The Civil War/World War II Connection

 

By Stuart Zelman

Here are famous World War II personalities who are connected in one way or another to famous (and not famous) Civil war personalities. Some of the names you should recognize; others will surprise you.  By no means is this list complete.

Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest, great (?) grandfather of…

Brig. General Nathan Bedford Forrest III, USAAF -Shot down over the Baltic Sea while leading a bombing raid on the submarine yards at Kiel in June of 1943.  His body was found when it washed up at a German Seaplane base in September of that year.  He was buried by a detail of the German Navy, but was disinterred in 1947 to be reburied in Arlington National Cemetery.

 

Major General Arthur MacArthur – 24^th Wisconsin Infantry, Medal of Honor recipient for planting the flag on Missionary Ridge, fought in the Indian wars and the Spanish-American War.  He was the father of…

            

General Douglas MacArthur

 

 

General Adna R. Chaffee, Sr. – 1^st Lt. in the 6^th US Cavalry at the end of the Civil War.  He was brevetted Captain at the end of the Civil War because of his conduct at Dinwiddie Court House.  He fought in the Indian Wars and the Spanish-American Wars, finally serving as Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army.  He is the father of…

 

Major General Adna R. Chaffee, Jr. – He and Patton are considered to be the father of the WWII-era Armored Corps.

 

 

Confederate Lt. Col. Waller Tazewell Patton – led the 7^th Virginia during Pickett’s charge at Gettysburg where he was mortally wounded, great uncle of…

 

Major General George S. Patton, Jr.

 

Col. George S. Patton, killed at 3^rd Winchester, grandfather of…

 

Major General George S. Patton, Jr.

 

 

Confederate Col. Charles Marshall, Gen. Lee’s aide-de-camp/adjutant, present with Lee at the McLean House at Appomattox, uncle of…

 

WWII US Chief of Staff, and creator of Marshall Plan, Major General George C. Marshall.

 

 

Confederate Major General Fitzhugh Lee, Cavalry leader, nephew of Robert E. Lee, grandfather of…

 

Captain Fitzhugh Lee III, USN –  Pilot on the pre-war carrier USS Enterprise, commanded Escort Carrier CVE 61 (USS Manila Bay) at the Battle of Leyte Gulf, present at surrender ceremonies on the USS Missouri, aide to Secretary of the Navy John L. Sullivan during the Truman Administration, retired in 1962 with the rank of Vice Admiral.

 

 

Lt. General U.S. Grant, grandfather of…

 

General U.S. Grant III, WWII-era Civil Defense Planner.

 

 

Confederate Major General Simon Bolivar Buckner, surrendered Fort Donelson to Grant, father of…

 

Lt. General Simon Bolivar Buckner, Jr. -  WWII-era USMC General, killed by a sniper at Okinawa.

 

 

Confederate Major Manning H. Kimmel, Lt. in the 2^nd US Cavalry in the pre-Civil War army and had been involved in an excursion into Mexico by Texas Rangers and U.S. Regulars after a raid led by Mexican Bandito Juan Nepomuceno “Cheno” Cortina on Brownsville, Texas ( Lee, Stoneman, and Heinzelman were also present), AAG to Brig. Gen. Frank Anderson CSA, father of…

 

Admiral Husband E. Kimmel, of Pearl Harbor fame.

 

Also the Grandfather of  Lt. Commander Manning M. Kimmel, commanding  officer of the submarine USS Robalo (SS-273).  Survived the sinking of his submarine after hitting a mine off of Borneo but was one of those prisoners burnt alive in “Massacre of Palawan” in December of 1944.

 

Also the Grandfather of Captain Thomas K. Kimmel (brother of Manning M.), commanding officer of the submarine USS Bergall.  Pulled from combat duty by Admiral Christie after Lt. Commander Kimmel was reported MIA.  He commanded the Fleet Submarine Training School at Portsmouth, NH until the conclusion of hostilities whereupon he returned to the command of the USS Bergall.  After holding various other commands he finally retired (circa 1960s) from a career in the Navy and began to focus his efforts to clear his father’s name.   He was finally successful but had passed away by the time Admiral Kimmel (and General Short) were finally exonerated in August of 1995.

 

Confederate Private William A. McCain, 5th Mississippi Cavalry, grandfather of…

 

Admiral John S. “Slew” McCain, Sr. – commander of Task Force 58 in Halsey’s Third Fleet, and present at surrender ceremonies on the USS Missouri. He died only four days afterward. (He was also the grandfather of Republican Presidential candidate Senator John S. McCain III.)

 

 

Major General George E. Pickett  - one of three General’s that led the charge on the Union center on the third at Gettysburg, an event that has come down through history as “Pickett’s Charge.” Forever afterward blamed Lee for the decimation of his Division.  Great grandfather of…

 

Colonel George E. Pickett IV - graduated from West Point in 1942, serving in World War II and the Korean War.