LTGEN WHS Wright, US Army

[Dave]

Some of you might know that my hobby has been the researching of Soviet awards to American forces during WW2. I have authored an 18 page article for the JOMSA, which will get published by them....... someday. Until then, here's part of an interview I conducted with one of the veterans who received a Soviet award, Lieutenant General William H.S. Wright, USMA Class of 1930. This interview was conducted in 2003.

 

During the early years of the War (1942-44), he had been Aide de Camp to Henry Stimpson, the Secretary of War, and he had fascinating stories about the personalities of the time - General Marshal, Winston Churchill and the like. Of course, I was really only intrested in the Soviet awards part, so that's all that I recorded once I got back home.

 

At the time he was awarded his Soviet medal, he was serving as the Training Officer at the Headquarters of the 1st Army and a full Colonel. He never saw combat during the War, but had been one of the chief planners of Operation Overlord and the like. An amazing fellow! (Yes, I did ask if he had any uniforms/insignia left, and he didn't - so don't get any thoughts.)

 

The interview:

 

Just talked to another US Army recipient of a Soviet Award. This fellow was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd Class on 20 May, 1945. For being over 90 years old, he had an incredible memory! The story goes as follows:

 

On about 19 May 1945, the Headquarters of the 1st Army was notified that the Soviets wanted to decorate some of the US officers. Since he was a Colonel at the time, he was selected, even though he had never been in combat, and even at that, had never even seen a Russian before that time!

 

The next day, on 20 May 1945, a group of about 40 officers, headed by LTG Collins, the Corps commander, headed up to Torgau, on the Elbe, the meet the Russians.

 

They got there, and.... No Russians! They waited around for about an hour, and finally a Mercedes, driven by a female enlisted driver (he called her a "WAC", like our females) carrying a Lieutenant. He remembers that the trunk of the car was overflowing with 'loot'... Chalises, communion pans, and other gold and silver objects d'art which the Russian officer had looted from German churches.

 

The Lieutenant got out, and informed them that the general would be late. In order to ease their waiting, he pulled out a case of vodka from the back of the car, and pulled out glasses which looked like 'ice tea glasses' for the Americans to drink the vodka. The fellow I was talking to remembered that the vodka was military issue, being marked with CCCP on the label and on the cap, and it was not very strong, he estimated that it was 70 proof at best.

 

He found it interesting that the Russian Lieutenant and the driver could swallow the vodka straight, without even gulping it, whereas the Americans slowly sipped their vodka. LTG Collins put out the strict word that 'no American officer was to get drunk' and none did.

 

About an hour later, the Soviet general showed up, having been delayed due to a blown bridge which was not yet rebuilt, having to take a detour around it.

 

The general, a Lieutenant General (two star) as he remembered, got out of the car and had several aides with him. He didn't remember the general's name, but he did say that the general was fat (and also noted that every other Russian general that he saw from that time was also fat!)

 

The Americans lined up, and one Soviet aide grabbed an object which 'looked like an icepick' and would grab the left pocket of the American officers, and would ram the pick through it. The next officer had a handful of Patriotic Wars (which he had taken from a large box in the trunk of the General's sedan) and put the order through the hole punched by the first aide. He also screwed it on securely.

 

Next, the Soviet general came along, and shook the hands of each of the Americans. Unfortunately, the translator was not there, so no one understood what he was saying...

 

Once the awards were given out, they had a bit more vodka, and the Soviet Lieutenant (who spoke English) informed the Americans of the benefits of their awards, which included (as he remembered) the lifetime of free passage on the subway in Moscow!

 

No documents were given out, no boxes, no nothing... Just the awards.

 

The fellow I talked to returned to the US five days later, and wore his award on his Class A uniform the first day back in Washington DC. He said that in the hotel he was staying in, there were a bunch of 'long-haired socialist-types' who congratulated him continually on his Soviet award, even though he had done absolutely nothing to deserve it!

 

He never wore the Order again, not for any particular reason, he just didn't. He did wear the ribbon for the Patriotic War on his ribbon bar, however, throughout the rest of his time in the Army (another 22 years) before he retired.

 

And that's the end of the story! I thought I'd share that with you all.

[ADMIN]

Great interview! Very informative! Thanks for posting!

[disneydave]

Thanks for posting that...I found it interesting.

[disneydave]

Thanks for posting that...I found it interesting.