U.S. Navy Admirals Raymond Spruance and Richmond Turner wanted General Smith to command the Okinawa invasion forces. They were overruled by CinCPac, Admiral Nimitz because General Smith had sacked a U.S. Army general, Ralph Smith, during the Saipan campaign, and justifiable animosity between senior U.S. Army staff existed towards General Smith due to his service chauvinism. U.S. Army general Simon Bolivar Buckner, Jr. was appointed to command the Okinawa invasion in his place. Coincidentally, General Roy Geiger USMC, was placed in command of Tenth Army in June, 1945 when General Buckner was killed in action.