John B. Coulter
Encyclopedia
John Breitling Coulter was a Lieutenant General
in the United States Army
. Coulter served during World Wars I
and II
and the Korean War
.
. He graduated from West Texas Military Academy in 1911, and in 1912 obtained a commission as a Second Lieutenant of Cavalry.
. During World War I he served in France as aide-de-camp
to General William A. Mann, the commander of the 42nd (Rainbow) Infantry Division. After returning to the U.S. for five months as adjutant of the 154th Brigade at Camp Meade, Maryland, he went back to France as commander of 2nd Battalion 508th Pioneer Infantry, an African-American unit.
, Iowa. In 1922 he graduated from the Cavalry School and was assigned to the War Department as the Cavalry chief of materiel, later serving as executive officer to the Chief of Cavalry.
Coulter graduated from the Command and General Staff College in 1927, and then took command of a squadron in the 8th Cavalry Regiment at Fort Bliss
, Texas, afterwards serving as assistant plans and training officer for the 1st Cavalry Division. He was subsequently assigned to the General Staff's Military Intelligence Division as a specialist in Latin American affairs.
In 1933 Coulter graduated from the Army War College, and he completed the Naval War College
in 1934. In 1938 he was assigned as executive officer of the 4th Cavalry Regiment at Fort Meade, South Dakota, and in 1940 he became the regiment's commander.
, receiving promotion to Brigadier General
. After the attack on Pearl Harbor
, his soldiers patrolled the Mexican border, and Coulter received an additional assignment as the Western Defense Command's commander of the Southern Land Frontier Sector. In early 1942 Coulter was assigned to command 2nd Cavalry Division.
Coulter assumed command of the 85th Infantry Division in 1943, receiving promotion to Major General
. After stateside training, he led his division in North Africa and Italy. The 85th Division fought through the Gustav and Gothic Lines during the Rome-Arno, North Apennines and Po Valley campaigns, and Coulter earned a reputation as an expert in military mountaineering and alpine warfare.
After World War II, Coulter returned to the U.S. as commander of the Infantry Replacement Center at Fort McClellan
, Alabama, and then was assigned as deputy commander of Fourth Army at Fort Sam Houston
, Texas.
as commander of the 7th Infantry Division. In 1949 he was appointed deputy commander of U.S. forces in Korea, and then commanded I Corps until its deactivation in 1950. Coulter was then assigned as deputy commander of Fifth Army, headquartered in Chicago.
After the June, 1950 invasion of South Korea
, Coulter was assigned to command I Corps, reactivated as part of the Eighth Army. As the commander of Task Force Jackson, an ad hoc force of South Korean and U.S. troops, Coulter was credited with a key role in halting North Korea
's advance. In September, 1950 Coulter assumed command of IX Corps, and led his organization as the supporting effort to I Corps in the U.S. counterattack against North Korea.
In 1951 Coulter was promoted to Lieutenant General as deputy commander of the Eighth Army, and was Eighth Army commander General Matthew Ridgway
's liaison to the South Korean Army and South Korean President Syngman Rhee
. General Coulter retired from the Army in 1952.
(UNKRA), the organization formed to direct the international effort to rebuild South Korea after the Korean War
. In 1953 he was named to head UNKRA, with the rank of UN Assistant Secretary-General, and he remained in this position until 1958. During his tenure, he directed the expenditure of more than $200 million for rebuilding South Korea's industry, schools, hospitals, roads and housing. During 1956 General Coulter also advised U.N. Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld
on peacekeeping forces during the Suez Crisis
.
In 1959, Syngman Rhee, still the President of South Korea, erected a statue of Coulter to recognize his efforts to rebuild South Korea. The statue originally stood in the Itaewon
District of Seoul
. It was rededicated in 1977, and now stands at Seoul's San 18, Neung-dong, Kwangjin-gu.
In the 1960s, Coulter was President of the Korean Cultural and Freedom Foundation, an organization formed to recognize Korean War veterans and foster cultural exchanges between the U.S. and South Korea.
Coulter died in Washington, D.C. on March 6, 1983 and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery
.
(3), Silver Star
(2), Bronze Star, Distinguished Flying Cross
, and Air Medal
(6).
Citation for first Distinguished Service Medal:
June 18, 1944
As Commanding General, 85th Infantry Division, from February 21, 1943 to June 5, 1944, he led his troops on a series of brilliant advances over a hundred miles of the most difficult terrain, climaxed by their entry into Rome on June 4, 1944. The outstanding accomplishments of this division in its first experience of combat, against a ruthless and battle-hardened enemy, were due primarily to his aggressive leadership. His continued emphasis on rigorous, intensive training, his indoctrination of his men with the proper mental conditioning for battle, and his comprehensive grasp of military tactics proved decisive factors in the grim fighting against the enemy-held strong points of Colle San Martino, Hill 121, Formia, Terracina and Mount Ceraso. By the diligent exercise of his gifts of leadership and constant presence at the front he made a signal contribution to the smashing defeat of the enemy's forces before Rome.
Citation for second Distinguished Service Medal:
May 16, 1945
For exceptionally meritorious service in duty of great responsibility, from 17 August 1944 to 2 May 1945, in Italy. General Coulter commanded the 85th Division in its operations from the Cecina River to the Arno River and Gothic Line. Later, in the difficult cracking of this strongly held and prepared line the 85th Division, under the exceedingly brilliant direction of General Coulter, took Mount Altuzzo on 18 September after a 5 day battle. This was one of the most important tactical features of the Gothic Line, the capture of which greatly facilitated the further advance of the Fifth Army through the strongly defended German positions. Throughout winter action in the Apennines and during the victorious Allied offensive in the spring, Major General Coulter ably led his troops in the accomplishment of a vital role leading to the crushing defeat of the German forces in Italy. While preparing his division for its assignment in the offensive, he skillfully readjusted troop dispositions, consolidated and strengthened a vulnerable and important mountainous sector, and at the same time provided all possible facilities for the welfare of his troops then undergoing the hardships of mountain fighting in bitter weather. Having perfected plans for the offensive, Major General Coulter directed his division in a smashing attack, inspiring his men by his aggressive leadership and firm determination to press the attack rapidly and relentlessly. Advancing across the Po Valley, the 85th Division severed the vitally important Highway 9, crossed the Po River and continued its drive across the Adige Line, accomplishing an advance of more than one hundred miles in a period of ten days. The brilliant tactical skill and inspiring leadership of Major General Coulter resulted in an extremely vital contribution to the victory achieved by the 15th Army Group.
Lieutenant General (United States)
In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. Coulter served during World Wars I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
.
Early life
Coulter was born on April 27, 1891 in San Antonio, TexasSan Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
. He graduated from West Texas Military Academy in 1911, and in 1912 obtained a commission as a Second Lieutenant of Cavalry.
World War I
He initially served with the 14th Cavalry Regiment in Texas until 1916, including participation in the Pancho Villa ExpeditionPancho Villa Expedition
The Pancho Villa Expedition—officially known in the United States as the Mexican Expedition and sometimes colloquially referred to as the Punitive Expedition—was a military operation conducted by the United States Army against the paramilitary forces of Mexican insurgent Francisco "Pancho" Villa...
. During World War I he served in France as aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to General William A. Mann, the commander of the 42nd (Rainbow) Infantry Division. After returning to the U.S. for five months as adjutant of the 154th Brigade at Camp Meade, Maryland, he went back to France as commander of 2nd Battalion 508th Pioneer Infantry, an African-American unit.
Interwar
After the war, Coulter served in the War Department's Personnel Branch, and then assumed command of 2nd Squadron 14th Cavalry at Fort Des MoinesFort Des Moines Provisional Army Officer Training School
The Fort Des Moines Provisional Army Officer Training School in Des Moines, Iowa was where African Americans were trained to be officers for the U.S. Army during World War I. The grounds of Fort Des Moines were used for U.S. Army training beginning in 1901, and the all-Black 25th Infantry Regiment...
, Iowa. In 1922 he graduated from the Cavalry School and was assigned to the War Department as the Cavalry chief of materiel, later serving as executive officer to the Chief of Cavalry.
Coulter graduated from the Command and General Staff College in 1927, and then took command of a squadron in the 8th Cavalry Regiment at Fort Bliss
Fort Bliss
Fort Bliss is a United States Army post in the U.S. states of New Mexico and Texas. With an area of about , it is the Army's second-largest installation behind the adjacent White Sands Missile Range. It is FORSCOM's largest installation, and has the Army's largest Maneuver Area behind the...
, Texas, afterwards serving as assistant plans and training officer for the 1st Cavalry Division. He was subsequently assigned to the General Staff's Military Intelligence Division as a specialist in Latin American affairs.
In 1933 Coulter graduated from the Army War College, and he completed the Naval War College
Naval War College
The Naval War College is an education and research institution of the United States Navy that specializes in developing ideas for naval warfare and passing them along to officers of the Navy. The college is located on the grounds of Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island...
in 1934. In 1938 he was assigned as executive officer of the 4th Cavalry Regiment at Fort Meade, South Dakota, and in 1940 he became the regiment's commander.
World War II
In 1941 Coulter was assigned as commander of the 3rd Cavalry Brigade in Phoenix, ArizonaPhoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, receiving promotion to Brigadier General
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
. After the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
, his soldiers patrolled the Mexican border, and Coulter received an additional assignment as the Western Defense Command's commander of the Southern Land Frontier Sector. In early 1942 Coulter was assigned to command 2nd Cavalry Division.
Coulter assumed command of the 85th Infantry Division in 1943, receiving promotion to Major General
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
. After stateside training, he led his division in North Africa and Italy. The 85th Division fought through the Gustav and Gothic Lines during the Rome-Arno, North Apennines and Po Valley campaigns, and Coulter earned a reputation as an expert in military mountaineering and alpine warfare.
After World War II, Coulter returned to the U.S. as commander of the Infantry Replacement Center at Fort McClellan
Fort McClellan
Fort McClellan, originally Camp McClellan, was a United States Army post located adjacent to the city of Anniston, Alabama. During World War II, it was one of the largest U.S. Army installations, training an estimated half-million troops...
, Alabama, and then was assigned as deputy commander of Fourth Army at Fort Sam Houston
Fort Sam Houston
Fort Sam Houston is a U.S. Army post in San Antonio, Texas.Known colloquially as "Fort Sam," it is named for the first President of the Republic of Texas, Sam Houston....
, Texas.
Korea
In 1948 he went to KoreaKorea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
as commander of the 7th Infantry Division. In 1949 he was appointed deputy commander of U.S. forces in Korea, and then commanded I Corps until its deactivation in 1950. Coulter was then assigned as deputy commander of Fifth Army, headquartered in Chicago.
After the June, 1950 invasion of South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, Coulter was assigned to command I Corps, reactivated as part of the Eighth Army. As the commander of Task Force Jackson, an ad hoc force of South Korean and U.S. troops, Coulter was credited with a key role in halting North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
's advance. In September, 1950 Coulter assumed command of IX Corps, and led his organization as the supporting effort to I Corps in the U.S. counterattack against North Korea.
In 1951 Coulter was promoted to Lieutenant General as deputy commander of the Eighth Army, and was Eighth Army commander General Matthew Ridgway
Matthew Ridgway
Matthew Bunker Ridgway was a United States Army General. He held several major commands and was most famous for resurrecting the United Nations war effort during the Korean War. Several historians have credited Ridgway for turning around the war in favor of the UN side...
's liaison to the South Korean Army and South Korean President Syngman Rhee
Syngman Rhee
Syngman Rhee or Yi Seungman was the first president of South Korea. His presidency, from August 1948 to April 1960, remains controversial, affected by Cold War tensions on the Korean peninsula and elsewhere. Rhee was regarded as an anti-Communist and a strongman, and he led South Korea through the...
. General Coulter retired from the Army in 1952.
Later life
Following his retirement, Coulter was appointed the Washington, D.C. representative of the United Nations Korean Reconstruction AgencyUnited Nations Korean Reconstruction Agency
The United Nations Korean Reconstruction Agency was an economic reconstruction program created by the United Nations to bolster war devastated South Korea. The proposal for the program was drafted by the United States in 1950 after victory by United Nations forces appeared rapidly obtainable. On...
(UNKRA), the organization formed to direct the international effort to rebuild South Korea after the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. In 1953 he was named to head UNKRA, with the rank of UN Assistant Secretary-General, and he remained in this position until 1958. During his tenure, he directed the expenditure of more than $200 million for rebuilding South Korea's industry, schools, hospitals, roads and housing. During 1956 General Coulter also advised U.N. Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld
Dag Hammarskjöld
Dag Hjalmar Agne Carl Hammarskjöld was a Swedish diplomat, economist, and author. An early Secretary-General of the United Nations, he served from April 1953 until his death in a plane crash in September 1961. He is the only person to have been awarded a posthumous Nobel Peace Prize. Hammarskjöld...
on peacekeeping forces during the Suez Crisis
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
.
In 1959, Syngman Rhee, still the President of South Korea, erected a statue of Coulter to recognize his efforts to rebuild South Korea. The statue originally stood in the Itaewon
Itaewon
Itaewon is a city district, in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It is served by Seoul Subway Line 6 via Itaewon, Noksapyeong and Hanganjin stations. About 22,000 people reside in the district and it is a popular area for residents of Seoul, tourists, and U.S...
District of Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
. It was rededicated in 1977, and now stands at Seoul's San 18, Neung-dong, Kwangjin-gu.
In the 1960s, Coulter was President of the Korean Cultural and Freedom Foundation, an organization formed to recognize Korean War veterans and foster cultural exchanges between the U.S. and South Korea.
Coulter died in Washington, D.C. on March 6, 1983 and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
.
Awards and decorations
His awards and decorations included the Distinguished Service MedalDistinguished Service Medal (Army)
The Distinguished Service Medal is a military award of the United States Army that is presented to any person who, while serving in any capacity with the United States military, has distinguished himself or herself by exceptionally meritorious service to the Government in a duty of great...
(3), Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
(2), Bronze Star, Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...
, and Air Medal
Air Medal
The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States. The award was created in 1942, and is awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.-Criteria:...
(6).
Citation for first Distinguished Service Medal:
June 18, 1944
As Commanding General, 85th Infantry Division, from February 21, 1943 to June 5, 1944, he led his troops on a series of brilliant advances over a hundred miles of the most difficult terrain, climaxed by their entry into Rome on June 4, 1944. The outstanding accomplishments of this division in its first experience of combat, against a ruthless and battle-hardened enemy, were due primarily to his aggressive leadership. His continued emphasis on rigorous, intensive training, his indoctrination of his men with the proper mental conditioning for battle, and his comprehensive grasp of military tactics proved decisive factors in the grim fighting against the enemy-held strong points of Colle San Martino, Hill 121, Formia, Terracina and Mount Ceraso. By the diligent exercise of his gifts of leadership and constant presence at the front he made a signal contribution to the smashing defeat of the enemy's forces before Rome.
Citation for second Distinguished Service Medal:
May 16, 1945
For exceptionally meritorious service in duty of great responsibility, from 17 August 1944 to 2 May 1945, in Italy. General Coulter commanded the 85th Division in its operations from the Cecina River to the Arno River and Gothic Line. Later, in the difficult cracking of this strongly held and prepared line the 85th Division, under the exceedingly brilliant direction of General Coulter, took Mount Altuzzo on 18 September after a 5 day battle. This was one of the most important tactical features of the Gothic Line, the capture of which greatly facilitated the further advance of the Fifth Army through the strongly defended German positions. Throughout winter action in the Apennines and during the victorious Allied offensive in the spring, Major General Coulter ably led his troops in the accomplishment of a vital role leading to the crushing defeat of the German forces in Italy. While preparing his division for its assignment in the offensive, he skillfully readjusted troop dispositions, consolidated and strengthened a vulnerable and important mountainous sector, and at the same time provided all possible facilities for the welfare of his troops then undergoing the hardships of mountain fighting in bitter weather. Having perfected plans for the offensive, Major General Coulter directed his division in a smashing attack, inspiring his men by his aggressive leadership and firm determination to press the attack rapidly and relentlessly. Advancing across the Po Valley, the 85th Division severed the vitally important Highway 9, crossed the Po River and continued its drive across the Adige Line, accomplishing an advance of more than one hundred miles in a period of ten days. The brilliant tactical skill and inspiring leadership of Major General Coulter resulted in an extremely vital contribution to the victory achieved by the 15th Army Group.