Oscar Griswold
Oscar Woolverton Griswold was an American soldier and general in the first half of the 20th century. He is best known for his command of the XIV Corps in the South Pacific Area and South West Pacific Area during World War II.
Early life
Oscar Woolverton Griswold was born on 22 October 1886 in Ruby Valley Nevada. He attended the University of Nevada, Reno from 1905 to 1906, when he received an appointment to the United States Military Academy. On graduation with the West Point Class of 1910, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Infantry.World War I
His early company grade assignments included three years service in China from 1914 to 1917. During World War I he served as a major and Lieutenant Colonel in the 84th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, from 1918 to 1919, and participated in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.Interwar years
He was assigned to the United States Military Academy from 1921 to 1924. He graduated from the Command and General Staff College in 1925, graduating 189th in the class of 258, and the U.S. Army War College in 1929.From 1929 to 1931 he served with the War Department General Staff. This duty was followed by service with the United States Army Air Corps. He served as a member of the Infantry Board from 1932 to 1936, and from 1936 to 1939 was assigned to the Office, Chief of Infantry.
World War II
Griswold commanded the 29th Infantry Regiment from September 1939 to October 1940. The 29th was the primary training regiment permanently billeted at the Infantry School at Ft. Benning, GA; under Griswold's command, the first Parachute Test Platoon was organized out of the 29th, as well as its ersatz successor, the original 501st Parachute Battalion. Griswold was promoted to Brigadier General in October 1940 and became Commanding General of the Infantry Replacement Training Center at Camp Croft. Promoted to Major General in August 1941, he commanded 4th Infantry Division.From April 1943, he was Commanding General of the XIV Corps, which fought in New Georgia, Bougainville and in the Philippines.
He was promoted to Lieutenant General in early 1945 and continued to serve in the Pacific theater under Douglas MacArthur, during the battle of Manila in February 1945. Griswold was, in fact, the top ground commander only under MacArthur and Krueger during that Battle, which was the largest urban warfare American troops ever participated in up to that point; Griswold's XIV Corps, in their bitter and bloody fight for Manila, consisted of the 1st Cavalry Division, the 37th Infantry Division, and the 11th Airborne Division. In June 1945, General of the Army MacArthur nominated Griswold to command the Tenth United States Army following the death of Lieutenant General Simon Bolivar Buckner, Jr. in the Battle of Okinawa. However, he was passed over in favor of General Joseph Stilwell.
Later life
After World War II Griswold served as Commanding General of the Seventh United States Army from 11 June 1946 to 15 March 1947, and then the Third United States Army from 15 March 1947 to 14 April 1947.In October 1947, he retired to The Broadmoor resort in Colorado Springs, Colorado and resided in the Broadmoor Stadium Apartments. In 1948 he was employed by The Broadmoor Hotel Corporation as the Director of Athletic Events. These included ice hockey and figure skating in the Broadmoor Ice Palace. He also appeared in a television segment of This Is Your Life in December 1956 where he lauded the exploits of an Army Captain who refused to surrender in the Philippines and successfully led a guerilla campaign against the Japanese until he turned himself in to General Griswold during US Army combat operations. He remained employed by the Broadmoor until health problems caused him to retire. He died on 28 September 1959.
Awards
Among General Griswold's many awards and decorations include the following:In 1946 he received a Doctor of Laws from the University of Nevada, Reno.
Dates of rank
| Insignia | Rank | Component | Date |
| No insignia | Cadet | USMA | June 15, 1906 |
| No insignia in 1910 | Second Lieutenant | Regular Army | June 15, 1910 |
| First Lieutenant | Regular Army | July 1, 1916 | |
| Captain | Regular Army | May 15, 1917 | |
| Major | National Army | June 7, 1918 | |
| Lieutenant Colonel | National Army | October 1, 1918 | |
| Major | Regular Army | July 1, 1920 | |
| Lieutenant Colonel | Regular Army | March 1, 1935 | |
| Colonel | Regular Army | July 1, 1939 | |
| Brigadier General | Army of the United States | October 1, 1940 | |
| Major General | Army of the United States | August 5, 1941 | |
| Brigadier General | Regular Army | March 1, 1944 | |
| Lieutenant General | Army of the United States | April 14, 1945 | |
| Major General | Regular Army | December 1, 1946 | |
| Lieutenant General | Retired List | October 31, 1947 |