Robert B. McClure

Robert B. McClure
Born	September 15, 1896 Rome, Georgia
Died	September 15, 1973 (aged 77)
Buried at	Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1917 – 1954
Rank	Major General
Commands held	35th Infantry Regiment 84th Infantry Division Americal Division Chinese Combat Command 2nd Infantry Division 6th Infantry Division
Battles/wars	World War I Meuse-Argonne Offensive World War II Guadalcanal Campaign New Georgia Campaign Bougainville Campaign Korean War Battle for Wonju
Awards	Distinguished Service Cross Distinguished Service Medal (three times)

Robert Battey McClure (September 15, 1896 – September 15, 1973) was a major general in the United States Army who served in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War.

Born in 1896, McClure joined the United States Army in 1917. He served on the Western Front during World War I and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. He remained in the army after the war, and served in China with the 15th Infantry Regiment. He served as a regimental commander during the Guadalcanal and New Georgia campaigns of World War II. He later commanded the Americal Division during the Bougainville Campaign. During the Korean War he replaced Laurence "Dutch" Keiser as commander of 2nd Infantry Division but was relieved of his command after only a month due to the division's poor performance during the Battle for Wonju. He retired from the army in 1954 and died in 1973 at the age of 77.

Early life

McClure was born on September 15, 1896, in Rome, Georgia, and graduated from New York Military Academy as Cadet First Captain in 1915.^[1] Entering the United States Naval Academy in 1916, he was unable to maintain the academic achievements necessary to remain in the academy. He subsequently enlisted in the United States Army.^[2]

World War I and interwar period

Commissioned as a Second Lieutenant, McClure fought in World War I with the 26th Infantry Division on the Western Front, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions at Bellieu Bois on 27 October 1918^[3] during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. He remained in the army following the end of World War I, and spent from 1927 to 1933 in Tientsin, China with the 15th Infantry Regiment, becoming fluent in Chinese. One of his fellow officers was Albert Wedemeyer, under whom he would serve during the latter stages of World War II. He entered the Army War College in 1938, where he made the acquaintance of Joe Collins, an instructor at the college at the time. After graduation, McClure then spent time on the staff of the 25th Infantry Division as divisional G-4 (handling logistics and supply).^[2]

World War II

When Collins was made commander of the 25th Infantry Division in 1942, he made McClure commander of one of the division's regiments, the 35th Infantry Regiment. McClure led the regiment during the Guadalcanal and New Georgia campaigns, as well as during the capture of Vella Lavella. Having spent time as ADC to Collins, in 1943 he returned to the United States as a Major General, and put in command of his own division, the 84th Infantry Division. After six months preparing the division for combat in the European Theater of Operations, he returned to the Solomon Islands as commander of the Americal Division, which was then participating in the Bougainville Campaign.^[2]

In November 1944, McClure returned to China to act as chief of staff to Albert Wedemeyer, his former comrade from the 15th Infantry Regiment. Wedemeyer had replaced General Joe Stilwell as commander of United States forces in China. Shortly after his arrival in China, McClure was sent into the field and made commander of Chinese Combat Command, remaining in this capacity until the end of the war.^[2][4] He was twice awarded the Distinguished Service Medal during the war.^[5]

Korean War

In December 1950, the commander of the 2nd Infantry Division, Major General Laurence "Dutch" Keiser was sacked for the division's performance during the Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River (although his dismissal was dressed up as being for medical reasons).^[6] McClure was named as his replacement, although his tenure as divisional commander would transpire to be short-lived.^[2]

The division, previously part of IX Corps, was redeployed to X Corps and now came under the jurisdiction of Major General Edward Almond, the corps commander.^[7] Almond began to be critical of McClure's leadership, citing a "lack of supervision" in reports back to the then commander of Eighth Army, Lieutenant General Matthew Ridgway. After a period of refitting, the division was ordered to Wonju, which had been deemed by Ridgway to be "second only to Seoul" in tactical importance. During the battle for Wonju, McClure found his position to be increasingly indefensible especially when flanking South Korean troops were overrun by the North Korean People's Army. He ordered his division to withdraw to a position much further to the rear than agreed upon by Almond, who was angered by McClure's disobedience.^[8] After little more than a month as divisional commander, McClure was relieved of his command on the grounds of "poor leadership". He was replaced as commander of the division by Major General Clark L. Ruffner, in a move endorsed by Ridgeway.^[9]

Following his dismissal, McClure commanded the 6th Infantry Division, which was then based at Fort Ord in California. McClure retired from the army in 1954.^[10] In 1956, he was awarded his third Distinguished Service Medal for services during the Cold War.^[5]

Robert Battey McClure died on September 15, 1973, and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery, in Virginia.^[11]

Notes

1. "Alumni of Distinction". New York Military Academy. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
2. Blair, 1987, p. 498 – 500
3. "Robert B. McClure: Distinguished Service Cross". militarytimes.com. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
4. Spector, 2007, p. 132
5. "Robert B. McClure: Distinguished Service Medal". militarytimes.com. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
6. Blair, 1987, p. 497 – 498
7. Halberstam, 2007, p. 514 – 515
8. Blair, 1987, p. 611 – 612
9. Weintraub, 2001, p. 299
10. Blair, 1987, p. 615
11. Gen Robert Battey McClure at Find a Grave Retrieved 20 January 2012.

References

• Blair, Clay (1987), The Forgotten War. Times Books.
• Halberstam, David (2007), The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War. Hyperion.
• Spector, Ronald H. (2007), In the Ruins of Empire: The Japanese Surrender and the Battle for Postwar Asia. Random House.
• Weintraub, Stanley (2001), MacArthur's War: Korea and the Undoing of an American Hero. Touchstone.