Withers A. Burress

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Withers Alexander "Pinky" Burress (born November 24, 1894 in Richmond , Virginia , † June 13, 1977 in Arlington County , Virginia) was an American lieutenant general in the US Army who served as commander of the 100 during World War II . Infantry Division took part in Operation Undertone in March 1945 , with which the Palatinate , parts of the Rhineland and the areas of northern Alsace and Lorraine , which were temporarily lost during Operation Nordwind , came under Allied control. He was most recently from 1953 to 1954 Commanding General of the First US Army ( First US Army ) .

Life

Officer training, World War I and the interwar period

Withers Alexander "Pinky" Burress, son of John Woodfin Burress and his wife Susie Withers Burress, began studying at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) after attending school , which he finished in 1914 with a Bachelor of Science degree. On November 30, 1916 he was taken over as a lieutenant in the infantry in the regular army and after the United States entered the First World War on April 6, 1917, he was transferred to the 23rd Infantry Regiment . In this regiment, which later became part of the 2nd Infantry Division ( 2nd Infantry Division ) , he became assistant operations officer and took part in various major combat missions on the Western Front such as the battle of Château-Thierry (July 18, 1918), the battle in the Marne (July 5 to August 6, 1918) and the Battle of St. Mihiel (September 12 to 15, 1918). He stayed after the war in France stationed, rather the permanent rank it on November 2, 1919 (permanent rank) as captain back.

In the interwar period, Burress found uses as an officer in various schools and units. After attending the US Army Infantry School at Fort Benning , the Command and General Staff College (CGSC) at Fort Leavenworth and the US Army War College in the Washington Barracks , he was Professor of Military Science and Tactics and, between 1935 and 1940, Commander of the Virginia Military Institute . He received his promotion to lieutenant colonel in this position on March 18, 1939 .

World War II and post-war period

After serving in the US War Department , "Pinky" Burress was promoted to colonel on October 14, 1941 , and was then assistant commandant of the US Army Infantry School at Fort Benning between October 29, 1941 and spring 1942. After he had been promoted to Brigadier General on March 13, 1942 , he found between spring and November 1942 use with the troops stationed in Puerto Rico (Puerto Rican Department) . On August 9, 1942 he was promoted to major general and took over in November 1942 the post as commander of the 100th Infantry Division ( 100th Infantry Division ) and held this position until the end of the Second World War. In December 1944, American troops tried unsuccessfully to take Bitsch . They had to clear the southern surroundings of the city and the entire area east of it between Lauter and Moder during a tactical retreat in the course of the German New Year's offensives. In March 1945 he took part in Operation Undertone , with which the Palatinate , parts of the Rhineland and the areas of northern Alsace and Lorraine , which were temporarily lost during Operation Nordwind , came under Allied control. On March 15, 1945, the first day of Operation Undertone, US forces advanced into Bitsch and soon took the city. Shortly afterwards there was a nine-day siege of Heilbronn from April 3, 1945 , which ended on April 12, 1945 with the occupation of the city by the 100th Infantry Division. The associations then moved on to Stuttgart .

After the war ended, Withers A. Burress took over from Major General William Henry Harrison Morris, Jr. in September 1945 , initially as commanding general of the VI. US Corps ( VI Corps ) , which he only held until this corps was dissolved on January 10, 1946. He was then General Inspector of the US Forces Europe USFET (US Forces European Theater) between February 14 and August 28, 1946, and Assistant Chief of Staff (Assistant Chief of Staff ) from March 15 to April 16, 1947 G-2 Intelligence)) of the resulting US command Europe EUCOM ( European Command ) . He then succeeded Major General Ernest N. Harmon between May 1947 and July 1948 as Commander of the Military Police in Germany ( US Constabulary ) . In July 1948 he returned to the USA and was the successor to Major General John W. O'Daniel until his replacement by Major General John H. Church in January 1951, Commander of the US Army Infantry School at Fort Benning.

After a brief use as commander of Camp Atterbury , a site in Indiana , Buress was established in June 1951 Commanding General of the re-created VII. US Corps ( VII Corps ) and had this post until his replacement by Major General James A. Gavin . 1953 became representative of the army in the military staff committee of the United Nations . Most recently, Lieutenant General "Pinky" Burress on January 1, 1953 succeeding Lieutenant General Willis D. Crittenberger as Commanding General of the First US Army ( First US Army ) . He held this command post until his retirement in November 1954, whereupon Lieutenant General Thomas W. Herren succeeded him. At the same time, he was site commander of Fort Jay on Governors Island in Upper New York Bay between 1953 and 1954 .

He was married to Virginia Collier Chappell Burress, who died in 1974. After his death he was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Awards

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

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Burress, Withers A.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Burress, Withers Alexander (full name); Pinky (nickname)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American Lieutenant General (US Army)
DATE OF BIRTH November 24, 1894
PLACE OF BIRTH Richmond , Virginia
DATE OF DEATH June 13, 1977
Place of death Arlington County , Virginia