Robert L. Eichelberger
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| Robert Lawrence Eichelberger | |
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| March 9, 1886 – September 26, 1961 (aged 75) | |
 Robert L. Eichelberger as a Lieutenant Colonel |
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| Place of birth | Urbana, Ohio |
| Place of death | Asheville, North Carolina |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Years of service | 1909 - 1948 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands held | 77th Infantry Division Eighth United States Army US I Corps United States Military Academy |
| Battles/wars | Battle of Buna-Gona Battle of the Visayas Battle of Mindanao Operations Reckless and Persecution Battle of Biak |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Cross Distinguished Service Medal Navy Distinguished Service Medal Imperial Order of Meiji (Japan) Order of the Sacred Treasure (Japan) Order of the Rising Sun (Japan) |
| Other work | Our Jungle Road to Tokyo |
Robert Lawrence Eichelberger (9 March 1886 – 26 September 1961) was a general in the United States Army, who commanded the US Eighth Army in the South West Pacific Area during World War II.
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[edit] Pre-World War II service
Eichelberger was born at Urbana, Ohio. He entered the Army as an infantry lieutenant from the U.S. Military Academy in 1909. For the next several years, he saw service in Panama and the U.S.-Mexico border before joining the American Expeditionary Force Siberia. In the years 1918 to 1920, Major Eichelberger observed the Japanese incursion into Siberia and studied Japanese military strategy. He was also awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for repeated acts of bravery while assigned to the Expeditionary Force.
After further overseas duty in the Philippines and China, Eichelberger returned to the U.S. attended the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth and the Army War College, progressing through promotions to Brigadier General in October 1940.
Eichelberger became Superintendent of the Military Academy in 1940 but left West Point for active duty in 1942.
[edit] World War II service
After the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor, many military men returned their Japanese decorations and medals by sending them to the U.S. Air Force so the could be attached to bombs marked "return to sender." Thrice decorated Eichelberger held on to his Imperial Order of Meiji, Order of the Sacred Treasure and Order of the Rising Sun. When asked about letting the Air Force return the honors, he is famously reported to have said, ""Hell, no. I'm going to take them back myself."[1]
Eichelberger was appointed Commanding General of US I Corps and left for Australia in 1942. In October 1942 he was promoted to Lieutenant General.
General Douglas MacArthur ordered him to "take Buna, or don't come back alive". Eichelberger led the Australian-US Advanced New Guinea Force to victory over the Japanese at Buna, in early 1943.
In 1944, Eichelberger also had notable victories at Hollandia and Biak, in Dutch New Guinea.
As Commanding General of the newly formed Eighth Army, he led the invasion of the Philippines clearing the islands of Mindoro, Marinduque, Panay, Negros, Cebu and Bohol. By July 1945, Eichelberger's forces had defeated the Japanese on Mindanao.
In August 1945, Eichelberger's Eighth Army began a three-year stint as part of the Occupation of Japan.
[edit] Retirement and death
After nearly 40 years service, he retired in September 1948. Wrote Our Jungle Road to Tokyo, the story of the army's ground war in the Pacific. Congress, in recognition of his service, promoted Eichelberger to full General in 1954 (Public Law 83-508, July 19, 1954).
He died at Asheville, North Carolina, on 26 September 1961 and was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery.
[edit] References
- ^ "Uncle Bob", Time, September 10, 1945.
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Jay Leland Benedict |
Superintendents of the United States Military Academy 1940–1942 |
Succeeded by Francis Bowditch Wilby |
