Oscar Griswold

Major General - United States Army

In 1943 Major General Alexander Patch, famous for his leadership of the XIV Corps during the grueling Guadalcanal campaign, was reassigned to a posting in the United States. He would be succeeded by Major General Oscar Griswold, who would lead the XIV Corps through the campaigns for New Georgia, before moving on to Bougainville.

A Nevadan born in 1886, Griswold had attended West Point, graduating in 1910. he would go on to serve in the Great War as a Colonel in the 84th Infantry Division, before returning to the States after the war to attend General Staff College, graduating in 1929 and serving with the Army General Staff.

When the Second World War began in 1939 Griswold commanded the 29th Glider Infantry regiment, and on the eve of US involvement in late 1941 he was promoted to Major General and took command of the 4th Infantry Division for a short period.

General Griswold (second from left) attending a briefing with General Millard Harmon

The XIV Corps landed at Lingayen Gulf on January 9th, 1945, encountering no significant resistance, and quickly began to move cautiously toward Manila. They encountered a Japanese strongpoint at Bamban, and were forced to leave the 40th Infantry division to contain the enemy there while the 37th Infantry Division bypassed it on the march to Manila.

As the third man on the chain of command, following Army commander Krueger and Supreme Commander MacArthur, Griswold would be an important player as he was given direct command of the troops intended to take the capitol. Two of his divisions, the 1st Cavalry and the 37th Infantry, were by late January racing for the city, as was the 6th Army’s 11th Airborne Division from Nasugbu in the south.