Almond.

This is coolbert:

The general officer and combat commander from the Second World War [WW2] and Korean War also Edward Almond.

A combat commander most controversial the record of which tarnished his reputation not fully resolved even by historians many decades later.

1. Commanded the American 92nd Division during the Italian Campaign. All black unit [called "colored troops" at the time]. White officers in charge of negro enlisted. Such was the case of the American racially segregated military during that period.

That 92nd Division unfortunately under close scrutiny at all times, the "Buffalo" division as it was called not performing to standard so was the perception of some, Almond not able to motivate his charges with the proper zeal many have thought.

[certain persons strongly WANTED AND IN A PERVERSE MANNER that 92nd Division to fail and nitpicked any failure as a sign of general overall ineptitude! Such nitpicking and criticism could be made the case for ALMOST ALL AMERICAN COMBAT UNITS DURING WW2?]

2. General Almond in the aftermath of WW2 occupying staff positions at ever higher levels of echelon and finally given combat command of the American Tenth Corps [X] prior to the Inchon landings during the Korean War [1950].

That Inchon landing a success, the North Korean People's Army [NKPA] in full retreat, Almond and the X given the assignment of another amphibious operation, landing on the east coast of Korea and moving north to the Yalu in pursuit of retreating NKPA elements.

Here the Time magazine cover from October 1950. Almond at the command of X Corps a hero. ONLY ONE MONTH later with Chinese intervention the same man now the goat! Such is the fickleness and irony of events as they occur!!

The rest is history as they say. X Corps attacked by overwhelming numbers of Chinese Communist troops, that X Corps almost annihilated, evacuation by sea, the same route from whence they came being the only resort.

Almond in the aftermath of X Corps defeat his performance seeming to be lackluster, out-of-touch, poor. The animosity existing at the time between the Marine commander O.P. Smith and Almond most clear and apparent.

As I have said, even the historians many decades later have not sorted the whole issue out. Devoted readers to the blog have their own opinion? Comments welcome.

coolbert.