Military Leaders and Their Contributions

©2012, TESCCC U.S. History Unit 8, Lesson 1

Omar Bradley“The Soldier’s General” served with General George Patton in North Africa and Italy, led the First Army Division on the D-Day landings (beaches of Normandy, France)

He was a U.S. Army general noted for his concern for individual soldiers and his ability to organize during WWII, commanding divisions and serving as General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s “eyes and ears” in North Africa.

©2012, TESCCC

Dwight Eisenhower

He served his country as a military leader and as president from 1952 to 1960. Born in Texas and graduated from West Point. Supreme Allied Commander in Europe

He served as General MacArthur’s senior assistant in the Philippines when MacArthur was the army’s chief of staff. MacArthur considered him the most capable officer in the army. General Eisenhower commanded Allied forces in Europe and led the British-American invasion of North Africa defeating Rommel’s Africa Korps in 1943.

On June 6, 1944, he commanded Allied forces on D-Day. (Normandy invasion)

Encourage new technology of “Liberty Ships” to help win the war in the Atlantic

34th President of the U.S.©2012, TESCCC

Douglas MacArthur

Commander of the U.S. Army in the Pacific.Because of his service in the Philippines prior to WWII, he was named commander of U.S. forces in the Far East. During WWII he commanded troops in the Southwest Pacific and presided over the Japanese surrender as the commander of Allied Powers. He was a military governor of Japan from 1945-1950.

©2012, TESCCC

Chester W. Nimitz

Commander of the U.S. Navy and Allied land and sea forces in the Pacific.Instrumental in defeating the Japanese in the Battle of Midway-June of 1942 (a battle that became a turning point in the war because this was the first defeat for Japan)

©2012, TESCCC

George Marshall

Chief of Staff that coordinated the war effort from Washington, D.C.He organized the training of troops, development of strategic plans, and appointment of top military personnel. He modernized the U.S. army and organized the funding to rebuild Europe.

©2012, TESCCC

George Patton

Colorful and celebrated tank commander who led the Third Army out of Normandy, assisted with the Battle of the Bulge and marched on into Germany. who spearheaded the final attack into Germany.He learned tank tactics during WWI. His experience contributed to his direction of the amphibious landings on Casablanca the campaign in North Africa, and the invasion of Sicily.

©2012, TESCCC

Tuskegee Airmen• The Tuskegee Airmen is the popular name of a

group of African-American military pilots (fighter and bomber) who fought in World War II.

• The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American military aviators in the United States Armed Forces.

• The 99th Pursuit Squadron (later, 99th Fighter Squadron) was the first black flying squadron, and the first to deploy overseas (to North Africa in April 1943, and later to Sicily and Italy)

• When the pilots of the 332nd Fighter Group painted the tails of their P-47s and later, P-51s, red, the nickname "Red Tails" was coined.

Navajo Code Talkers• During World War II, the U.S. government needed

the Navajos' help.• Communication is essential during any war and

World War II was no different. • The son of a Protestant missionary, Philip Johnston

spent much of his childhood on the Navajo reservation.

• Johnston had another idea. Instead of adding the direct term "machine gun" to the Navajo language, they would designate a word or two already in the Navajo language for the military term.

• The entire Navajo nation consisted of 50,000 people and by the end of the war 420 Navajo men worked as code talkers.

Flying Tigers• The 1st American Volunteer Group (AVG) of the

Chinese Air Force in 1941–1942, nicknamed the Flying Tigers, was composed of pilots from the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC), Navy (USN), and Marine Corps (USMC), recruited under presidentialauthority and commanded by Claire Lee Chennault.

• The group consisted of three fighter squadrons with about 30 aircraft each.

• The Tigers' shark-faced fighters remain among the most recognizable of any individual combat aircraft and combat unit of World War II.

• The group first saw combat on 20 December 1941, 12 days after Pearl Harbor.

• It achieved notable success during the lowest period of the war for U.S. and Allied Forces, giving hope to Americans that they would eventually succeed against the Japanese.

POTSDAM (Germany)Date: July 1945

Present: Churchill, Truman and Stalin United States becomes the major

Super Power after WW II