Evening star., 1946-09-21
Devers Calls Sylvester
A Fighting Fool at
Army Inquiry Court

Col. Lindsay Med Sylvester. who
was deposed as commander of the
7th Armored Division in Europe for
alleged lack Of aggressiveness. heard
himself described to an Army court
Of inquiry as 'stubborn-but fight
ing fool late yesterday, by Gen
Jacob l.. Devers, chief of the Army
Ground Forces.
Gen. Devers' added testimony as
to his loyalty and efficiency" scored
a strong point in favor of the Wash
ington officer who is fighting to re-
move the one blemish on record
of 35 years of active service in the
Regular Army. II
Because Col. silvestefyhad served
under Gen. Devers in .14H2 at Fort
Knox, KY when the fagter headed
the armored forces, the court was
interested in hearing his estimate of
the officer.
Recommended for Promotion.
He came to me as a brigadier and
I though he was good enough to
command a division Gen. Devers
replied to questions of Lit. Gen. Al
bert S. Wedemeyer, president of the
four-man court. Il recommended
him for promotion to major general
and thought enough o. him to assign
him to command the 7th Division,
then about to be formed.'
After fighting across France with
Gen. George S. Patton's Sd Army
the 7th Division was among those
halted at Metz ana then was
sent to Holland TO serve under the
British forces. 1t was in October,
1914, that the then Gen. Silveste!
was relieved Of his command by Gen.
Omar N. Bradley, 18th Army Group
commander, Oh verbal complaints
OF Gen. Patton and Ii. Gen. Walton
H. Walker, his corps commander.
He was denoted to his permanent
rank of colonel and returned to the
United States.
Asked by the court if he knew of
anything that would change his
high regard OF Col Sylvester, the
AGF chief replied: Nothing"
Later, Gen. Devers was asked
whether Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower
had offered Gen. Silvester,s services
to him in Southern France while
Gen. Devers commanded the 9Th
Army Group. Gen. Devers replied
in the affirmative but explained
that he had no opening for a major
general at the time.
Could Not Accept Him.
Would you have accepted him if
there had been such an opening?".
Gen. Wedemeyer asked.
My reply would have been no"
Gen. Devers said. He had been re-
lleved from his command under cir
cumstances about which l know
nothing In wartime I never send
a man in a second time
On the other hand. Gen. Devers
testified, he had never had oc-
casion to admonish Col. Sylvester
and had always commended his
abilities He referred particularly
to operations of the young 7th Divi-
sion in the early louisiana field
maneuvers. He had a fine staff,
well set up and handled the Job as
well as could be expected of any
one, Devers said.
Gen. Wedemeyer then asked Dev-
ers' opinion of Sylvester as a tank
commander.
Never Saw Him in Combat.
Il have never seen him in COM
bat" DeverS replied He is stub
born-but fighting fool. I thought
he could handle an armored division
and do it well.
He resistS You and gets off on
small details He keeps coming back
at you. Persistence, I call it.
Gen. Devers had reference to Gen.
Silvester'S annoyance" about the
hardness in getting men and equip
mept assigned to his division at
Fort Knox.
Samuel T Ansell, retired former
Judge Advocate General of the
Army, who is Col. Silvesters attor-
ney, inquired into the relations of
1t. Gen. Walker, then brigadier at
~ = t&A4c<A WIZ was IIldub COTIl-
mander Of the Sd Armored Division.
He sought TO show friction with
Sylvester because cadres from Gen.
Walkers division were being taken
out to form the 7th Division. Later
In Europe, Gen. Walker complained
to Gen. Bradley about the 7th
DIVISION commander.
Gen. Devers said he knew of no
friction between the two at Fort
Knox.
The court adjourned until next
Monday at $50 am. when the wit
ness Will be Maj Gen. Robert w.
Hasbrouck of Kingston, N. Y, who
succeeded to the command of the
7th Division in Holland Another
witness that day will be Mai. Gen.
stafford L. Irwin. former 4th In
f6ntrV Division nop,r,ooaou