Joseph Warren Stilwell Jr.
| Joseph Warren Stilwell Jr. | |
|---|---|
 Joseph Warren Stilwell Jr. | |
| Nickname(s) | "Jumping Joe or Gunner Six" |
| Born |
March 6, 1912 Syracuse, New York |
| Died |
July 25, 1966 (aged 54) Pacific Ocean Approx 585 miles west of San Francisco, California |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America |
| Service/branch |
 United States Army |
| Years of service | 1933-1966 |
| Rank |
 Brigadier General |
| Commands held |
7th Infantry Division China Burma India Theater 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division (Korean War) 18th Airborne Corps, Ft. Bragg US Army Support Group, Vietnam War US Army JFK Special Warfare Center United States Army Special Forces Command |
| Battles/wars |
World War II Korean War Vietnam War |
| Awards |
Combat Infantryman Badge Soldier's Medal Distinguished Flying Cross Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit (2 awards) Bronze Star (4 awards, one for Valor) Purple Heart (2 awards) Air Medal (26 awards) |
Brigadier General Joseph Warren Stilwell Jr. (March 6, 1912 – July 25, 1966) was a United States Army General best known for his service in United States Army Special Forces and the US Army Support Group in the Vietnam War.
Early life
He was born in Syracuse, New York, one of five children of General Joseph Stilwell. He attended West Point class of 1933.
Military career
He served as a Lieutenant with the 15th Infantry Regiment (United States) in China in 1937.
He served as commander of US Army Support Group, Vietnam (renamed US Army Support Command, Vietnam from 1 March 1964) from 26 August 1962 until 30 June 1964.[1]
Death
He was lost at sea on 25 July 1966 when flying a C-47 to Hawaii with longtime friend and pilot Hal Grimes of Air Ferry International. Harold Fossum was the navigator. The C-47 was to continue on to Thailand; however, Stilwell was only intending to travel as far as Hawaii to increase his instrument rating qualification. The Coast Guard, USAF and US Navy (including 3 Destroyers and the USS Yorktown (CV-10)) searched an area of 105,000 square miles without finding any trace of the aircraft.[2]
Awards and decorations
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References
- ↑ Eckhardt, George (1974). Vietnam Studies Command and Control 1950-1969. Department of the Army. pp. 36–37.
- ↑ "C47 Hunt Expanded". the Deseret News. 26 July 1966. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
- ↑ http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=22044