John Lesesne DeWitt
John Lesesne DeWitt (born January 9, 1880 in Fort Sidney , Nebraska , † June 20, 1962 in Washington, DC ) was a general in the US Army . He was responsible for interning Japanese Americans during World War II .
DeWitt served in World War I as quartermaster of the General Staff of the 1st Army . At the end of the war he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal .
Between the wars, DeWitt held various quartermaster positions and was from 1937 in command of the United States Army War College . In 1939 he was promoted to lieutenant general.
During World War II , DeWitt commanded the Western Defense Command from 1939 to 1943 , to which the 4th US Army was subordinate. During this time, he ordered the internment of 110,000 Japanese-born Americans from Washington, Oregon, California, and Arizona, 75% of whom were born in the United States.
DeWitt also oversaw the fighting in the Aleutian Islands , two of which were occupied by the Japanese army .
After serving as the head of the Western Defense Command, DeWitt became the commandant of the Army and Navy Staff College in Washington. In 1947 he left the army.
DeWitt died of a heart attack in 1962 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | DeWitt, John Lesesne |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | General of the US Army |
| DATE OF BIRTH | January 9, 1880 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Fort Sidney , Nebraska , United States |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 20, 1962 |
| Place of death | Washington, DC , United States |