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MG Courtney Whitney Sr.

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MG Courtney Whitney Sr. Veteran

Birth
Takoma Park, Montgomery County, Maryland, USA
Death
21 Mar 1969 (aged 71)
Washington, District of Columbia, District of Columbia, USA
Burial
Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USA Add to Map
Plot
Section 1, Grave 157-B
Memorial ID
View Source
Lawyer and United States Army Major-General. Born in Washington, D.C., Whitney enlisted in the United States Army in 1917 and became a pursuit pilot. He received his law degree from George Washington University in 1927 and left the army to open a private practice in Manila.

In 1940, Whitney returned to active duty. He worked in intelligence in Washington, DC, and was assigned to serve as the intelligence officer to the 14th Air Force in China when General Douglas MacArthur requested for him to be assigned to the Southwest Pacific Theater. Whitney returned to Leyte Gulf alongside MacArthur in 1944.

In his biography of MacArthur, William Manchester states that Lieutenant Colonel Whitney, an "ultraconservative Manila corporation lawyer," was assigned to MacArthur's staff, promoted, and assigned responsibility for Philippine civil affairs. Manchester states:

"[F]rom the standpoint of the guerrillas he was a disastrous choice. Undiplomatic and belligerent, he was condescending toward all Filipinos, except those who, like himself, had substantial investments in the Philippines... and by the time MacArthur was ready to land on Leyte, Whitney had converted most of the staff to reactionaryism. At his urging the General (MacArthur) barred OSS agents from the Southwest Pacific, because Whitney suspected they would aid leftwing guerrillas.

After Japan surrendered, Whitney accompanied MacArthur to Atsugi Air Base and became Chief of the Government Section at GHQ. With Lt. Col. Milo Rowell, he drafted the Constitution of Japan and sent it to the Diet for approval. Historians emphasize the similarity of occupation policies to the US New Deal programs of the 1930s.] Moore and Robinson note that "New Deal liberalism seemed natural, even to conservative Republicans such as MacArthur and Whitney."

Whitney remained close to MacArthur throughout the occupation and served as Chief of Government Section at his headquarters. He accompanied MacArthur, during the Korean War and received Silver Star and second Legion of Merit for his visits on the front. Whitney resigned from the army after MacArthur was removed from command in 1951. He was decorated with Army Distinguished Service Medal at his retirement ceremony. In 1956, Whitney's biography of his commander, "MacArthur: His Rendezvous With History" was published. He died of a heart attack at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, DC at age 71, survived by his wife, Evelyn and two sons.
Lawyer and United States Army Major-General. Born in Washington, D.C., Whitney enlisted in the United States Army in 1917 and became a pursuit pilot. He received his law degree from George Washington University in 1927 and left the army to open a private practice in Manila.

In 1940, Whitney returned to active duty. He worked in intelligence in Washington, DC, and was assigned to serve as the intelligence officer to the 14th Air Force in China when General Douglas MacArthur requested for him to be assigned to the Southwest Pacific Theater. Whitney returned to Leyte Gulf alongside MacArthur in 1944.

In his biography of MacArthur, William Manchester states that Lieutenant Colonel Whitney, an "ultraconservative Manila corporation lawyer," was assigned to MacArthur's staff, promoted, and assigned responsibility for Philippine civil affairs. Manchester states:

"[F]rom the standpoint of the guerrillas he was a disastrous choice. Undiplomatic and belligerent, he was condescending toward all Filipinos, except those who, like himself, had substantial investments in the Philippines... and by the time MacArthur was ready to land on Leyte, Whitney had converted most of the staff to reactionaryism. At his urging the General (MacArthur) barred OSS agents from the Southwest Pacific, because Whitney suspected they would aid leftwing guerrillas.

After Japan surrendered, Whitney accompanied MacArthur to Atsugi Air Base and became Chief of the Government Section at GHQ. With Lt. Col. Milo Rowell, he drafted the Constitution of Japan and sent it to the Diet for approval. Historians emphasize the similarity of occupation policies to the US New Deal programs of the 1930s.] Moore and Robinson note that "New Deal liberalism seemed natural, even to conservative Republicans such as MacArthur and Whitney."

Whitney remained close to MacArthur throughout the occupation and served as Chief of Government Section at his headquarters. He accompanied MacArthur, during the Korean War and received Silver Star and second Legion of Merit for his visits on the front. Whitney resigned from the army after MacArthur was removed from command in 1951. He was decorated with Army Distinguished Service Medal at his retirement ceremony. In 1956, Whitney's biography of his commander, "MacArthur: His Rendezvous With History" was published. He died of a heart attack at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, DC at age 71, survived by his wife, Evelyn and two sons.


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