Joseph Warren Stilwell Jr.
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 United States Army Support Group in the Vietnam War.
Joseph Warren Stilwell Jr. | |
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Nickname(s) | "Jumping Joe" "Gunner Six" "Cider Joe" |
Born | Syracuse, New York | March 6, 1912
Died | July 25, 1966 54) Pacific Ocean | (aged
Allegiance | United States |
Service/ | United States Army |
Years of service | 1933–1966 |
Rank | Brigadier General |
Commands held | 7th Infantry Division China Burma India Theater 23rd Infantry Regiment 18th Airborne Corps United States Army Support Group United States Army JFK Special Warfare Center United States Army Special Forces Command |
Battles/wars | World War II Korean War Vietnam War |
Awards | Army Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit (2) Distinguished Flying Cross Soldier's Medal Bronze Star Medal (4) Purple Heart (2) Air Medal (26) |
Relations | General Joseph Stilwell (father) |
Early life
Stilwell was born in Syracuse, New York, one of five children of General Joseph Stilwell. He attended West Point, graduating in the class of 1933.
Military career
Stilwell served as a lieutenant with the 15th Infantry Regiment (United States) in China in 1937.
Stilwell served as commander of United States Army Support Group, Vietnam (renamed United States Army Support Command, Vietnam from March 1, 1964) from August 26, 1962, until June 30, 1964.[1]
Death
Stilwell was lost at sea on July 25, 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 three destroyers and the USS Yorktown) searched an area of 105,000 square miles without finding any trace of the aircraft.[2]
Awards and decorations
References
- Eckhardt, George (1974). Vietnam Studies Command and Control 1950–1969. Department of the Army. pp. 36–37. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- "C47 Hunt Expanded". The Deseret News. 26 July 1966. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
- https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/22044