Lyman Lemnitzer

1. Lyman Lemnitzer By: Ashley Flederbach

2. Early Life • Lyman Lemnitzer was born on August 29, 1899 in Honesdale, Pennsylvania • Graduated from Honesdale High School in 1917. • Worked for a machine parts factory for one year before entering the U.S. Military Academy in 1918. • Graduated 86th out of 271 from WestPoint in 1920.

3. Before World War II… After graduating from the U.S. Military Academy , he spent some time teaching philosophy at WestPoint. Lemnitzer spent time working with coast artillery units at Fort Adams, Rhode Island from 1921 to 1923. He also served two tours in the Philippines prior to the start of WWII. Lemmnitzermarried his wife Katherine Mead Tryon on November 6, 1923 before leaving the Philippines.

4. World War II • In May of 1941, Lemnitzer was assigned to the War Department’s war plans division. • In June, he was transferred to the plans division of Army General Headquarters where he was promoted to lieutenant colonel. • He was also assigned to General Eisenhower’s Allied Forces Headquarters later that year.

5. Operation Torch Lemnitzer played an important role in planning Operation Torch (A top secret mission set in Algeria during October 1942.) It was planed to establish contact with Vichy military leaders in the hopes of arranging a peace agreement. He became deputy to General Mark W. Clark, and the two set off for North Africa. A British submarine took Clark and Lemnitzer, along with three other Americans, and British commanders to a small house in Nigeria where they met with French officials before the fighting started. This was the first operation that British and American forces worked togetheronan invasion plan.

6. WWII cont. Throughout the coarse of WWII, Lemnitzer participated in several secret negotiations. One of which led to the surrender of German forces in Italy and Southern Austria. As a result, one million German troops withdrew from Italy. He was promoted from Lieutenant Colonel to Major General in 1944. In November 1945, Lemnitzer became a member of the Chiefs of Staff Committee. Lemnitzer commanded the 34th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Brigade. Meeting Winston Churchill at an airfield in Italy during a tour of the Fifth U.S. Army.

7. After World War II After WWII Lemnitzer continued serving his country in both military and diplomatic positions. • He was the first Director of the Office of Military Assistance. • In 1950 he commanded the 11th Airborne Division. • He was head of the 7th Infantry Division in the Korean Conflict. • In 1952 Lemnitzer became Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Research. Then , in 1959, he became U.S. Army Chief of Staff (the number one soldier in the nation0

8. Awards and Achievements • Army Distinguished Service Medal • Navy Distinguished Service Medal • Air Force Distinguished Service Medal • Silver Star • British Order of the British Empire • French Legion of Merit (Officer) • German Bundeswehr Cross of Honor in Gold

9. Lyman Lemnitzer died on November 12, 1988 in Washington D.C. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. His wife was buried next to him when she died in 1994.

11. Works Cited Binder, L. James. Lemnitzer: a Soldier for His Time. Washington: Brassey's, 1997. Print. Jackson, Kenneth T., Karen Markoe, and Arnie Markoe. The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1998. Print. "Lyman L. Lemnitzer, General, United States Army." Arlington National Cemetery Website Title Page. Web. 31 Jan. 2011. <http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/lemnitz.htm>. "Lyman Lemnitzer." Spartacus Educational - Home Page. Web. 02 Feb. 2011. <http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/JFKlemnitzer.htm>.