Joseph Warren Stilwell Jr.

Joseph Warren Stilwell Jr.
Joseph Warren Stilwell Jr.
	Joseph W. Stilwell Jr. at West Point in 1933
Nickname(s)	"Jumping Joe" ; "Gunner Six" ; "Cider Joe"
Born	March 6, 1912; Syracuse, New York, US
Died	July 25, 1966 (aged 54); Pacific Ocean
Allegiance	United States
Service / branch	United States Army
Years of service	1933–1966
Rank	Brigadier General
Commands	23rd Infantry Regiment ; XVIII 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)

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.

Early life and education

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. Stilwell later graduated from the Army and Navy Staff College in 1945 and the United States Army War College in 1951.^[1]

Military career

Stilwell served as a lieutenant with the 15th Infantry Regiment (United States) in China in 1937. During a troop movement from Qinhuangdao to Tianjin on July 29, 1937, Stilwell's unit came into contact with a battle between Chinese and Japanese forces. Major William F. Lee, First Lieutenant Stilwell and four of their men each received the Soldier's Medal for protecting the unit and its equipment from injury and damage.^[2]

During World War II, Stilwell served in the China Burma India Theater, earning his first awards of the Legion of Merit and the Air Medal.^[3]

Stilwell served as commander of the 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division in Korea from 1952 to 1953, earning his second award of the Legion of Merit and first award of the Bronze Star Medal.^[3]

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.^[4]

He was a controversial figure, during the 2nd Chindit campaign he earned the ire of several successful and popular British commanders for his abrasive manners and probably cost hundreds of British soldiers their life.

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 (270,000 km²) without finding any trace of the aircraft.^[5] A memorial to Brig. Gen. Stilwell was erected at the West Point Cemetery next to the gravesite of his parents.^[6]

Awards and decorations

	Distinguished Service Medal
	Legion of Merit with one Oak Leaf Cluster
	Distinguished Flying Cross
	Soldier's Medal
	Bronze Star Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters and Valor device
	Purple Heart with one Oak Leaf Cluster
	Air Medal with award numeral 26
	Presidential Unit Citation
	Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation with one Oak Leaf Cluster
	China Service Medal
	American Defense Service Medal
	Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
	World War II Victory Medal
	National Defense Service Medal
	Korean Service Medal
	Vietnam Service Medal
	United Nations Korea Medal
	Vietnam Campaign Medal
	Combat Infantryman Badge
	Master Parachutist Badge

References

^ Official Army Register: United States Army Active and Retired Lists. Vol. I. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1 January 1955. p. 777. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
^ Supplement II—American Decorations, 1937–1938. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1939. pp. 2–7. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
^ ^a ^b "Class of 1933—Register of Graduates". Register of Graduates and Former Cadets 1802–1971 of the United States Military Academy. The West Point Alumni Foundation Inc. 1971. p. 432. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
^ 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.
^ "Stilwell, Joseph Warren". Army Cemeteries Explorer. U.S. Army. Retrieved 6 September 2022.

[1] Official Army Register: United States Army Active and Retired Lists. Vol. I. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1 January 1955. p. 777. Retrieved 7 July 2022.

[2] Supplement II—American Decorations, 1937–1938. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1939. pp. 2–7. Retrieved 23 November 2022.

[register-3] "Class of 1933—Register of Graduates". Register of Graduates and Former Cadets 1802–1971 of the United States Military Academy. The West Point Alumni Foundation Inc. 1971. p. 432. Retrieved 23 November 2022.

[4] 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.

[5] "C47 Hunt Expanded". The Deseret News. 26 July 1966. Retrieved 3 June 2013.

[6] "Stilwell, Joseph Warren". Army Cemeteries Explorer. U.S. Army. Retrieved 6 September 2022.

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Authority control databases
International	VIAF FAST WorldCat
National	United States
Other	NARA SNAC