The daily monitor leader., 1945-06-19
General
Continued from Page I

! udy, loi dDOut lWO iOuiS WlieI
the shell hit.
He was standing with other
officers in slight dish-like I'M
preston on the forward slope
Of the ridge, south of Kunishl
ridge.
! Buckner had just been point
ing out interesting bits of action
TO accompanying officers--tanks
squirting flames into cave posi-
tions; civilians leaving caves to
surrender and sharp fighting on
an adjoining hillside-when the
first shell exploded in the obser-
walton post and fragment en-
tered his left breast.
No one else in the observation
post was hurt by the six shells
although Hubbard added that II
and couple of officers might
have been scratched
EVE OF VICTORY
When Hubbard reached his
side, the general was still
breathing but unconscious. He
didn't know what hit him.
The day before his death
Buckner had expressed satisfac-
ton that his forces had killed
almost 10000 Japanese. On that
same day l,549 japanese were
killed on OkinaWa to AZ Ameri-
cans-a ratio Of 33 to /.
Ironically, Buckner met his
death on the eve of complete
victory in his first field cam
paign.
The sturdy, silver haired Ken
tuckian, who at SO had won a
reputation for aggreSsiveneSs
and discipline, was the highest
ranking American to die by enc
my action in the war against the
Japal~se.
Command of the Tenth Army
and of the ground forces in the
Ryukyus devolved Immediately
upon Maj. Gen. Roy S. Geiger,
Commander of the Marine Third
Amphibious Corps, part of
the tenth Army. Geiger recent
ly was nominated for lieutenant
general.
HONOR GENERAL
Adm. Chester w. Nimitz,
overall Commander of the op-
erations, formally announced
Buckner's death today and is
sued this message to the forces
under his commando:
Although we join in grieving
over the loss of your. able and
courageous leader, 1t. Gen.
Buckner, all of us in the Pacific
Ocean areas take pride in the
day of victory on which he gall
lantly met a soldiers death.
by the achievements of the
Tenth Army in the Okinawa
campaign under his leadership,
we will all gain new inspiration
TO overcome any and all obsta-
cles standing between us and
final victory over Japan"
Nimitz did not elaborate on
his reference to "the day of
victory but Vice Aom. Harry
Hill ia message of coincidence,
also referred to Buckner's "un-
timely death in the hour of vic
tory"
FORMAL REGRETS
Expressions of regret also
were made by Secretaries Slim
son and Forrestal and by Adm.
Ernest King.
Only the day before Buck
ner's death, Adm. Nimitz stoutly
had defended Buckner's Okina-
wa operations against criticism
by newspaper Columnist David
Lawrence.
Calling an unprecedented
press conference at Guam, MIN
itz had declared his faith in
Buckners tactical decisions and
highly praised the Tenth Army
leader. He asserted that criti-
cism OF the slowness of the cam
paign and of failure to land be-
hand enemy lines was due TO the
Columnist being "misinformed.'
Nimitz said plan to land be-
hind the enemy's Shuri line al
ready had been investigated and
found it impracticable and dan
gerous.
Funeral services for the Gen
eral were held at 2 a. m. today
at a Seventh Infantry Division
cemetery near Hagushi Beach.
A bugle sounded taps as the sim
pie wooden coffin was lowered
into the grave, and an honor
guard fired a last salute. The
Stars and Stripes whipped in