“I don’t believe I have ever known a person to be so unanimously loved and respected by the men around and under him.”That is not the kind of thing one usually finds written about a general. The writer was Ernie Pyle (Number 7l), the war correspondent who was famous for writing about the enlisted men in the war. But Bradley was one “brass hat” he could not pass up.
Omar Bradley was one of the outstanding field commanders of the war. He is also credited with the most frank memoir of World War II. Beautifully written (and apparently with the help of a professional writer), A Soldier’s Story offers Bradley’s assessment of the key personalities, decisions, and battles in the European theater of operations. Although the ghost writer may have added a non-soldierly style, only Bradley could have provided the insight to interpret the strategies and describe the military and political figures of the war.Rising through the Military Ranks
Omar Bradley was born near Clark, Missouri, in 1893. He attended West Point with Dwight D. Eisenhower (Number 7). Both graduated in time for World War I, but neither served overseas.
Bradley was spotted as a “comer” when he taught at the Infantry Training School at Fort Benning, Georgia. George C. Marshall (Number 5) directed the school and jotted down Bradley’s name for future reference. When Marshall became Army chief of staff in 1939, he started examining his list of potential leaders. One of Bradley’s first assignments was to head the Infantry Training School. After the United States entered the war in December 1941, Bradley was put in charge of the 82nd Division, followed by the 28th Division.
In November 1942, American troops got their first combat assignment of the war in the European/African theater: the invasion of French North Africa. Because a deal had been made with the French, the resistance was minimal. Real battle would come in Tunisia against the Germans.
In February 1943, at the Kasserine Pass, American units were mauled. Shortly afterward, Bradley was assigned to find out what went wrong. His investigation led to the assignment of Patton (Number ll) to take command of the demoralized 2nd Corps. In the summer of 1943, Patton was promoted. Bradley would assume command of the 2nd Corps, working under Patton in the campaign for Sicily. It was a military triumph for Patton, but he got into trouble for slapping a soldier. Patton was temporarily relieved of his command.
Securing the Beachhead at Normandy
Eisenhower picked Bradley to lead the 1st Army into France. The Americans would face fiercer resistance than any other unit taking part in the Normandy invasion. It was D-Day, June 6, 1944.
After the beachhead had been secured, the 3rd Army, led by Patton, became part of the 12th Army Group, under Bradley’s overall command. This is the army group that set the pace for the Allied victory in Europe.
After establishing the beachhead at Normandy in June 1944, Bradley’s army group broke out at St. Lo in July, freed Paris in August, and fought the Battle of the Bulge starting in December. In 1945, one of its units seized the Rhine bridge at Remagen in March and linked up with the Soviet army at Torgau on the Elbe in April. On May 8, 1945, ll months after D-Day, Nazi Germany surrendered unconditionally.
A Conflict with an Ally
For Bradley, the war had its low points, as well as its high. The general’s greatest crisis was the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944, when German forces cut through the Ardennes, thrusting deep into the heart of Belgium.
The American general faced two challenges: how to stop the German advance and how to get Montgomery (Number 37) to move his army to support the American counterattack. Montgomery not only dragged his feet during the battle but actually tried to take credit for containing the Germans. Rumors were rampant that Montgomery was about to be put in command of all the ground troops, including the Americans.
After hearing the rumor, Bradley told Eisenhower: “You must know after what has happened I cannot serve under Montgomery. If he is to be put in command of all ground forces, you must send me home, for if Montgomery goes in over me, I will have lost the confidence of my command.”
Following this exchange, Churchill spelled out to Parliament the burden borne by the Americans during the Bulge. Any attempt to put Montgomery in command was scotched.
That remarkable statement by Bradley is from his war memoir, A Soldier’s Story. The memoirs of important generals traditionally deal with their successes and honors, filled with false praise about those whom they may despise. But Bradley broke all the rules. His memoirs are blunt and honest about the events and personalities of the war.
Success after the War
After the war, no one was better qualified than Bradley to serve as administrator of veterans affairs, a post he held from 1945 to 1948. He succeeded Eisenhower in 1948 as Army chief of staff. The following year he became permanent chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In 1950 he was promoted to the five-star rank of General of the Army. He was the last man to hold that rank.
Upon retirement in 1953, Bradley became a corporate executive in private industry.He died in 198l.
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