Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-04-26
McNuiir
Continued From First Page

ments, one of which penetrated his
helment and inflicted a scalp wound,
and another caused a severe wound
on the shoulder. The steel helmet
that he was wearing undoubtedly
saved his life"
Since he will be unable for some
time to resume his duties here, 1t.
Gen. Ben Lear. retiring commander
of the I'd Army, will remain in
temporary command of the Army
ground forces, to which he was or
dered when the report was received
that Gen. McNair had been wounded.
Gen. Lear to Retire Soon.
Gen. Lear, who only last week
received the Distinguished Service
Medal, is to be retired May 81 on
reaching the statutory age of "a, but
he was recalled to active duty i'm
mediately after the report that Gen.
McNair had been wounded. He is
expected to be succeeded in the I'd
Array command, by Maj. Gen. Lloyd
H. Fredendan, who commanded the
task force landing at Oran last
November.
Gen. McNair is the second Ameri-
can general officer wounded in
North Africa. The other is Maj
Gen. Orlando Ward, whose wounds
were announced recently by Secre-
tary Of War Stimson.
Gen. McNair, who is SO, is a dis
tinguished soldier once described by
Gen. George c. Marshall, chief of
staff, as the brains of the Army"
Urged Lust for Battle.
Gen. McNair, who has had q
notable Army career, has always
been fighting man despite his
widely -recognized ability In planning
and organization.
His opinions of the war were en-
phasized in an Armistice Day radio
speech he made to the troops last
year when he declared tersely that
the struggle is for survival-kill or
be killed"
Emphasizing the necessity of a
lust for battle" Gen. McNair told
the troops:
Our object in life must be to
kill. We must scheme and plan
night and day to kill.
There need be no pangs of con-
science, for our enemies have lighted
the way to faster, surer and crueler
killing. They are past masters. We
must hurry If we are to catch up
with them"
Talking over his remarks with a
friend later he commented that
some no doubt would not approve
their tone. However, he added, the
things he had said needed to be
said.
In the same speech, he warned
the American soldiers against un-
derestimating their enemies.
cit is both silly and dangerous
to kid ourselves into believing that
We face a pushover," Gen. McNair
asserted. Its better-and healthier
to hit the dirt now, and get good. +"
Gen. McNair was graduated from
West Point in 1904, he served with
the Funston expedition to Vera
Cruz, Mexico, in 1914, Gen. John j.
Pershing's expedition to Northern
Mexico in 1861 and with the first
AEF in France. He was decorated
with the Distinguished Service
Medal in 1918.
In 1941 he directed Americas pre-
war games, which pitted Gen. Lear's
I'd Army against the Sd Army, COM
manded by 1t. Gen. Walter Kruger.
across half the State of Louisiana.
From 1910 on into the war years
Gen. McNair flew from one Army
camp to another, taking his outfits
apart and putting them together
again as long experience as an
artilleryman dictated.
He was made commander of all
the Army ground forces in March,
1912.
Five Other Generals Wounded.
Gen. Lear, who has risen through
the ranks from a private in the
Colorado National Guard As years
ago, is remembered by the public for
the 700 hoo incident of the 1941 war
games. He administered a forced
march as punishment to a company
of soldiers he observed "yoo hooing'
at girls they passed. He has COM
manded the I'd Army since October
l. 1910, and his outstanding accom-
plishments there won him the DSM.
At least five other generals, though
none with a rank as. high as. Gen.
McNair's, have been wounded in ac-
ton since the war started.
Three were wounded in action
against the Japanese in New
Guinea. They are Brig. Gems. Han
ford MacNider and Clovis E. Byers
and Maj. Gen. A. w. Waldron.
Brig. Gen. Clinton A. Pierce was
reported a casualty In the Philip
pine Island campaign, and Mai.
Gen. Orlando Ward was wounded In
n IL ~