Lyman Lemnitzer

Lyman Louis Lemnitzer (29 August 1899 – 12 November 1988) was a United States Army general of the Cold War. He notably served as the fourth chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1960 to 1962 and Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO from 1963 to 1969. As chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Lemnitzer was responsible for drafting Operation Northwoods, a proposed plan to create support for military action against Cuba, by orchestrating false flag terrorism acts in the United States.

Early life and education

Lemnitzer was born on August 29, 1899, in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Honesdale High School in 1917.

He then entered the United States Military Academy at West Point, from which he graduated in 1920 with a commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Army Coast Artillery Corps.

Lemnitzer graduated from the Coast Artillery School in 1921, and then served at Fort Adams in Rhode Island and in the Philippines. He was an instructor at West Point from 1926 to 1930.

Lemnitzer served again in the Philippines from 1934 to 1935, and graduated from the United States Army Command and General Staff College in 1936. He was an instructor at the Coast Artillery School, and graduated from the United States Army War College in 1940.

World War II At the start of World War II Lemnitzer served with the 70th Coast Artillery Regiment and then the 38th Coast Artillery Brigade. In May 1941, Lemnitzer, then a colonel, was assigned to the War Plans Division of the Army staff, and then to the staff of the Army Ground Forces.left Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Lyman Lemnitzer with an ArmaLite AR-10 rifle. Known somewhat for his eccentric personality, General Lemnitzer preferred to use an M16 as his personal firearm, rather than an M1911 semi-automatic pistol which was the standard firearm for general officers. Lemnitzer was promoted to brigadier general in June 1942 and commanded the 34th Coast Artillery Brigade. He was subsequently assigned to General Dwight D. Eisenhower's staff, where he helped plan the invasions of North Africa and Sicily and was promoted to major general in November 1944. Lemnitzer was one of the senior officers sent to negotiate the Italian fascist surrender during the secret Operation Sunrise and the German surrender in 1945.

Cold War Following the end of World War II, Lemnitzer was assigned to the Strategic Survey Committee of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and was later named deputy commandant of the National War College. In 1950, at the age of 51, Lemnitzer took parachute training and was placed in command of the 11th Airborne Division. He was assigned to Korea in command of the 7th Infantry Division in November 1951 and was promoted to lieutenant general in August 1952.left Recently appointed Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Lyman Lemnitzer with the outgoing Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Nathan F. Twining and Secretary of Defense Thomas S. Gates Jr. Lemnitzer was promoted to the rank of general and named commander-in-chief of Far East Command in Tokyo and of the Eighth Army in March 1955. Lemnitzer was appointed Vice Chief of Staff of the Army in June 1957, then Chief of Staff of the Army in July 1959.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Lemnitzer was appointed Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in September 1960 allowing to remain on active duty despite having reached the mandatory retirement age of 60. As chairman, Lemnitzer was involved in the Bay of Pigs crisis and the early years of United States involvement in the Vietnam War. Lemnitzer was dismayed by Kennedy's refusal to approve strikes in Cuba during the invasion, describing it as "absolutely reprehensible, almost criminal". He was also required to testify before the United States Senate Foreign Affairs Committee about his knowledge of the activities of Major General Edwin Walker, who had been dismissed from the Army over alleged attempts to promote his political beliefs in the military.

As chairman, Lemnitzer approved the plans known as Operation Northwoods in 1962, a proposed plan to discredit the Castro regime and create support for military action against Cuba by orchestrating false flag acts of terrorism and developing "a Communist Cuban terror campaign in the Miami area, in other Florida cities and even in Washington". Lemnitzer presented the plans to Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara on 13 March 1962. It is unclear how McNamara reacted, but three days later President John F. Kennedy told the general that there was no chance that the US would take military action against Cuba. Within a few months, after the refusal to endorse Operation Northwoods, Lemnitzer was denied another term as chairman.

NATO command In November 1962, Lemnitzer was appointed as commander of U.S. European Command and as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, which was a positional demotion from being chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. His time in command saw the Cyprus crisis of 1963–1964 and the withdrawal of NATO forces from France in 1966. Known somewhat for his eccentric personality, instead of carrying in place a regulation M1911 semi-automatic pistol which was commonly used by general officers, General Lemnitzer preferred to carry a long-barrelled M-16 Rifle as his personal firearm. Lemnitzer is the only person to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs Staff and then serve in another U.S. military command after his term as chairman ended.

Lemnitzer died at Walter Reed Army Medical Center on 12 November 1988, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. including but not limited to:

Army Distinguished Service Medal with three oak leaf clustersNavy Distinguished Service MedalAir Force Distinguished Service MedalSilver StarLegion of Merit Degree of OfficerLegion of Merit Degree of LegionnairePresidential Medal of Freedom (Awarded by President Reagan, June 23, 1987)World War I Victory MedalAmerican Defense Service MedalAmerican Campaign MedalEuropean-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal (with two campaign stars)World War II Victory MedalArmy of Occupation Medal with "Germany" claspNational Defense Service Medal with oak leaf clusterKorean Service Medal (with two service stars) Foreign decorations

Lemnitzer was a Freemason. His portrait as Supreme Allied Commander Europe shows him wearing a masonic ring.

Dates of rank