John C.H. Lee: The Forgotten Mastermind of World War II
The history of the United States Army presents no shortage of what may be called “colorful” characters adorning its ranks and accomplishments. During the American Revolutionary War there was the rambunctious Ethan Allen, loud, profane, and self-serving. The American Civil War produced George Armstrong Custer, one of the earliest examples of an Army commander retaining a press correspondent on his personal staff. World War I produced MacArthur, as well as the equally flamboyant George Patton, both of whom used lessons learned in that conflict to further their fame during World War II. These officers, and many others of a similar bent, shared a personal notoriety and military success.
Another, a contemporary of MacArthur, Patton, Dwight Eisenhower, and the other military leaders of the Second World War, was John Clifford Hodges Lee, whose contribution to the Allied victory was substantial, but whose efforts are largely forgotten. Lee had the often thankless task of ensuring troops were fed, clothed, armed, and supported by medical and staff personnel, rather than leading them in battle. It was his responsibility to have trained replacements ready to step forward when needed, fuel available to support offensives, bullets for rifles, shells for tanks, and mail delivered to the men at the front. Engineers to support combat operations and build necessary roads, storage sites, fuel dumps, airfields, and other military infrastructure were also under his bailiwick.
In accomplishing his task, he developed the reputation of being a self-absorbed martinet. Among the troops, including the senior officers deployed in Europe, his initials – JCH – were said to stand for “Jesus Christ Himself”. In Citizen Soldiers, the noted historian Stephen Ambrose described him as “The biggest jerk in ETO [European Theater of Operations]”, who had “…an exalted opinion of himself”. Yet without his successful execution of his duties, the Allied drive across Europe would have been immeasurably more difficult. He is an interesting, complicated, and sometimes comic figure, who alienated his superiors as well as the men under his immediate command. Yet he got the job done, according to Eisenhower, who said of him, “…I thought it was possible that his unyielding methods might be vital to success in an activity where an iron hand is always mandatory”.
→ Subscribe for new videos at least twice a week!
https://www.youtube.com/c/biographics?sub_confirmation=1
Love content? Check out our other YouTube Channels:
Geographics: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHKRfxkMTqiiv4pF99qGKIw
TopTenz: https://www.youtube.com/user/toptenznet
Karl's Socials:
Fact Fiend: https://www.youtube.com/ @FactFiend
Wiki Weekends: https://www.youtube.com/ @wikiweekends
Untitled Side Channel: https://www.youtube.com/ @untitledsidechannel
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KarlSmallwood
Further Reading:
https://archive.org/details/citizensoldiers000ambr/mode/2up?view=theater
https://www.westpoint.edu/about/history-of-west-point/notable-graduates
https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/great-mississippi-river-flood-1927
https://history.army.mil/html/books/007/7-2-1/CMH_Pub_7-2-1.pdf
https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20221108-allies-successful-first-invasion-but-a-botched-job-operation-torch-80-years-on
https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/196933/lt-gen-frank-m-andrews/
https://web.archive.org/web/20180126045735/http:/www.transchool.lee.army.mil:80/museum/transportation%20museum/redballintro.htm
https://brothersandrew.net/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
