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(Jan. 9, 1895 - Sep. 12, 1965) Chatfield native Lucian King Truscott, Jr. rose through the ranks of the U.S. Army to serve in World War II and the Cold War with distinction. He is the only American officer in World War II to command in battle a regiment, a division, a corps, and a field army. His leadership proved essential to victory. As World War I raged in Europe, Truscott harbored a secret ambition to obtain a commission in the U.S. Army. He did not see overseas duty in France, but instead was assigned to the 17th Cavalry on the Mexican border. His years between the World Wars were typical for Army officers, involving transfers to various posts and continued military education. Truscott's first World War II assignment was to the British Isles to study amphibious landings on a hostile shore. Here, he created the first unit of army rangers. He saw his first major action in the failed August 19, 1942, allied raid on the fortified French port of Dieppe. Next he was selected to command one of Maj. Gen. George S. Patton's task forces in North Africa. Here he excelled and within four months he was given command of the 3rd Infantry Division and prepared them for Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily (July 1943). Major General Truscott's 3rd Division fought hard in Italy and by spring 1944, he was moved up to command of the U.S. VI Corps and planned the allied amphibious invasion of southern France in August 1944. By November 1944 he earned command of the Fifth U.S. Army in Italy and participated in the 1945 spring offensive that was instrumental in compelling German forces to surrender. At war's end, he was assigned command of the Third U.S. Army and the military district of Bavaria, with administrative responsibility for the Nuremburg trials in 1945-1946. After army retirement, in 1951 he served the C.I.A. in West Germany, coordinating the collection of intelligence on the Soviet Union. During his years with the CIA, he was promoted to general, retiring in 1959. 175 Years of Texas Independence * 1836 - 2011 |
