Clark L. Ruffner

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General Clark L. Ruffner

Clark Louis Ruffner (born January 12, 1903 in Buffalo , New York , † July 26, 1982 in Washington, DC ) was a general in the US Army , who was the US military representative on the NATO military committee between 1960 and 1962 .

Life

Military training and World War II

Ruffner, whose father Ernest L. Ruffner served as a colonel in World War I , and his wife Jennie Clark Ruffner, was orphaned at four when his mother died in 1907. After schooling he began officer training at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in Lexington , which he in 1924 as a lieutenant of cavalry completed. After subsequent employment in various cavalry units, he became an assistant professor of military science and tactics at Norwich University in 1937 and then began studying at the Command and General Staff College (CGSC) at Fort Leavenworth in 1940 .

After the USA entered the Second World War on December 8, 1941, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel in the Army of the United States (AUS) on December 24, 1941 , and between 1942 and 1943 he assumed the post of deputy chief of the VII Corps ( VII Corps ) in San José . As such, he was on 2 July 1942 Colonel promoted the off and was from 1944 to 1946 Chief of Staff of Army forces in the Pacific (US Army Forces Pacific Ocean Areas) . In this use took place on May 27, 1944 promotion to Brigadier General and on May 22, 1945 to Major General of the Army of the United States. For his military service in World War II, he was awarded the Army Distinguished Service Medal for the first time in 1945 .

Post-war period and promotion to general

After the war, Major General Ruffner was, among others, between 29 July 1948 and 7 August 1950 head of legislation and relations in the US Army Ministry Department ( US Department of the Army ) , and in 1950 chief of staff of the X Corps ( X Corps ) . During the Korean War he dissolved on January 14, 1951 Major General Robert B. McClure as Commanding General of the 2nd Infantry Division ( 2nd Infantry Division ) , and remained in that capacity until September 1, 1951 after which Major-General Robert Nicholas Young began his successor. For his military service in the Korean War, he was awarded the Silver Star in 1950 , the Distinguished Service Cross on June 9 , 1951 and a bronze oak leaf branch on September 25, 1951 instead of a second Army Distinguished Service Medal. After his return to the United States, he was Deputy Assistant to Secretary of Defense Robert A. Lovett between 1952 and 1954, and from January 28, 1953, his successor, Charles Erwin Wilson .

In April 1954 Ruffner took over from Lieutenant General John W. O'Daniel the post as Commanding General of US ground forces in the Pacific ( US Army Pacific ) with headquarters in Fort Shafter in Hawaii and remained in that post until November 1954, after which he should be replaced by Lieutenant General Bruce C. Clarke on December 15, 1954. He broke on Jan. 20, 1955 Major General Leander L. Doan as Commanding General of the 2nd Armored Division ( 2nd Armored Division ) , and held this position until his replacement by Major General Conrad S. Babcock, Jr. in April 1956. Following was he for a use in the US armed forces in the Federal Republic of Germany in May 1958 , Lieutenant General promoted, succeeding Thomas F. Hickey as Commanding General of the third US army ( third US army ) . Its use there ended in February 1960, whereupon after a provisional command of Robert F. Sink in March 1960 Lieutenant General Herbert B. Powell was his successor.

Ruffner was last promoted to general in March 1960 and was from March 1960 until his retirement from active military service in October 1962 as the US military representative on the NATO military committee in Brussels . On November 13, 1962, he was honored with another branch of bronze oak leaf in place of a third Army Distinguished Service Medal. In addition, he was awarded the Legion of Merit twice in his military career .

After his death, Ruffner, who was married to Elizabeth Morris Ruffner, was buried in Arlington National Cemetery .

Awards

Selection of awards, sorted based on the Order of Precedence of Military Awards :

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Ruffner, Clark L.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Ruffner, Clark Louis (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American officer, general in the US Army
DATE OF BIRTH January 12, 1903
PLACE OF BIRTH Buffalo , New York
DATE OF DEATH July 26, 1982
Place of death Washington, DC