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Who is this Lt. General? LTG Robert C. Richardson


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I just got this nice studio portrait of a WWII U.S. Army Lt. General. It has a dedication and is signed "Rich" and dated February 20, 1944. I believe it is Richard K. Sutherland who was Gen. Mac Arthur's Chief of Staff and promoted to Lt. Gen. by MacArthur in January 1944. Can anyone provide any info?

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I just got this nice studio portrait of a WWII U.S. Army Lt. General. It has a dedication and is signed "Rich" and dated February 20, 1944. I believe it is Richard K. Sutherland who was Gen. Mac Arthur's Chief of Staff and promoted to Lt. Gen. by MacArthur in January 1944. Can anyone provide any info?

 

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I agree the photo favors Sutherland, but the ribbon bar is not what I would expect to see Sutherland wear. I can't imagine Sutherland having a studio photo with this ribbon bar. The general in this photo has a ribbon bar that starts with a silver star. General Sutherland would have a ribbon bar that starts with a DSC and DSM. Just my thought.

Mark

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I agree the photo favors Sutherland, but the ribbon bar is not what I would expect to see Sutherland wear. I can't imagine Sutherland having a studio photo with this ribbon bar. The general in this photo has a ribbon bar that starts with a silver star. General Sutherland would have a ribbon bar that starts with a DSC and DSM. Just my thought.

Mark

 

Since this photo is taken while the war was still in progress, it is possible that in early 1944 Sutherland had been already awarded one of his DSC, which may be hidden by the lower lapel and not as yet received his DSM.

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Since this photo is taken while the war was still in progress, it is possible that in early 1944 Sutherland had been already awarded one of his DSC, which may be hidden by the lower lapel and not as yet received his DSM.

If you look closely you will see that he is wearing three rows of four ribbons. Far left ribbon on top is hidden by the lapel. The only other photos I have seen are, unfortunately, not closeups and usually show shots of him and MacArthur wearing khakis. There certainly is a resemblance and if I recall he is the only WWII Lt. General who could be called "Rich".

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If you look closely you will see that he is wearing three rows of four ribbons. Far left ribbon on top is hidden by the lapel. The only other photos I have seen are, unfortunately, not closeups and usually show shots of him and MacArthur wearing khakis. There certainly is a resemblance and if I recall he is the only WWII Lt. General who could be called "Rich".

 

Yes that was what I was alluding to, that he had by that time in early 1944, the Distigushed Service cross ( WWI ? ) with it being hidden by that lower lapel. Was'nt General Sutherland also one of the very few people who was allowed to call the GENERAL, Doug ? I have American Ceaser by Manchester, I'll have to look that up, also to see if there are any other photos of Sutherland in this book.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I'm fairly certain that the picture in the OP is of Lt. General Robert C. Richardson, C.O. of all US Army troops in the Pacific Ocean Area, and Military Governor of Hawaii 1943-1944. He oversaw the training of all Army ground troops in Nimitz's command, the building of various facilities in Hawaii, including amphibious training schools and the Unit Jungle Training Center in Kahana Valley on Oahu's east coast.

 

He was deeply involved in the notorious incident in which Marine General Holland Smith relieved from command US Army General Ralph Smith on Saipan. Richardson was outraged that a Marine would humiliate an Army general in that manner and convened a board, consisting entirely of Army officers, to investigate.

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I think you nailed it. It would certainly explain the "Aloha" on the photo. Interesting in that his nickname "Rich" referred to his last name and not his first. Thanks for the info!

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I know about General Richardson from my copious research on my late father's WWII experiences. My Dad served as a rifle platoon leader in the 17th Inf. Regt., 7th Inf. Div., from July 1943 to occupation duty in Korea after the Japanese surrender. From the Aleutians, he went to Hawaii to train for Nimitz's Central Pacific offensive. Dad saw General Richardson in person a couple times at least, as the general reviewed the 7th Division in parade twice, the second time with Nimitz, Macarthur, and President Roosevelt.

 

I have worked for almost four years on a book about my father's infantry service. He was drafted in early 1941, endured the Louisiana and Carolina Maneuvers during the fall of that year, went to Infantry OCS at Fort Benning in the summer of 1942, posted to Camp Adair for the birth of the 104th "Timberwolf: Division, then transferred to the 7th Division as a replacement after the battle for Attu. Dad was there for the assault on Kiska, the invasion of Kwajalein Atoll, the battle for Leyte, and the terrible holocaust of Okinawa. He rarely spoke about it while he was alive, but after his death, I discovered a huge amount of memorabilia. Included were many of his records, photographs, insignia, trophies, and wartime letters.

 

My book is currently about 650 pgs, but that includes many illustrations. His service covered so much of the war, Army life, and the entire spectrum of an infantryman's existence in the 1940's, that the book has become a telling of the war against Japan through the prism of my father's experience.

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I know about General Richardson from my copious research on my late father's WWII experiences. My Dad served as a rifle platoon leader in the 17th Inf. Regt., 7th Inf. Div., from July 1943 to occupation duty in Korea after the Japanese surrender. From the Aleutians, he went to Hawaii to train for Nimitz's Central Pacific offensive. Dad saw General Richardson in person a couple times at least, as the general reviewed the 7th Division in parade twice, the second time with Nimitz, Macarthur, and President Roosevelt.

 

I have worked for almost four years on a book about my father's infantry service. He was drafted in early 1941, endured the Louisiana and Carolina Maneuvers during the fall of that year, went to Infantry OCS at Fort Benning in the summer of 1942, posted to Camp Adair for the birth of the 104th "Timberwolf: Division, then transferred to the 7th Division as a replacement after the battle for Attu. Dad was there for the assault on Kiska, the invasion of Kwajalein Atoll, the battle for Leyte, and the terrible holocaust of Okinawa. He rarely spoke about it while he was alive, but after his death, I discovered a huge amount of memorabilia. Included were many of his records, photographs, insignia, trophies, and wartime letters.

 

My book is currently about 650 pgs, but that includes many illustrations. His service covered so much of the war, Army life, and the entire spectrum of an infantryman's existence in the 1940's, that the book has become a telling of the war against Japan through the prism of my father's experience.

 

 

Am I to understand that the book will be a published book soon ?

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I still have more text to add, and then ruthless editing, before I would submit it to any prospective publisher. I hope to find a literary agent to assist me in this task. This is hardly my first writing effort, but certainly the most important and most lengthy. I did post one picture here of my Dad some time back, when the project was just beginning. It was taken when he was a corporal in the 103rd Infantry Regt., between the Louisiana and Carolina Maneuvers in the fall of 1941. He was at the time the leader of a LMG squad in his rifle company's weapons platoon. Little did he know then what lay ahead, what journeys to the far corner of Asia, and what dreadful battles. Each of his campaigns could be a book in itself.

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I still have more text to add, and then ruthless editing, before I would submit it to any prospective publisher. I hope to find a literary agent to assist me in this task. This is hardly my first writing effort, but certainly the most important and most lengthy. I did post one picture here of my Dad some time back, when the project was just beginning. It was taken when he was a corporal in the 103rd Infantry Regt., between the Louisiana and Carolina Maneuvers in the fall of 1941. He was at the time the leader of a LMG squad in his rifle company's weapons platoon. Little did he know then what lay ahead, what journeys to the far corner of Asia, and what dreadful battles. Each of his campaigns could be a book in itself.

 

 

Sounds good with loads of unpublished photos.

 

WE KNOW YOU CAN DO IT, BECAUSE YOUR.......

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Here is a shot of General Richardson and President Roosevelt when FDR visited Hawaii in July of 1944. Roosevelt is addressing the men of the 7th Division just before their parade near Schofield Barracks. My father was there that day. The president was in Hawaii to meet with Nimitz and Macarthur and hear their arguments over which way the offensive against Japan would go next. This is not a photo my Dad took, but is an official Army photo and is in the public domain. Notice that Richardson, an old cavalryman, is wearing boots and breeches. That's Admiral Leahy, FDR's chief of staff, behind Richardson

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  • 1 year later...
Kaneoheboy

I totally agree with untehund, the photo is LTG Robert C. Richardson, Jr. CG Hawaiian Department and and subsequent commands.

 

Kaneoheboy

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  • 3 years later...

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