Matthew Bunker Ridgway (March 3, 1895 – July 26, 1993) was a United States Army General. He held several major commands and was most famous for resurrecting the United Nations (U.N.) war effort during the Korean War. Several historians have credited Ridgway for turning around the war in favor of the UN side. His long and prestigious military career was recognized by the award of the Presidential Medal of Freedom on May 12, 1986 by President Ronald Reagan, who stated that "Heroes come when they're needed; great men step forward when courage seems in short supply."[1]
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[edit] Early life and career
Matthew Ridgway was born March 3, 1895 in Fort Monroe, Virginia to Colonel Thomas Ridgway, an artillery officer, and Ruth Ridgway. He lived in various military bases all throughout his childhood. He later remarked that his "earliest memories are of guns and Marching men, of rising to the sound of the reveille gun and lying down to sleep at night while the sweet, sad notes of 'Taps' brought the day officially to an end."
He graduated in 1912 from Boston English High School in Boston, MA[2] and applied to go to West Point because he thought that would please his father (who was a West Point graduate).[3]
Ridgway failed the entrance exam the first time due to his inexperience with mathematics, but after intensive self-study he succeeded the second time.[3] At West Point he served as a manager of the football team. In 1917, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. The same year he married Julia Caroline Blount. They had two daughters, Constance and Shirley, and divorced in 1930.[4]
A year after he graduated, he was assigned to West Point as an instructor in Spanish. He was disappointed that he was not assigned to combat duty in World War I, feeling that "the soldier who had had no share in this last great victory of good over evil would be ruined."[5]
During 1924–1925 Ridgway attended the company officers' course at the United States Army Infantry School in Fort Benning, Georgia, after which he was given command of a company in the 15th Infantry in Tientsin, China.[6] This was followed by a posting to Nicaragua, where he helped supervise free elections in 1927.[2]
In 1930, he became an advisor to the Governor-General of the Philippines. He graduated from the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas in 1935 and from the Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania in 1937. During the 1930s he served as Assistant Chief of Staff of VI Corps, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Second United States Army, and Assistant Chief of Staff of the Fourth United States Army. General George Marshall assigned Ridgway to the War Plans Division shortly after the outbreak of World War II in Europe in September 1939. He served in the War Plans Division until January 1942, and was promoted to brigadier general that month.
[edit] World War II
In August 1942, Ridgway was promoted to major general and was given command of the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division upon Omar N. Bradley's assignment to the 28th Infantry Division. The 82nd, having already established a combat record in World War I, had earlier been chosen to become one of the army's five new airborne divisions. The conversion of an entire infantry division to airborne status was an unprecedented step for the U.S. Army, and required much training, testing, and experimentation.
Unlike his men, Ridgway did not first go through airborne jump school before joining the division. Ridgway successfully converted the 82nd into a combat-ready airborne division; he remained in command and eventually earned his Paratrooper wings.
Ridgway helped plan the airborne invasion of Sicily in July 1943, and commanded the 82nd in combat there. During the planning for the invasion of the Italian mainland, the 82nd was tasked with taking Rome by coup de main in Operation Giant II. Ridgway strongly objected to this unrealistic plan, which would have dropped the 82nd on the outskirts of Rome in the midst of two German heavy divisions. The operation was cancelled only hours before launch. In 1944, Ridgway helped plan the airborne operations of Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Europe. In the Normandy operations, he jumped with his troops, who fought for 33 days in advancing to Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte near Cherbourg (St Sauveur was liberated on June 14, 1944).
In September 1944, Ridgway was given the command of the XVIII Airborne Corps who helped push back German troops during the Battle of the Bulge. In March 1945, he led his troops into Germany during Operation Varsity, and was wounded in the shoulder by German grenade fragments on March 24, 1945. In June 1945 he was promoted to lieutenant general. At war's end, Ridgway was on a plane headed for a new assignment in the Pacific theater, under General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, with whom he had served while a captain at the United States Military Academy at West Point.
[edit] Post World War II
Ridgway was a commander at Luzon for some time in 1945 before being given command of the US forces in the Mediterranean Theater, with the title Deputy Supreme Allied Commander, Mediterranean. From 1946 to 1948, he served as the U.S. Army representative on the military staff committee of the United Nations. He was placed in charge of the Caribbean Command in 1948, controlling U.S. forces in the Caribbean, and in 1949 was assigned to the position of Deputy Chief of Staff for Administration under then Army Chief of Staff General J. Lawton Collins.
In December 1947 Ridgway married Mary Princess "Penny" Anthony Long, his third wife.[4] They remained married until his death 46 years later. In April 1949, their only child, Matthew Bunker Ridgway, Jr., was born. Ridgway's son was killed in an accident in 1971.
[edit] Korean War
Ridgway's most important command assignment occurred in 1950, upon the death of Lieutenant General Walton Walker. He took over the 8th US Army, which had been deployed in South Korea upon the invasion by North Korea in June of that year. At the time, Ridgway was serving on the Army staff in the Pentagon as Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Administration.
When Ridgway took command, the Army was still in a tactical retreat, after a strong foray into North Korea had been met with an unexpected and overwhelming Communist Chinese advance. Ridgway was successful in turning around the morale of the Eighth Army.
Ridgway was not fazed by the Olympian demeanor of General Douglas MacArthur, then overall commander of UN forces in Korea. MacArthur gave Ridgway a latitude in operations he had not given his predecessor. After Ridgway landed in Tokyo on Christmas Day 1950 to discuss the operational situation with MacArthur, the latter assured his new commander that the actions of Eighth Army were his to conduct as he saw fit. Ridgway was encouraged to retire to successive defensive positions, as was currently under way, and hold Seoul as long as he could, but not if doing so meant that Eighth Army would be isolated in an enclave around the capital city. Ridgway asked specifically that if he found the combat situation "to my liking" whether MacArthur would have any objection to "my attacking". MacArthur answered, "Eighth Army is yours, Matt. Do what you think best."[7]
Upon taking control of the battered Eighth Army, one of Ridgway's first acts was to restore soldiers' confidence in themselves. To accomplish this, he reorganized the command structure. During one of his first briefings in Korea at I Corps, Ridgway sat through an extensive discussion of various defensive plans and contingencies. At the end, he asked the staff about the status of their attack plans; the corps G–3 (operations officer) responded that he had no such plans. Within days, I Corps had a new G-3. He also replaced officers who did not send out patrols to fix enemy locations, and removed "enemy positions" from commanders' planning maps if local units had not been in recent contact to verify that the enemy was still there. Ridgway established a plan to rotate out those division commanders who had been in action for six months and replace them with fresh leaders. He sent out guidance to commanders at all levels that they were to spend more time at the front lines and less in their command posts in the rear. These steps had an immediate impact on morale.
With the entry of China, the complexion of the Korean War had changed. Political leaders, in an attempt to prevent expansion of the war, did not allow UN forces to bomb the supply bases in China, nor the bridges across the Yalu River on the border between China and North Korea. The American Army moved from an aggressive stance to fighting protective, delaying actions. Ridgway's second big tactical change was to make copious use of artillery.
China's casualties began to rise, and became very high as they pressed waves of attacks into the coordinated artillery fire. Under Ridgway's leadership, the Chinese offensive was slowed and finally brought to a halt at the battles of Chipyong-ni and Wonju. He then led his troops in a counter-offensive in the spring of 1951.
When General Douglas MacArthur was relieved of command by President Harry Truman in April, Ridgway was promoted to full general, assuming command of all United Nations forces in Korea. As commanding general in Korea, Ridgway gained the nickname "Old Iron Tits" for his habit of wearing hand grenades attached to his load-bearing equipment at chest level. Photographs however show he only wore one grenade on one side of his chest; the so-called "grenade" on the other side was in fact a first-aid packet.
Ridgway also assumed from MacArthur the role of military governor of Japan. During his tenure, Ridgway oversaw the restoration of Japan’s independence and sovereignty on April 28, 1952.[8]
[edit] Supreme Allied Commander, Europe
In May 1952, Ridgway replaced General Dwight D. Eisenhower as the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (SACEUR) for the fledgling North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). While in that position Ridgway made progress in developing a coordinated command structure, oversaw an expansion of forces and facilities, and improved training and standardization. He upset other European military leaders by surrounding himself with American staff. His tendency to tell the truth was not always politically wise.[9] In a 1952 review, General Omar Bradley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, reported to President Harry Truman that "Ridgway had brought NATO to 'its realistic phase' and a 'generally encouraging picture of how the heterogeneous defense force is being gradually shaped.'"[10]
[edit] Chief of Staff of the United States Army
On August 17, 1953, Ridgway replaced General Collins as the Chief of Staff of the United States Army. After Eisenhower was elected President, he asked Ridgway for his assessment of US military involvement in Vietnam in conjunction with the French. Ridgway prepared a comprehensive outline of the massive commitment that would be necessary for success, which dissuaded the President from intervening. A source of tension was Ridgway's belief that air power and nuclear bombs did not reduce the need for powerful, mobile ground forces to seize land and control populations.[11] Ridgway was concerned that Eisenhower's proposal to significantly reduce the size of the Army would leave it unable to counter the growing Soviet military threat,[12] as noted by the 1954 Alfhem affair in Guatemala. These concerns would lead to recurring disagreements during his term as Chief of Staff.
President Eisenhower approved a waiver to the military’s policy of mandatory retirement at age 60 so Ridgway could complete his two-year term as Chief of Staff.[13] However, disagreements with the administration mainly regarding the administration's downgrading of the army in favor of the navy, prevented him from being appointed to a second term.[14] Ridgway retired from the US Army on June 30, 1955 and was succeeded by his one-time 82nd Airborne Division Chief of Staff, Maxwell D. Taylor. Even after he retired, Ridgeway was a constant critic of President Eisenhower. [15]
[edit] Retirement
Ridgway remained very active in retirement both in leadership capacities and as a speaker and author. He relocated to the Pittsburgh suburb of Fox Chapel, Pennsylvania in 1955 after accepting the Chairmanship of the Board of Trustees of the Mellon Institute as well as a position on the board of directors of Gulf Oil Corporation among others. The year after his retirement, he published his autobiography, Soldier: The Memoirs of Matthew B. Ridgway. In 1967, he wrote The Korean War.
In 1960, he retired from his position at the Mellon Institute but continued to serve on multiple corporate boards of directors, Pittsburgh civic groups and Pentagon strategic study committees.[16]
Ridgway continued to advocate for a strong military to be used judiciously. He gave many speeches, wrote, and participated in various panels, discussions, and groups. In early 1968, he was invited to a White House luncheon to discuss Indochina. After the luncheon, Ridgway met privately for two hours with President Lyndon Johnson and Vice-President Hubert Humphrey. When asked his opinion, Ridgway advised against deeper involvement in Vietnam and against using force to resolve the Pueblo Incident.[17] In an article in Foreign Affairs, Ridgway stated that political goals should be based on vital national interests and that military goals should be consistent with and support the political goals, but that neither situation was true in the Vietnam War.[18]
Ridgway advocated maintaining a chemical, biological, and radiological weapons capability, arguing that they could accomplish national goals better than the weapons currently in use.[19] In 1976, Ridgway was a founding board member of the Committee on the Present Danger, which urged greater military preparedness to counter a perceived increasing Soviet threat.[20]
On May 5, 1985 Ridgway was a participant in the Ronald Reagan visit to Kolmeshöhe Cemetery near Bitburg, when former Luftwaffe ace Johannes Steinhoff in an unscheduled act firmly shook his hand in an act of reconciliation between the former foes.
Ridgway died at his suburban Pittsburgh home at age 98 in July 1993 of cardiac arrest, holding permanent rank of General in the United States Army. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. In a graveside eulogy, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Colin Powell said: "No soldier ever performed his duty better than this man. No soldier ever upheld his honor better than this man. No soldier ever loved his country more than this man did. Every American soldier owes a debt to this great man."[21]
[edit] Leadership
During his career, Ridgway was recognized as an outstanding leader, earning the respect of subordinates, peers, and superiors. General Omar Bradley described Ridgway's work turning the tide of the Korean War as "the greatest feat of personal leadership in the history of the Army."[22] A soldier in Normandy remarked about an intense battle while trying to cross a key bridge, "The most memorable sight that day was Ridgway, Gavin, and Maloney standing right there where it was the hottest [heaviest incoming fire]. The point is that every soldier who hit that causeway saw every general officer and the regimental and battalion commanders right there. It was a truly inspirational effort."[23]
Ridgway considered leadership to have three primary ingredients: character, courage, and competence. He described character—including self-discipline, loyalty, selflessness, modesty, and willingness to accept responsibility and admit mistakes—as the "bedrock on which the whole edifice of leadership rests." His concept of courage included both physical and moral courage. Competence included physical fitness, anticipating when crises will occur and being present to resolve them, and being close to subordinates—communicating clearly and ensuring that they are treated and led well and fairly.[24]
三少四壯集－「知兵而不好戰」的李奇威將軍
李奇威是經歷過最多戰陣的美軍將領，他常在右胸前掛著一枚手榴彈。他戰功彪炳，知兵而不好戰，是一流將才；他認為品格、勇氣與能力是任何一個領導人必備的三要素，缺一不可。
美國近代陸軍名將裡，不少人與中國有緣。抗戰結束後奉杜魯門總統之命來華調處國共衝突的五星上將馬歇爾，二○年代曾率第十五步兵師駐防天 津，李奇威（Matthew B. Ridgway）即為其麾下的上尉連長。一九一七年畢業於西點軍校的李奇威，二次大戰擔任八十二空降師師長，盟軍登陸諾曼第時與袍澤一起跳傘敵後。二戰進 入尾聲，李奇威調升第十八空降群司令，指揮盟軍傘兵在德國、荷蘭作戰，並於一九四五年五月二日在波羅的海與蘇聯軍隊會師。
李奇威是經歷過最多戰陣的美軍將領，他常在右胸前掛著一枚手榴彈。二戰期間在大後方（華府）運籌帷幄的馬歇爾將軍嘗言，李奇威在戰爭中的 英勇表現，使他成為一個偉大的戰將。李奇威一八九五年生於維吉尼亞州門羅堡，其父亦為軍人，從小即隨著炮兵軍官父親的移防而住遍美國各地，他說他小時候的 記憶是槍炮和起床號。李奇威精通西班牙文，曾在尼加拉瓜和菲律賓當顧問，後至堪薩斯州雷文渥斯堡陸軍指揮參謀學校深造，這是他戎馬生涯的第一個轉捩點。指參學校是培養將才的搖籃，已故史學家黃仁宇服役軍旅時亦曾在此受訓。
四○年代末期，李奇威擔任美軍駐加勒比海司令；一九五○年十二月晉升中將並調任陸軍副參謀長。韓戰是李奇威軍事旅程的另一個高峰，他獲升 三星中將後未久，突接獲命令趕赴南韓接任美軍第八軍團司令。未及與妻子話別，李氏即匆匆飛往東京晉見韓戰盟軍統帥麥克阿瑟將軍，五星麥帥對他說：「第八軍 團就靠你了！」第八軍團原任司令華克中將因車禍喪生，李氏緊急出征。
第八軍團在一九五○年六月二十五日韓戰爆發後遭北韓軍隊打得落花流水，節節敗退至南部沿海釜山一帶，情況萬分危急。幸賴麥帥九月發動仁川 登陸成功，攔腰砍斷入侵北韓部隊。但中共「抗美援朝」志願軍於十、十一月大舉渡過鴨綠江參戰，情勢又變。李奇威即在此時臨危受命，他一到戰場親睹第八軍團 的狼狽軍容，簡直「不敢相信自己的眼睛」，整個軍隊士氣低落、軍心渙散、將官不稱職、士兵厭戰、不了解敵情。李氏一上任即撤換了一批將官，加強情報及參謀 作業，改善伙食與裝備。第八軍團在他的指揮下，脫胎換骨，戰力大增。一九五一年四月，麥帥因擅自主張將戰事擴大至中國東北，並要求在東北投擲原子彈，與華府政策相左，視總統如無物，卒遭杜魯門撤換，而以李奇威接替麥帥的統帥職務，並晉升四星上將。盟軍卒將中共與北韓軍隊逼回三十八度線以北。
李奇威於一九五一年被調往歐洲接替艾森豪出任盟軍統帥，翌年升任陸軍參謀長，韓戰於一九五三年七月二十七日停火。李氏的治軍理念與艾森豪政府大不相同，白宮、國務卿杜勒斯、國防部長威爾遜和參謀首長聯席會議主席雷德福海軍上將皆主張積極發展核武，對敵人實施「大舉報復」手段，而李氏則堅持地面部隊仍將是地區性 戰爭的主力。李氏於一九五五年六月提早退休，告別軍旅。他反對美國介入東南亞戰爭，早在一九五四年法國軍隊在中南半島奠邊府之役遭越共圍剿時，李氏即反對 美國出兵救援。他當時估計美軍至少需要五十萬至一百萬始克解決越共。証諸詹森時代美軍陷入泥淖，出兵五十多萬仍吃敗仗的苦果，李氏之預測殆不幸言中，然美 軍卻又重蹈法軍覆轍。
李氏退伍後著有《回憶錄》及《韓戰》，他本有意請採訪越戰而獲普立茲獎的大衛．霍伯斯坦為他立傳，但李氏於一九九三年七月辭世，終年九十八歲，願望未克實現。
李奇威戰功彪炳，知兵而不好戰，是一流將才；他認為品格、勇氣與能力是任何一個領導人必備的三要素，缺一不可。「落日照大旗，馬鳴風蕭蕭」，在笳聲號音中，李奇威的軍威輝耀史冊。
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