Oscar Griswold

Oscar W. Griswold
Lieutenant General Oscar Griswold
Born	(1886-10-22)October 22, 1886 Ruby Valley, Nevada
Died	September 28, 1959(1959-09-28) (aged 72)
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1910–1947
Rank	Lieutenant General
Commands held	Third United States Army Seventh United States Army II Corps XIV Corps IV Corps 4th Infantry Division
Battles/wars	World War I Western Front Meuse-Argonne Offensive World War II Solomon Islands Campaign Bougainville campaign (1943-45) Philippines campaign (1944–45)
Awards	Army Distinguished Service Medal (2) Navy Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit Silver Star (2) Bronze Star Air Medal Purple Heart
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Oscar Woolverton Griswold (22 October 1886 – 28 September 1959) was an American soldier and general in the first half of the 20th century. He is best known for his command of the XIV Corps in the South Pacific Area and South West Pacific Area during World War II.

Early life

Oscar Woolverton Griswold was born on 22 October 1886 in Ruby Valley Nevada. He attended the University of Nevada, Reno from 1905 to 1906, when he received an appointment to the United States Military Academy. On graduation with the West Point Class of 1910, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Infantry.^[1]

World War I

His early company grade assignments included three years service in China from 1914 to 1917. During World War I he served as a major and Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. 84th Infantry Division, American Expeditionary Force from 1918 to 1919, and participated in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.^[1]

Interwar years

He was assigned to the United States Military Academy from 1921 to 1924. He graduated from the Command and General Staff College in 1925, graduating 189th in the class of 258,^[2] and the U.S. Army War College in 1929.^[1]

From 1929 to 1931 he served with the War Department General Staff. This duty was followed by service with the United States Army Air Corps. He served as a member of the Infantry Board from 1932 to 1936, and from 1936 to 1939 was assigned to the Office, Chief of Infantry.^[1]

World War II

Griswold commanded the 29th Infantry from September 1939 to October 1940. He was promoted to Brigadier General in October 1940 and became Commanding General of the Infantry Replacement Training Center at Camp Croft. Promoted to Major General in August 1941, he commanded 4th Infantry Division (Mechanised).^[1]

From April 1943, he was Commanding General of the XIV Corps, which fought in New Georgia, Bougainville and in the Philippines.

He was promoted to Lieutenant General in early 1945 ^[1] and continued to serve in the Pacific theater under Douglas MacArthur, during the battle of Manila in February 1945. In June 1945, General of the Army MacArthur nominated Griswold to command the Tenth United States Army following the death of Lieutenant General Simon Bolivar Buckner, Jr. in the Battle of Okinawa. However, he was passed over in favor of General Joseph Stilwell.^[3]

Later life

After World War II Griswold served as Commanding General of the Seventh United States Army from 11 June 1946 to 15 March 1947,^[4] and then the Third United States Army from 15 March 1947 to 14 April 1947.^[5]

Among his many awards and decorations were the Army Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, Bronze Star, Air Medal, and Purple Heart.^[5] In 1946 he received an Doctor of Laws from the University of Nevada, Reno.^[1]

In October 1947, he retired to The Broadmoor resort in Colorado Springs, Colorado and resided in the Broadmoor Stadium Apartments. In 1948 he was employed by The Broadmoor Hotel Corporation as the Director of Athletic Events. These included ice hockey and figure skating in the Broadmoor Ice Palace (no longer extant). He also appeared in a television segment of This Is Your Life in December 1956 where he lauded the exploits of an Army Captain who refused to surrender in the Philippine's and successfully led a guerilla campaign against the Japanese until he turned himself in to General Griswold during US Army combat operations. He remained employed by the Broadmoor until health problems caused him to retire. He died on 28 September 1959.^[1] <Robert "Rusty" Lomax, subordinate to General Griswold from 1948 to 1956/>

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