Alfred Gruenther
Alfred Maximilian Gruenther (born March 3, 1899 in Platte Center , Nebraska , † May 30, 1983 in Washington, DC ) was a general in the US Army , third Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO and commander of the US European Command from 1953 to 1956.
Life
Gruenther attended Saint Thomas Academy in Mendota Heights , Minnesota and graduated fourth in his class from the US Military Academy at West Point in 1917 .
Between 1941 and 1953 Gruenther served as chief of staff in the 3rd US Army , the 5th US Army , the 15th US Army , and in the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE). As a protégé of General Dwight D. Eisenhower , Gruenther was deployed as chief planner of the Allied invasion of North Africa ( Operation Torch ) in 1942 during World War II . Then he was again involved in the planning for the invasion of Italy in 1943.
After the Second World War, Gruenther became Deputy Commanding General of the US troops in Austria in 1945 . On July 11, 1953, he then took over the command of NATO High Command Europe as the third Supreme Allied Commander Europe and at the same time the US troops stationed in Europe as the commander of the US European Command . After three years, on November 20, 1956, Gruenther handed over the command to Lauris Norstad and retired.
This retirement only meant his retirement from the military, because in 1957 he was appointed President of the American Red Cross . He held this position until 1964.
Alfred Maximilian Gruenther is buried with his wife Grace E. Gruenther (November 23, 1897 - May 18, 1979) in Arlington National Cemetery.
Honors
-
Army Distinguished Service Medal (x4) -
Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (1956) -
Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
literature
- Alfred Gruenther , in: Internationales Biographisches Archiv 31/1983 of July 25, 1983, in the Munzinger Archive ( beginning of article freely available)
Web links
- Irmgard Zündorf: Alfred M. Gruenther. Tabular curriculum vitae in the LeMO ( DHM and HdG )
- Photo by Gruenther from July 1, 1953.
- Short biography Arlington National Cemetery
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Matthew B. Ridgway |
Supreme Allied Commander Europe 1953–1956 |
Lauris Norstad |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Gruenther, Alfred |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Gruenther, Alfred Maximilian |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American Army General, third Supreme Allied Commander Europe |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 3, 1899 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Platte Center , Nebraska |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 30, 1983 |
| Place of death | Washington, DC |