Who was the last US General to resign?

[Paul in Qatar]

Over here is an editorial sort of thing in Slate. It calls on general officers to resign if the President decides to attack Iran. Further the author points out the difference between retiring and resigning. Resign, no benefits, nothing, nada.

 

On page two it says:

 

This is why no U.S. general has resigned in more than 40 years—and the last one to do so later asked, without success, for reinstatement.

 

 

It seems he has someone in mind. Any idea who?

 

 

(I note one of my heros, Fred Worner retired rather than invade Panama, heck of a guy in my book.)

[Kenneth P. Katz]

This line of reasoning leads to some very sticky situation. Inaction as well as action carry risks.

 

- What should a US general do if he believes that a nuclear Iran is an intolerable risk and wants to protest inaction?

- If Iran obtains nuclear weapons and then does something terrible (example: conducts a nuclear attack on Israel which launches a regional nuclear war), should there be adverse consequences for those who counseled inaction?

[Paul in Qatar]

Nah, nobody gets blamed for nothing nowadays.

 

In any case, it is remarkable nobody knows of an American general 40 years ago. In truth I cannot think of one who resigned ever.

 

Still hoping for an answer.

[Doug Kibbey]

The story of the man who forty years ago didn't, and went to his grave wishing he had.

 

http://www.carlisle.army.mil/usawc/Paramet...ring/sorley.htm

[Old Tanker]

Forty-four years ago .

 

 

Way back in the ancient days of my military service one Edwin A. Walker CO. of the 24th ID resigned when McNamara and JFK were P.O.'d at his alledged anti-Commie rhetoric that was being fed to the troops in his NATO command.

 

There is also reason to believe that Lee Harvey Oswald shot at him in April of '63 while Walker was home in Oxford Miss.

[Paul in Qatar]

Yikes! That fellow was weirder than I recalled. It says the Army gave him a pension in 1982.

 

Tall cool glass of hate that one was.

 

Thank you.

[Rocky Davis]

Over here is an editorial sort of thing in Slate. It calls on general officers to resign if the President decides to attack Iran. Further the author points out the difference between retiring and resigning. Resign, no benefits, nothing, nada.

 

The way I see it, with Iran actively supplying and supporting guerillas in Iraq, if the call did come (to the Coalition leadership) to mete out some punishment to Iran, it would be no different than the incursion into Cambodia during the Vietnam War. Cambodia was being used as a supply line, safe haven, etc. by enemy forces in order to outflank US and ARVN forces. I don't recall any high-ranking personnel getting all hot an bothered over taking out North Vietnamese sanctuaries in Cambodia because those sanctuaries were directly causing casualties upon US and ARVN troops. I believe they were relieved that they were finally allowed by their command to "scratch an insufferable and bothersome itch." I might be wrong, but I can only guess that Coalition troops along the Iran/Iraq border might feel the same (relieved) should the word come down to teach the Iranians some sort of "lesson."

[Paul in Qatar]

But of course it would mean a wider war with a much more dangerous enemy at a time when we are already stretched to the breaking point. Other than that it ought to work fine.

 

Besides, everyone knows once those guys see the American flag they will turn around and start running.

 

Yep, this ought to work.

[Jim Martin]

But of course it would mean a wider war with a much more dangerous enemy at a time when we are already stretched to the breaking point. Other than that it ought to work fine.

 

 

What a load of horsesh!t. Just like those ninnies whining about Nixon "expanding" the war by going into Cambodia.

 

Reality check: THE WAR IS ALREADY EXPANDED. IRAN EXPANDED IT. To pretend they didn't, is like a 5 year old little boy sitting in the corner with his eyes squinched tight and fingers in his ears, "It's not happening, it's not happening, it's not happening...." It's happening, Achmadenijad started it, and he thinks it's a big f***ing laugh that we're not doing anything about it.

[Doug Kibbey]

"I don't recall any high-ranking personnel getting all hot an bothered over taking out North Vietnamese sanctuaries in Cambodia"

 

Well, I don't either, but I remember a huge segment of the folks back home not understanding or supporting it AT ALL, in the main because it came so late in the game (which it did) when it was hardly likely to be as effective as it might have been some years earlier....just as the push into Laos in '71 (unthinkable when Sullivan was ambassador) was, though there was not such a hue and cry back home about that one because it was billed as an ARVN operation with the American role played down (and it didn't help that it was basically a debacle). This same dynamic could be expected with regards to Iran (which is not to say I agree with it), but coming at such a late date, I don't think it would have much public support, regardless of what the generals do. And Ahmadinejad is not Sihanouk (who was just trying to stay afloat and out of the fray) so the analogy is faulty to begin with.

 

The Cambodian Incursion just galvanized the anti-war movement and steeled the congress into action into limiting the executive branches options (and pushed them into ill-conceived courses of action like expanding the already ongoing secret bombing campaign). The timing was all wrong...too little, too late...it did basically nothing but annoy everybody opposed to the war anyway.

[Paul in Qatar]

In any case, many thanks for the answer to the OP.

[Rubberneck]

MG Batiste, the former 1st ID Commander, in effect resigned after his division command in Iraq. He was offered three stars, and chose to retire instead.

[Paul in Qatar]

MG Batiste, the former 1st ID Commander, in effect resigned after his division command in Iraq. He was offered three stars, and chose to retire instead.

 

 

Anyone know why he did that?

[Rocky Davis]

"I don't recall any high-ranking personnel getting all hot an bothered over taking out North Vietnamese sanctuaries in Cambodia"

 

Well, I don't either, but I remember a huge segment of the folks back home not understanding or supporting it AT ALL, in the main because it came so late in the game (which it did) when it was hardly likely to be as effective as it might have been some years earlier....just as the push into Laos in '71 (unthinkable when Sullivan was ambassador) was, though there was not such a hue and cry back home about that one because it was billed as an ARVN operation with the American role played down (and it didn't help that it was basically a debacle). This same dynamic could be expected with regards to Iran (which is not to say I agree with it), but coming at such a late date, I don't think it would have much public support, regardless of what the generals do. And Ahmadinejad is not Sihanouk (who was just trying to stay afloat and out of the fray) so the analogy is faulty to begin with.

 

The Cambodian Incursion just galvanized the anti-war movement and steeled the congress into action into limiting the executive branches options (and pushed them into ill-conceived courses of action like expanding the already ongoing secret bombing campaign). The timing was all wrong...too little, too late...it did basically nothing but annoy everybody opposed to the war anyway.

 

Doug, my post was about how the soldiers and command in the field felt about finally being able to root out and destroy the sanctuaries in Cambodia. I did not refer in any way to how the incursion into Cambodia was viewed politically by the general public or by civilian lawmakers.

[Richard Young]

Yikes! That fellow was weirder than I recalled. It says the Army gave him a pension in 1982.

 

Tall cool glass of hate that one was.

 

Thank you.

 

What's wrong with hating the enemy? If thats a sin, seems to me Halsey, Patton, Zhukov, etc are guilty too.

[Paul in Qatar]

Humm, he hated Jack Kennedy and black people.

[SILL2]

Yikes! That fellow was weirder than I recalled. It says the Army gave him a pension in 1982.

 

Tall cool glass of hate that one was.

 

Thank you.

 

Had Eleanor Roosevelt, and Dean Acheson pegged.

[Paul in Qatar]

Excellent point.