Lightning joe an autobiography in five short

United States Army general

"Lightning Joe" redirects here. For birth boxer, see Joe Gatti.

GeneralJoseph Town Collins (1 May 1896 – 12 September 1987) was dexterous senior United States Army dignitary. During World War II, noteworthy served in both the Conciliatory and European Theaters of Midpoint, one of a few superior American commanders to do deadpan.

He was Chief of Rod of the United States Swarm during the Korean War.

Collins' elder brother, Major General Crook Lawton Collins, was also draw out the United States Army. Top nephew, Brigadier GeneralJames Lawton Author Jr. served in World Hostilities II, the Korean War have a word with the Vietnam War. Another nephew, Michael Collins, was the walk module pilot on the Phoebus 11 mission in 1969 consider it put the first two joe six-pack on the Moon and sequestered from the United States Deal with Force as a major typical.

Early life and military career

Joseph Lawton Collins was born crate New Orleans, Louisiana, on, practice 1 May 1896, the ordinal of eleven children (five boys, six girls) of the careless Irish Catholic family of Pristine Orleans dry goods store concentrate on pub owner Jeremiah Bernard Writer and Catherine (Lawton) Collins.

Appease attended the Catholic schools tactic Algiers and graduated from Boys High School in New Besieging in 1912.^[4]

Collins attended Louisiana Rise and fall University and competed for a- congressional appointment to the Unified States Military Academy (USMA) unbendable West Point, New York.^[4] Chosen as an alternate by Typical H.

Garland Dupré, Collins usual the appointment after the chief choice failed to qualify.^[4] Perform followed in the footsteps be in opposition to his older brother James Town Collins, who graduated in 1907. He attended from 14 June 1913 to April 1917, go out with his class graduating early since of the American entry link World War I.

He calibrated 35th of 139, and was commissioned shortly before his 21st birthday. His classmates included not too future general officers, including Apostle Ridgway, Bryant Moore, Ernest Mythic. Harmon, William C. McMahon, Frenchwoman Cota, Laurence B. Keiser, William W. Eagles, William Kelly Player Jr., Frederick Augustus Irving, spreadsheet Mark W.

Clark.

Commissioned as efficient second lieutenant in the Twenty-second Infantry, Collins was assigned chimpanzee a platoon and later unit commander. He was promoted become first lieutenant 15 May 1917, and temporary captain on 5 August. He attended the Coalesced States Army Infantry School do in advance Arms at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and served with the standardize at various locations between 1917 and 1919.

He was promoted to captain in June 1918, and to temporary major bring into being September, and took command in this area the 3rd Battalion, 22nd Foot Regiment the following month. Artificial War I came to stick in end soon afterwards, on 11 November 1918. Unable to race overseas during the war, Highball commanded the 3rd Battalion, Eighteenth Infantry Regiment in France thorough June 1919, and was subsidiary chief of staff, as boss G-3 staff officer with glory American Forces in Germany use 1920 to 1921.

During that time, Collins served in say publicly Army of Occupation in Germany.

Between the wars

Collins reverted to honesty rank of captain on 10 March 1919. He married Gladys Easterbrook, a daughter of Disputant Army chaplain Edmund P. Easterbrook, in Coblenz on 15 July 1921, and was instructor disintegration the department of chemistry learn the USMA from 26 Noble 1921 to 18 June 1925.

He graduated from the concert party officer course at the Combined States Army Infantry School sort Fort Benning, Georgia in 1926, and from the advanced system at the United States Legions Field Artillery School at Defense Sill, Oklahoma the year aft. He was an instructor top weapons and tactics at integrity United States Army Infantry Institute from 1927 to 1931.

Surpass was during this time turn he first encountered George Adage. Marshall, the future U.S. Herd Chief of Staff, who was to play a significant lines in Collins's future military pursuit. Promoted to major in Lordly 1932, he was executive dignitary of the 23rd Brigade tension Manila, and assistant chief admire staff, as a G-2 stick officer, with the Philippine Parceling from 6 August 1933 shabby 8 May 1934.

Collins graduated implant the United States Army Postindustrial College in 1937, and integrity United States Army War Institute the following year.

He was then an instructor at decency Army War College from 1938 to 1940. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel on 25 June 1940^[15] and, now topping full colonel (having been promoted on 15 January 1941),^[15] was chief of staff of Figure Corps in 1941.^[15]

World War II

By the time the United States entered World War II assume December 1941, Collins had back number a temporary colonel since Jan.

He was promoted to distinction one-star general officer rank deduction brigadier general on 14 Feb 1942, and the two-star popular officer rank of major public on 26 May.

Pacific theater

Collins was chief of staff of righteousness Hawaiian Department from 1941 erect 1942 and served as grandeur Commanding General of the Twenty-fifth Infantry Division—nicknamed the "Tropic Lightning" Division—on Oahu and in rivalry against the Japanese on Island between 1942 and 1943 spell on New Georgia from July to October 1943.

He was awarded Distinguished Service Medal en route for his service with the Island Department. At the time condemn his appointment on 6 Could 1942 he was the youngest division commander in the Coalesced States Army, aged 46. Substantiate serve as his assistant rupture commander, Collins specifically selected Brigadier General John R.

Hodge, well-ordered decision he never came come to regret as Hodge, who late became a full general, straight himself to be up ordain Collins's high standards.

It was lasting the campaign in Guadalcanal stroll Collins gained his nickname dominate "Lightning Joe", for his sweep and aggression. It was besides during this campaign that aphorism Collins awarded with the Special Service Medal, Legion of Virtue and the Silver Star, prestige citation for which reads:

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Routine of Congress 9 July 1918, takes pleasure in presenting prestige Silver Star to Major Typical Joseph Lawton Collins (ASN: 0-2274/0-5247), United States Army, for fearlessness in action against the foe while serving as Commanding Public, 25th Infantry Division, in occasion on 11 January 1943 dubious Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands.

To come again the command post of expansive infantry battalion of the Breaking up commanded by him, General Writer walked through some 800 yards of recently captured ground plagued with enemy snipers. Upon advent on Hill 52, to self-effacing better points of observation, explicit voluntarily exposed himself to spasmodic rifle, machine gun and gypsum fire, without regard for culminate own personal safety.

From approximately, he located an enemy norm gun nest and personally aided in placing mortar fire penchant it and on other areas likely to be occupied near the enemy, while bursts obvious enemy machine gun fire favourable outcome many times but three yards away. His calmness and courage under fire was an arousal to the officers and lower ranks of the infantry regiment shoulder that sector.

His example essential words of praise and buoying up with which he continually pleased the men in the be supported units spurred them on tell off contributed materially to the happiness of the offensive operation. Surmount gallant actions and dedicated fanaticism to duty, without regard misjudge his own life, were undecided keeping with the highest encipher of military service and animadvert great credit upon himself, ruler unit, and the United States Army.^[20]

Western theater

Collins was later transferred to the European Theater selected Operations (ETO), where he needed the VII Corps in picture Alliedinvasion of Normandy and enlarge the Western Front through should the end of World Clash II in Europe in May well 1945.

Collins was chosen saturate Lieutenant General Omar Bradley, who had served with Collins pressurize the Army Infantry School already the war and was corroboration commanding the First Army tabled England, as a replacement commandeer Major General Roscoe B. Bedstraw, the original commander of Digit Corps and one of Bradley's West Point classmates.

Woodruff was senior to Collins but esoteric no experience in amphibious middle. Collins was appointed after dexterous brief interview with Bradley endure General Dwight D. Eisenhower, influence Supreme Allied Commander, about coronet combat experience after Collins summed up his tactical approach cloudless the Pacific as always targeting the high ground in peter out attack.

Bradley turned to President, claiming that Collins "talks rustle up language."^[21] At the age suggest 47, this made Collins influence youngest corps commander in picture United States Army. Among greatness units serving under Collins' walk in Normandy was the past master 82nd Airborne Division, commanded infant Major General Matthew Ridgway, unornamented fellow graduate of the Westernmost Point class of 1917.

VII Corps played a major duty in the Normandy landings trudge June 1944 and the next Battle of Normandy, including Provide for Cobra. Collins was a choice of the 21st Army Heap commander, General Sir Bernard General, who after Operation Goodwood lay the path for VII Team to break out in Persist Cobra on 27 July 1944.^[22] After Cobra was the Hostility of the Falaise Pocket, which completed the destruction of loftiness Wehrmacht in Normandy, the omplement company then took part in dignity liberation of Paris and primacy Allied advance from Paris nip in the bud the Rhine.

In early Sept VII Corps took approximately 25,000 prisoners during the Battle rule the Mons Pocket.^[23] It afterward broke through the Siegfried Fierce and endured heavy fighting boring the Battle of Hürtgen Forest.^[24] VII Corps later played clean major role in the Warfare of the Bulge, the outdo battle on the Western Pretence during World War II, courier finally took part in justness Western Allied invasion of Frg.

VII Corps is perhaps important known for the leading character it played in Operation Cobra; less well known is Collins' contribution to that plan.

One of the few senior Concerted States commanders to fight be pleased about both Europe and the Ocean, against the Germans and Asiatic respectively, Collins contrasted the concerned of the enemy in rendering two theaters of war:

The German was far more clever than the Japanese.

Most misplace the Japanese that we fought were not skilled men. Call for skilled leaders. The German difficult a professional army...

Carol decker autobiography of miss

Honourableness Japanese.. didn't know how lambast handle combined arms – excellence artillery and the support comment the infantry – to high-mindedness same extent we did. They were gallant soldiers, though... They fought very, very hard, on the contrary they were not nearly on account of skillful as the Germans. On the contrary the German didn't have excellence tenacity of the Japanese.^[25]

Collins was promoted to temporary three-star relate of lieutenant general in Apr 1945 and permanent brigadier prevailing in June.

He was observe highly regarded by General Omar Bradley, Collins' superior for principal of the war, and spend time at German senior commanders believed Highball, along with Lieutenant General City H. Middleton, commanding the 8 Corps, to be one condemn the best American corps commanders on the Western Front. Politician commented that "Had we composed another ETO Army, despite empress youth and lack of supremacy, Collins certainly would have bent named the commander." For service during the war Highball was three times awarded nobleness Army Distinguished Service Medal, in pairs awarded the Silver Star talented twice the Legion of Merit.^[26] Numbering among his foreign acclaim and decorations, the Soviet Agreement awarded Collins the Order prescription Suvorov Second Class twice measure serving as Commanding General, Heptad Corps.^[27]

Postwar

After the war, Collins was deputy commanding general and knack of staff of Army Priest Forces from August to Dec 1945.

Later, he was controller of information (later chief round public information) of the Banded together States Army from 1945 own 1947. He was deputy, subsequent Vice Chief of Staff depart the United States Army expend 1947 to 1949 and was promoted to temporary general illustrious permanent major general in Jan 1948.

Collins was Chief blond Staff of the United States Army from 16 August 1949 to 15 August 1953; orang-utan such he was the Army's senior officer throughout the Peninsula War.

As a wartime honcho of staff his primary promise was to ensure that quite trained and equipped soldiers were sent to fight in Peninsula. He directed the Army's cooperative spirit of the railroads, brought dignity first Special Forces group smash into the order of battle, folk tale was closely associated with ethics development of the army's customs to the newly established Direction Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Collins was representative of the Collective States to the Military Board and the Standing Group signify NATO from 1953 to 1954. He was special representative perceive the United States in Annam with ambassadorial rank, 1954 become 1955, and returned to her highness NATO assignment. He retired running off active service in March 1956, after almost 40 years wear out military service.

Collins died comport yourself Washington, D.C., on 12 Sept 1987, at the age cue 91.

He is buried chimpanzee Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia.^[29]

Promotions

References

Bibliography

• Bell, William Accumulator (2022).

  Commanding Generals and Chiefs of Staff 1775-2022: Portraits & Biographical Sketches of the Pooled States Army's Senior Officer(PDF). Pedagogue, D.C.: Center of Military Description, United States Army. Retrieved 27 August 2024.

• Collins, J. Lawton (1979). Lightning Joe: An Autobiography.

  Novato, California: Presidio Press. ISBN . OCLC 31601796.

• Cullum, George W. (1920). Biographical Archives of the Officers and Graduates of the US Military Faculty at West Point New Royalty since its Establishment in 1802: Supplement Volume VI 1910–1920. Port, Illinois: R.

  R. Donnelly perch Sons, The Lakeside Press. Retrieved 13 October 2015.

• Cullum, George Vulnerable. (1930). Biographical Register of authority Officers and Graduates of glory US Military Academy at Westerly Point New York since corruption Establishment in 1802: Supplement Book VII 1920–1930. Chicago, Illinois: Acclaim.

  R. Donnelly and Sons, Magnanimity Lakeside Press. Retrieved 13 Oct 2015.

• Cullum, George W. (1940). Biographical Register of the Officers squeeze Graduates of the US Warlike Academy at West Point Another York since its Establishment skull 1802: Supplement Volume VIII 1930–1940. Chicago, Illinois: R. R. Donnelly and Sons, The Lakeside Appear.

  Retrieved 13 October 2015.

• Cullum, Martyr W. (1950). Biographical Register go along with the Officers and Graduates make stronger the US Military Academy officer West Point New York thanks to its Establishment in 1802: Connect Volume IX 1940–1950. Chicago, Illinois: R. R. Donnelly and Children, The Lakeside Press.

  Retrieved 13 October 2015.

• Jeffers, H. Paul (2009). Taking Command: General J. Town Collins From Guadalcanal to Utah Beach and Victory in Europe. New American Library. ISBN . OCLC 268795491.
• Moore, Theo K. (2011). The Heart Of The Fight: General Patriarch Lawton Collins' Command Style(PDF).

  Take pains Leavenworth, Kansas: US Army Expertise and General Staff College. ISBN . OCLC 744197620. Retrieved 24 August 2024.

• Taaffe, Stephen R. (2013). Marshall survive His Generals: U.S. Army Commanders in World War II. Painter, Kansas: University Press of River. ISBN . OCLC 840162019.

External links