Richard K. Sutherland

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Richard K. Sutherland bigraphy, stories - United States Army general

Richard K. Sutherland : biography

27 November 1893 – 25 June 1966

Richard Kerens Sutherland (27 November 1893 – 25 June 1966) was a Lieutenant General of the US Army and General of the Army Douglas MacArthur’s Chief of Staff in the South West Pacific Area during World War II.

Great War

Later that year the National Guard was federalized and he served on the Mexican Border during the Pancho Villa Expedition. The future general soon accepted a National Guard commission as a second lieutenant in the field artillery. Soon after, he transferred to the Regular Army with a commission in the infantry. He was promoted to captain in 1917.

He served with the 2nd Division on the Western Front during World War I. He was a student at a tank school in England.

Decorations

number=1|type=oak|ribbon=US-DSC-RIBBON.png|width=60}} Distinguished Service Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster
number=1|type=oak|ribbon=Distinguished Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}} Army Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
number=1|type=oak|ribbon=Silver Star ribbon.svg|width=60}} Silver Star with Oak Leaf Cluster
number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Mexican Border Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}} Mexican Border Service Medal
number=2|type=service-star|ribbon=World War I Victory Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}} World War I Victory Medal with two battle clasps
number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=American Defense Service ribbon.svg|width=60}} American Defense Service Medal with Foreign Service Clasp
number=4|type=service-star|ribbon=Asiatic-Pacific Campaign ribbon.svg|width=60}} Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with four Service Stars
number=0|type=oak|ribbon=World War II Victory Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}} World War II Victory Medal
number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Army of Occupation ribbon.svg|width=60}} Army of Occupation Medal
number=0|type=oak|ribbon=PHL Distinguished Service Star BAR.png|width=60}} Distinguished Service Star (Philippines)
number=2|type=service-star|ribbon=Phliber rib.png|width=60}} Philippine Liberation Medal with two bronze stars

Between the wars

Returning to the United States, Sutherland married Josephine Whiteside in 1920. They had one child, a daughter named Natalie.

Sutherland was an instructor at the United States Army Infantry School from 1920 to 1923 and professor of military science and tactics at the Shattuck School from 1923 to 1928. He graduated from the Command and General Staff College in 1928. Fluent in French, he attended the École supérieure de guerre in 1930. From 1932 and 1933 he attended the U.S. Army War College. He then served with the Operations and Training Division of the War Department General Staff.

In 1937 he went to Tientsin, China, in command of a battalion of the 15th Infantry; however, he was not promoted to major until March 1938, when he was assigned to the Office of the Military Advisor to the Commonwealth Government (Philippines), Manila, under General Douglas MacArthur with the "local rank" of lieutenant colonel. He was promoted to the rank in July of that year. Sutherland soon eased his superior, Lieutenant Colonel Dwight D. Eisenhower out of his position and became MacArthur’s chief of staff.

Later life

Sutherland retired from the Army shortly after the Japanese surrender.

Returning home, he confessed his affair to Josephine and was ultimately reconciled with her. Letters from Clarke were intercepted and destroyed by Natalie.Rogers, The Bitter Years, p. 306

After the death of Josephine on 30 December 1957, he married Virginia Shaw Root in 1962.

Sutherland died at Walter Reed Army Medical Center on 25 June 1966. His funeral was held at the Fort Myer, Virginia chapel on 29 June 1966 and he is buried at Arlington National Cemetery along with other family members.