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above — From left to right: Lt. May, Brig. Gen. Pratt, Col. Murphy & Lt. Butler standing in front of the original Fighting Falcon, but not the glider they fl ew.

Pratt photographed earlier in the war, KIA when he was still a lieutenant colonel. Don F. Pratt — US GENERALS A Confl uence of Errors By Lee Enderlin One of the most famous of the bizarre deaths was that of Brig. Gen. Don Forester Pratt, aged 51 at the time Dead Generals and assistant division commander of the 101st Airborne Division, early on he US military fi elded approximately 1,100 general-grade the morning of D-Day, 6 June 1944. offi cers during World War II. Of them, though 40 lost their His story is so relatively well known, T lives during the confl ict, only 12 died as a result of combat an allusion to it was even made (killed in action or KIA). Most of the others died in incidents, such in the fi lm Saving Private Ryan. as plane or car crashes or heart attacks or other natural causes. In that movie a fi ctional Brig. Gen. Two were executed by the Japanese. (In comparison, 135 German Amend, also the deputy commander generals were killed in action while Hitler executed 84 others.) of the 101st, is killed in the same way Of the 12 KIA Americans, one held a high-ranking staff position; as Pratt. Capt. Miller (Tom Hanks) one was an army commander; three were division commanders encounters a Lt. DeWindt (Leland and seven were assistant division commanders. Half of the 12 Orser), Amend’s pilot, who relates the died under unusual circumstances. The remaining six died more story of an overloaded glider. Like his also claimed the crash took the lives a steel plate onto the bottom of the mundanely, in what might be called “wartime happenstance.” real-life counterpart, DeWindt wasn’t of 22 other men. That’s purely fi ction, thing would’ve meant it never would’ve informed a heavy steel plate had been though, as the CG-4A glider could actu- gotten off the ground in England. inserted into the fl oor of his glider for ally hold only 15 men (including pilot Don Pratt’s actual story began in the general’s safety. When the over- and co-pilot), and that would’ve been Greenville, Michigan. There some loaded glider crashed, the jeep inside without a jeep inside. The nearly two schoolchildren decided to raise broke loose and killed the general. dozen men plus a jeep would’ve over- $17,000 to pay for the building of a In the movie, however, DeWindt loaded the glider on their own. Welding glider for the army (they ended by

34 WORLD at WAR 33 | DEC 2013–JAN 2014 WORLD at WAR 33 | DEC 2013–JAN 2014 35 for a landing near the French town Charles L. Keerans, Jr. — of Hiesville, 7.5 miles inland from A Mystery Worthy of Holmes Utah Beach, where the landings hadn’t yet started taking place. Don Pratt was the fi rst general offi - At that moment a “perfect storm” cer of either side to die on D-Day, but of deadly coincidences spelled doom Charles Keerans was the fi rst American for the aircraft. It picked up a tailwind airborne general to die—kind of. That estimated to have been blowing at is, he didn’t so much “die” as simply 27 mph. The LZ was wet and slippery disappear. Like Pratt, Keerans (at the from early morning dew—it was just time aged 44) was a brigadier general after 4:00 a.m.—and it also sloped and the assistant division commander downhill. Further complicating of the 82nd Airborne Division. matters, the poplar trees in the area, In July 1943 the Allies were poised at 40 to 60 feet, were 10 to 20 feet to return to Europe via Sicily. The higher than had been expected, so chosen spot for the 82nd was the Gulf the glider had to be brought in at of Gela in support of 1st Infantry a sharper angle than planned. The Division on their left and 45th Infantry aircraft hit the ground going around Division on their right. The drops 80 mph, about 10 mph above normal. went poorly, as Allied airborne A CG4A loaded with a jeep. A CG-4A glider could stop in as operations were still in their infancy. little as 200 feet, though normal was One of the problems encountered 600 to 800; however, under higher by the paratroopers was friendly fi re. weight loads 2,000 to 3,000 feet were Jittery Allied gunners, under steady required. With the added weight attack by the Luftwaffe, tended to of the steel plate, there was no way shoot fi rst and worry about verifying Airborne reinforcements in a C-47 heading for Sicily on 11 July. the glider would be able to stop in aircraft nationality later. That was espe- the length normally required. cially evident during the 82nd’s drop On touchdown, Murphy hit the on Sicily, where 23 of its transports brakes and was shocked to realize the were shot down. One of those was a aircraft wasn’t slowing at all. Some 800 C-47 being co-piloted by Brig. Gen. feet later the faux Falcon slammed Keerans. Also aboard were members into a hedgerow with such force that of the 376th Parachute Field Artillery witnesses stated the ground shook. and an observer, Maj. Tracy Jackson It was a miracle anyone survived. The fl ight was originally planned Murphy ended up hanging half in and for late on D-Day for Operation half out of the nose of the glider with Husky, 10 July, but in the confusion two broken legs (one a compound it ended up being postponed for 24 fracture). Lt. May had braced himself hours. It came in on-time for its new The crash of the faux Fighting Falcon. behind the general’s jeep, and that schedule, on the evening of July 11, saved his life. Lt. Butler was wedged and was shot down by friendly fi re. raising $72,000 and building four). fl ight out on the eve of D-Day, but into the nose of the glider, dead The pilot, a Maj. Dekker, did what The fi rst, named the Fighting Falcon, he’d never been told about the steel of massive blunt force trauma. he could to get the aircraft to land, eventually made its way to England plate, so he had no idea why the It was Gen. Pratt who suffered but it was too badly damaged. He where, in honor of the schoolchildren’s aircraft was so diffi cult to control. The the most unusual injury. He’d been managed to ditch safely about 400 efforts, it was designated to be the lead two-and-a-half hour fl ight drained seated in the jeep during the fl ight. yards offshore. The survivors, including glider of the entire Normandy invasion. his stamina and left his arms and There remains some confusion as Keerans, decided to wade ashore. Later a new protective nose for legs weary for the landing. The steel to whether the jeep was chained Somewhere along the way, sight of the the gliders was developed and the plate, a quarter-inch thick, did its down or tied down by nylon rope. general was lost. It was assumed he’d Falcon, which lacked it, was therefore job: the glider was peppered with There’s also debate as to whether the fallen victim to undertow. The army moved back to position 45 in order small arms fi re that ricocheted off it. chain/rope snapped or held tight but accepted that hypothesis as fact, and over a nearby dune never to be US offi cer to die as a result of enemy fi re to make way for the safer models. Murphy early on surprised his jerked the jeep extremely harshly. Keerans was duly listed as “lost at sea.” seen again. When the NCO’s in combat, and he has also become a The replacement was repainted to fellow pilots in neighboring gliders What’s known is the general’s neck There the story would’ve ended, story was told and investigated, symbol of the capricious nature of war. look like the original Fighting Falcon, by pulling up immediately after was broken. Whether that occurred except for a bizarre incident: Keerans Keeran’s status was changed to The senior Gen. Buckner was the which by then had become well known tow-release. They were supposed from whiplash or the result of his head was seen alive the next day. Just MIA, and later KIA, even though Confederate offi cer known for surrendering in Allied news media. It was that to stay level and gradually lose hitting a cross bar within the glider offshore on the morning of 12 July, his body was never found. Fort Donelson to Ulysses Grant in 1862. replacement Falcon, with a further altitude. Instead, Murphy gained also remains a matter of speculation. a sergeant was unloading supplies His son fi rst entered the Virginia Military steel plate added, which carried Pratt. altitude in order to get the time Meanwhile, the original Fighting from another crashed transport. To Simon B. Buckner Jr. — Institute, and later won appointment The aircraft was piloted by Lt. Col. needed to fi gure out how to better Falcon landed safely not far away. his surprise, Keerans approached and Wrong Place, to West Point in the class of 1908. Michael Murphy. Also aboard were handle his overweight craft. asked the sergeant to accompany him Wrong Time In 1941 Buckner was appointed Murphy’s co-pilot, 2nd Lt. John Butler Satisfi ed after a few minutes of inland. The NCO declined, citing his commander-in-chief of the Alaska Defense and Pratt’s aide, 1st Lt. John May. free fl ying, Murphy sought out his orders to fi nish the unloading job and Lt. Gen. Simon Buckner, Command. In 1943 that title was changed Murphy noticed the glider was landing zone (LZ) and banked down. then return to his own unit. Keerans Jr., 58, holds two distinctions. to “Commanding General, Alaskan sluggish at the controls during the They were right on target, heading then turned and left, walking inland He was the highest ranking Department.” He was the senior American

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was the fact that, at the instant of the strike, Buckner had his arms up Home as he looked through binoculars at the attack. Had his arms been at his sides, the rock fragment would likely have hit one of them, infl icting a painful but likely not fatal wound.

Maurice Rose—Auto Accident With a Tiger

Maj. Gen, Maurice Rose, 45, was by all accounts a “soldier’s soldier.” Also known as a disciplinarian, he nevertheless had two qualities that endeared him to the men he led: a ruthlessness toward the enemy and The helmet Rose was wearing he was usually at the front, most often at the time of his death. in his jeep. It was that jeep that played the key role in his unfortunate demise. into a column of Tiger tanks. As was Rose had served in the 1st Armored common German tactical practice at Division and as chief of staff for 2nd the time, one of the Tigers had fi rst Armored Division before becoming CO dispatched the American tank. of 3rd Armored Division, a self-fostered It quickly became apparent the elite unit known as the “Spearhead,” in Americans’ only hope of survival was August 1944. He reveled in the name, to make a run for it in their vehicles. once setting a record by advancing The motorcycle rider jumped into the 100 miles in a single day. Indeed, he armored car, and the others climbed is considered by many to be one of back into the jeeps. In the gathering the great, though largely unknown, dusk, they saw other tanks back down tank commanders of the war. the road up which they’d just driven. His men often referred to Rose as Believing them to be Pershings of 3rd the “division’s point” (most forward Armored, they approached the rear element), and in his book My War, of those four tanks only to recognize, journalist Andy Rooney described him once at close quarters, the distinc- Buckner, in the foreground on the right, moments before his fatal wounding. this way: “He may have been the best tive twin tailpipes of more Tigers tank commander of the war. He was (Pershings had single tailpipes). offi cer on the scene during the large rock. A photo purported to have a leader down where they fi ght. Not Understanding they were actually

Japanese invasions of Attu and Kiska been taken just moments before the all great generals were recognized. caught in the middle of an enemy Maj. Gen. Rose and the subsequent campaigns general’s death supports the latter. Maurice Rose was a great one and had column, they took a bold gamble: to recover those islands. With the What isn’t in dispute is the odd a good reputation among the people the driver of the fi rst jeep gunned the face and killing him instantly. as a Watergate special prosecutor. completion of that mission, he was sequence of events that followed. who knew what was going on, but his engine and dashed past the four In the confusion that followed, (He didn’t fi nd evidence to declare sent to Hawaii to organize Tenth Army. However the general was situated, he his name was not in the headlines as Tigers. Rose’s driver tried to do the Rose’s aide and driver escaped on the Rose incident a war crime.) Originally Tenth Army was was on a ridge overlooking a small Patton’s so often was. Rose led from same, but the commander of one of foot, but those from the armored car scheduled to invade Formosa valley, from where he was observing the front of his armored division.” the tanks saw what was happening were taken prisoner. The Germans Lesley J. McNair—Carpet (Taiwan), but when those plans the 8th on the opposite ridge. He On 30 March 1945, Rose was in his and turned his panzer sideways to never realized they’d killed a division Bombing Victim were shelved, Buckner’s forces, was far from the front line, but in usual place—in his jeep leading from block the road. Rose’s jeep jammed commander because they never consisting of three Marine and four a relatively open area where he the front. He was in a small convoy itself in the small space remaining searched his body, and the sensitive Lt. Gen. Leslie McNair was the infantry divisions, were instead could be seen by the enemy. The consisting of a tank, a jeep carrying between that tank and a tree by the documents he was carrying were still highest-ranking American general to designated to take Okinawa. The sharp-eyed crew of a Japanese his aides, including the divisional roadside, unable to move farther. with him in the jeep the next day when die in combat in the war. The distinc- invasion of that island began on 1 47mm cannon spotted his group and artillery commander, then Rose’s own The occupants of Rose’s jeep and the other Americans recovered his body. tion between McNair and Buckner, April 1945, with Buckner recently took a single shot in the direction jeep followed by an armored car and, armored car were forced to surrender. When news of the circumstances of mentioned above, is that Buckner was promoted to lieutenant general. of the offi cers across the valley. at the end of the line, a motorcycle The tank commander popped the general’s death spread throughout the highest-ranking offi cer to do die The battle was in its 59th day, on 18 The artillery round thudded into rider. It was late in the day, and they up from his turret brandishing a the division, the GIs for a time as the result of enemy action. McNair, June, and was entering its fi nal phase the nearby boulder, sending shrapnel were traveling down a road near submachinegun. The occupants of became disinclined to take prison- who outranked Buckner by one star, when Buckner decided to take his and shards of rock fl ying in all direc- Hamborn Castle in the vicinity of Rose’s jeep and the armored car by that ers, particularly if the surrendering died as a result of friendly fi re. entourage to watch the progress of 8th tions. Buckner was standing farthest Paderborn, Germany. With Rose in time all had their hands up. For some enemy were German tankers. McNair, 61, was a controversial Marine Regiment’s assault on a ridge from the rock, but he was the only one his jeep were an aide and the driver. reason, Rose reached into his jacket As a footnote to the story, shortly fi gure during the war. He’d been a on the southern half of the island. hit. Everyone else escaped without a Suddenly the column began taking for his sidearm. It’s believed he was after the war Lt. Col. Leon Jaworski was strong advocate for then Maj. Gen. Accounts vary here in the details. scratch, while a tiny fragment of rock small arms, tank and anti-tank fi re. merely going to surrender his personal appointed to investigate the general’s Lloyd Fredendall to be appointed a One source states Buckner was stand- entered the side of his body and nicked Rose and the others from the two weapon. The tank commander, just death to see if there was any evidence corps commander in North Africa. ing in a moving vehicle; others state his heart. He died minutes later. jeeps jumped into a ditch by the side 17-years-old, panicked and sprayed of a war crime having been commit- Fredendall proved to be inadequate, he was standing on the ground near a Adding to the oddity of the incident of the road. It turned out they had run a burst at the general, hitting him in ted. Jaworski later became famous and was eventually relieved in favor of

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