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Krueger Walter

Name:
Walter Krueger
Rank:
General
Serial Number:
Unit:
6th US Army
Date of Death:
1967-08-20
State:
Ohio
Cemetery:
Arlington National Cemetery Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia
Plot:
Section 30, Lot 794 RH
Row:
Grave:
Decoration:
Comments:

Born in West Prussia on January 26, 1881, Krueger commanded the 6th US Army in the Pacific Theater of Operations during the Second World War.

From FIND A GRAVE:
United States Army General. He had been selected to command the allied invasion forces during the Invasion of Japan in November 1945, had World War II lasted that long. Born in 1881 in West Prussia, his family emigrated to the United States when he was eight years old. Growing up in Cincinnati, Ohio, he enlisted as a Private in the United States Army during the Spanish American War, and served in Cuba, quickly rising to the rank of Sergeant. In 1901, the Army sent him to the Philippines, and where he earned a promotion to 2nd Lieutenant in the 30th Infantry. Showing remarkable leadership ability, he moved up in the officer ranks quickly, attending Army Staff College in 1907, and joined the United States Expedition into Mexico in 1916. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel during World War I, serving on the staffs of the 26th and 84th Divisions, and was promoted to Colonel during the postwar occupation of Germany. In 1921, he graduated from the Army War College and remained there as an instructor. During the 1920s he worked as a plans officer of the Army General Staff, and in 1926, graduated from the Naval War College. During the 1930s he rose to command the 2nd Infantry Division and was promoted to Major General in 1939. By late 1941, he was a Lieutenant General (3 stars), commanding the 3rd Army. In 1943, General Douglas MacArthur gave him command of the 6th US Army in the Southwest Pacific, where he fought a brilliant campaign in the Philippines. Considered a "detail man" who arranged everything "just right" before going on the offensive, he demonstrated an remarkable ability for conducting the amphibious assaults that so characterized the Pacific War. Krueger never suffered a defeat during his entire career, and was widely credited with keeping friendly casualties low. In August 1945, he was promoted to General (4 stars) and given the responsibility for commanding the upcoming invasion of Japan, then scheduled for November 1, 1945. With the dropping of the atomic bombs, Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945, and the war ended. He retired in July 1946, and lived in San Antonio, Texas, until his death in 1967. In 1953, he wrote "From Down Under to Nippon: The story of the 6th Army in World War II."