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GENERAL Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr.

  • Branch: Army
  • Hometown/City: Munfordville, KY
  • Date of Birth: 07-18-1886
  • Date of Death: 06-18-1945
  • Conflict: WWII
  • Unit: 10th Army Division
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  • Buckner  simon

    Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr. was one of the highest ranking United States military officers to be killed during World War II. The son of a Confederate general, Buckner led the successful invasion of Okinawa in 1945 and was killed by enemy fire in the last days of the battle. Buckner held the rank of Lieutenant General by the end of his service and was posthumously promoted to the rank of Four-Star General.

    Unknown,
  • The Official US Army Register entries for Simon B. Buckner Jr.:

    Born in Kentucky July 18, 1886.

    He entered the US Military Academy on June 16, 1904. He graduated 58 out of a class of 108 on February 14, 1908. In his graduating year he was a Lieutenant in the Corps of Cadets in Company A. Upon graduation he was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the 9th Infantry. He was promoted to 1st Lieutenant on August 5, 1914. On September 1, 1915 he was transferred to the 27th Infantry. He received a promotion to Captain on May 15, 1917.
    On August 5, 1917 Buckner was offered the temporary rank of Major in the Signal Corps which he accepted on September 27 of that year. On January 24, 1918 he was temporarily promoted to Major of Infantry and he vacated the Signal Corps assignment on May 27, 1918. He held the temporary rank of Major of Infantry until August 20, 1919.

    On July 1, 1920 Buckner was promoted to the permanent rank of Major in the Regular Army. In 1924 he graduated from the Infantry School Advanced Course and in 1925 he was a Distinguished Graduate of the Command and General Staff School. In 1929 he graduated from the Army War College.

    On April 1, 1932 Buckner was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. He was promoted to Colonel on January 11, 1937. From October 17, 1939 to May 28, 1940 he was a member of the General Staff Corps.

    Buckner was promoted to Brigadier General on September 1, 1940 and to Major General on August 4, 1941.On May 4, 1943 he was promoted to Lieutenant General.

    He was killed in action on June 18, 1945.

    On July 19, 1954 Buckner was posthumously promoted to the rank of General ( Four-Star ).

    Courtesy of 1-22infantry.org,