A U.S. general whose offensive command was bound to racial prejudice
“Don't let a bunch of Chinese laundrymen stop you.”
Edward Almond was a United States Army general who served in two world wars and Korea, leaving a record that combines an aggressive command style with racial prejudice. In World War II he commanded the largely African American 92nd Infantry Division, then blamed its combat performance on the soldiers' race and opposed using Black troops in combat. In Korea, as Douglas MacArthur's chief of staff, he was placed in command of X Corps after the Inchon landing force was formed, contributing to the capture of Inchon and Seoul. His wide dispersal of forces in the northeast and underestimation of Chinese strength helped deepen X Corps' crisis in late 1950.
Career Timeline
- 1915Graduated from Virginia Military Institute
- 1918Commanded the 12th Machine Gun Battalion, 4th Division, in France
- 1942–1945Commanding general, 92nd Infantry Division, in the Italian campaign
- 1946–1949Personnel chief, then chief of staff, Far East Command in Tokyo
- 1950–1951Commanding general, X Corps, directing Inchon and northeast operations
- 1951–1953Commandant, U.S. Army War College; retired in 1953