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Joseph Warren Stilwell, Jr
File:Joe speak.JPG
Joseph Warren Stilwell, Jr, U.S.A.
Nickname "Jumping Joe or Gunner Six"
Born (1912-03-06)March 6, 1912
Died July 25, 1966(1966-07-25) (aged 54)
Place of birth New York
Place of death Pacific Ocean Approx 585 miles west of San Francisco, California
Allegiance United States
Service/branch United States Department of the Army Seal United States Army
Years of service 1933-1966
Rank US-O7 insignia Brigadier General
Commands held 7th Infantry Division
China Burma India Theater
23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division (Korean War)
18th Airborne Corps, Ft. Bragg
US Army Support Group, Vietnam War
US Army JFK Special Warfare Center
United States Army Special Forces Command
Battles/wars World War II
Korean War
Vietnam War
Awards Combat Infantryman Badge
Soldier's Medal
Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit (2 awards)
Bronze Star (4 awards, one for Valor)
Purple Heart (2 awards)
Air Medal (26 awards)

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 US Army Support Group in the Vietnam War.

Early life[]

He was born in Syracuse, New York, one of five children of General Joseph Stilwell. He attended West Point class of 1933.

Military career[]

He served as a Lieutenant with the 15th Infantry Regiment (United States) in China in 1937.

He served as commander of US Army Support Group, Vietnam (renamed US Army Support Command, Vietnam from 1 March 1964) from 26 August 1962 until 30 June 1964.[1]

Death[]

He was lost at sea on 25 July 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 3 Destroyers and the USS Yorktown (CV-10)) searched an area of 105,000 square miles without finding any trace of the aircraft.[2]

Awards and decorations[]

Distinguished Service Medal ribbon Distinguished Service Medal
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit ribbon
Legion of Merit with one Oak Leaf Cluster
Distinguished Flying Cross ribbon Distinguished Flying Cross
Soldier's Medal ribbon Soldier's Medal
V
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze Star ribbon
Bronze Star Medal with 3 Oak Leave Clusters and Valor device
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Purple Heart BAR
Purple Heart with one Oak Leaf Cluster
Air Medal ribbon Air Medal with award numeral 26
Presidential Unit Citation ribbon Presidential Unit Citation
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Presidential Unit Citation (Korea)
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation with one Oak Leaf Cluster
China Service Medal ribbon China Service Medal
American Defense Service ribbon American Defense Service Medal
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign ribbon Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
World War II Victory Medal ribbon World War II Victory Medal
National Defense Service Medal ribbon National Defense Service Medal
KSMRib Korean Service Medal
Vietnam Service Ribbon Vietnam Service Medal
United Nations Service Medal for Korea Ribbon United Nations Korea Medal
Vietnam Campaign Medal Ribbon Vietnam Campaign Medal
Combat Infantry Badge Combat Infantryman Badge
US Army Airborne master parachutist badge Master Parachutist Badge[3]

References[]

  1. Eckhardt, George (1974). Vietnam Studies Command and Control 1950-1969. Department of the Army. pp. 36–7. 
  2. "C47 Hunt Expanded". the Deseret News. 26 July 1966. http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=336&dat=19660726&id=8nsvAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UkgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3893,5428425. Retrieved 3 June 2013. 
  3. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=22044


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