William H. Wilbur

William Hale Wilbur (September 24, 1888 – December 27, 1979) was a United States Army officer and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.

Early life and military service

Wilbur was born September 24, 1888, in Palmer, Massachusetts. He graduated 25th in a class of 95 from the United States Military Academy at West Point in June 1912 and joined the Army from his birth city of Palmer, Massachusetts. After being commissioned, he spent three years in Panama and then three years as an instructor at West Point. In June 1918, Wilbur was promoted to major in the American Expeditionary Forces and sent to France, where he saw combat in World War I and commanded a battalion. Before returning to the United States, he attended the French military academy École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr as a classmate of Charles de Gaulle, graduating in 1920.

After teaching at the Infantry School, Wilbur was sent back to France in 1922 to study at the École supérieure de guerre, graduating in 1924. He later graduated from the Infantry School Advanced Course in 1927 and the Command and General Staff School in 1932. After graduating from the Army War College in 1935, Wilbur was promoted to lieutenant colonel.

Later life A strong anti-communist, Wilbur became involved in the political discourse regarding the Korean War. South Korean president Syngman Rhee had offered him an official advisory post before the war, but he declined the position. In 1950, his son, Army Lieutenant William H. Wilbur, Jr., was killed in Korea and posthumously awarded the Army's second-highest honor, the Distinguished Service Cross. Wilbur was a vocal supporter of then-Presidential candidate Dwight D. Eisenhower's plan to withdraw American troops from Korea, giving several speeches on the topic in 1952.

He was also involved in law enforcement, serving on the Chicago Crime Commission and briefly as warden of the Cook County Jail. He authored several non-fiction books, including The Making of George Washington (1973, ) and Freedom Must Not Perish (1964).

He died at age 91 and was buried in the West Point Cemetery on the grounds of his alma mater, the United States Military Academy.

Medal of Honor citation His official Medal of Honor citation reads: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above and beyond the call of duty. Col. Wilbur prepared the plan for making contact with French commanders in Casablanca and obtaining an armistice to prevent unnecessary bloodshed. On 8 November 1942, he landed at Fedala with the leading assault waves where opposition had developed into a firm and continuous defensive line across his route of advance. Commandeering a vehicle, he was driven toward the hostile defenses under incessant fire, finally locating a French officer who accorded him passage through the forward positions. He then proceeded in total darkness through 16 miles of enemy-occupied country intermittently subjected to heavy bursts of fire, and accomplished his mission by delivering his letters to appropriate French officials in Casablanca. Returning toward his command, Col. Wilbur detected a hostile battery firing effectively on our troops. He took charge of a platoon of American tanks and personally led them in an attack and capture of the battery. From the moment of landing until the cessation of hostile resistance, Col. Wilbur's conduct was voluntary and exemplary in its coolness and daring.

Contributions One of his greatest contributions was researching and writing about the childhood and upbringing of George Washington. The book is called The Making of George Washington, and he wrote it "because the world needs Washington again."