple Heart Legion of Honor |
| Relations | Robert C. Richardson III (son) |
General Robert Charlwood Richardson, Jr., born in Charleston, South Carolina on October 27, 1882, was a U.S. Army general and commanded the U.S. Army, Pacific (Hawaiian Department) during the height of World War II in 1943 until his retirement in 1946. During that time he was also named military governor of Hawaii (which was at that time still a US Territory) and Commanding General of U.S. Army Forces in the Pacific Ocean Areas. This latter position did not entail operational control, however.
Commissioned from the United States Military Academy in 1904, Richardson also attended the University of Grenoble, France, as well as the Army War College. During World War I he was a liaison officer in the American Expeditionary Force. Afterward he was a military attaché with the U.S. Embassy in Rome.
Prior to World War II, Richardson commanded the 1st Cavalry Division from 1940-1941. He then directed the War Department Bureau of Public Relations before becoming Commanding General of the VII Corps. A dispute about having to serve under an Australian officer is believed to have cost him his command.
During his Hawaiian command, General Richardson oversaw the construction of Richardson Hall in a scant 49 days. Also known as the "Pineapple Pentagon," it has remained the planning and operational support centers for soldiers of the U.S. Army, Pacific since 1944. It was also during this command that another controversy arose. In 1944 Richardson traveled to Saipan to review Army troops and present awards. He did this without first consulting with General Holland Smith, USMC, who had operational control there, and who became angry with Richardson. Richardson is said to have replied to Smith that "you cannot push the Army around the way you have been doing." He was promoted to Lieutenant General in June 1943 and retired in October 1946.
[edit] Awards and decorations
General Richardson's awards include:
Foreign Awards
[edit] Retirement
He died on March 2, 1954, while on vacation in Italy, and was posthumously promoted to full general on July 19, 1954, by special act of U.S. Congress, Public Law 83-508.
This article incorporates text from [1], a public domain work of the United States Government.
