The Wilmington morning star., 1947-08-23
Brass Hattism

BRASS I1dII1Sm
CauStic reports that Americans soldiers are
being miStreated under the allegedly harsh
command of Lieut.. Gen. John e.. Il. Lee,
Supreme Commander Of the Mediterranean
Theater OF Operations, may be news to the
general public. But the charges which Rob-
ert Ruark, Scrippe-Howard newspaper colu1n-
mist, IS l%evelling against tae General from
I.eghorn, Italy, nave a familiar ring tc those
GI's who served under Gen. Dwight D. Eisen-
hower's Supply Chief in the European Thea
ter Of Operations.
1t was part of the duty Of the writer to
work in close association with General Lee
during two years Of war / rode in ais special
train on inspection tours of United States
Army supply installations in Britain. l hob
nobbed with him and his distinguished guests
IN his palatial quarters from ThIrlestaine Hall
outside Cheltenham, England, to the swanky
George V hotel in Paris.
l watched General Lee inspect Lichfield
barracks where harsh discipline of American
GIs came to light. l once saw the General
attend a religious service where soldiers
came rigidly to attention as he entered the
church. I've seen him splash through mud in
his shiny black Limousine with red leather up
to dedicate airfields, whereas Gen
eral Ike used a jeep.
The saga of General Lee can best be told
by :ecountlng some of my observations of
his work in Britain before D-Day. One such
observation was made aboard his special
rain on a trip from Cheltenham to London
in the summer of 1943. General Lee we were
tod, was the only person in England, besides
the King, who had a private train.
l. Ordinarily, men were timorous about a tour
of duty aboard the Lee Special, but such trips
had their compensating factors. Where else
IN War-plnched Britain could a soldier get
FRESH fruit (oranges. grapes, pears, etc.), and
Wieet cakes with rich butter and fresh milk
for breakfast? To say nothing of steak for
dinner and ice cream made with rich cream
ard after-dinner minis to top it off. CThe only
other places where such luxuries were avail
able in Britain were in General Lees swanky
residences in London and Cheltenham and,
later, Paris.)
Inc utter absurdity Of such o%pulence amid
austere Britain was seen as the Lee Special
gIldea toward London. Another train, this one
crowded with shabbily-clad Britons, some
leaL;ng from the windows. pulled alongside.
There it stayed for some 20 miles while the
uncomfortable and hungry Britons looked
at our food and drinks and spa
clous quarters, much to our embarrassment.
During such trips, General Lee would often
st aloof at one end of the car where his vari-
GUS generals and colonies would 20 to him
for consultation.
~ Lichfield one day. I followed General
Lee ON one Of his inspections. Suddenly We
upon an unsuspecting CT with cap E
one rack OF his head, carrying his mess ki
General Lee stopped short and shouted ir
stentorian tones: "Soldier!" The CT snapped
aWkwardly to attention, but he was too late.
lneieupon, General Lee proceeded to tell. the
solder that the inspection had progressed
nicely until he had come along. He told the
that by his lack Of soldierly appear
ance he had disgraced tae entire outfit. He
pore down until the soldiers eyes flooded
with tears. Then he recommended to Colonel
kilicn that the soldier be disciplined.
On another occasion one of the Generals
aides told me that his chief attired in white
gloves, was inspecting a quartermaster out
lit. The General ran his hand along a SHELF
and detected some dirt for which he severely
the mess sergeant. AS the soldier
attempted to explain, he was cut short by
the General, who barked: Soldier, there's
Yes, sir!" General Lee put another
mess sergeant in his place one day by fitch
ing some food from a garbage can and eating
it to emphasize the sergeant's wastefulness.
Aides close to the General related many
performed by their chief. He
heartily endorsed the Gps war orphan work,
American Red Cross activities. etc. He was
III SAPISSlIl1 LIldIlhS y ally Id
vors done him, l recall the Generals kind
ness In a rest home which he had provided
TO- MS officers near Oxford. The hostess of
:hc house received a letter from the General
pleasure over a recent overnight
Stay and. with it. a five-pound note for the
Woman's young daughter who was in a nearby
hospital.
While the General demanded strict obedi-
erce from those of lesser rank, he was, in
turn, just as respectful to his superiorS, This
repect was noted in Warrington where he
met an old schoolmate, superb in rank, in
the %latter's home. During the conversation,
General Lee sat erect and addressed his SUI
perlor constantly with the prefix, Sir"
Hefnaps' the CTS most critical of General
Lee were those on the staff OF STARS and
Stripes y This Army newspapers reporters
LAD seen tue Generals train sweep into a
sta1lon ana dlssorge a flotilla of automobiles
~ "h'cn .ne General and party took off in a
cloud OF dust. They had seen men. under the
careful eyes of General Lees officers, <ridicu-
pussy salutlng each other, as patients, in the
Army hospital at Oxford. and in the u,,sh-
rooms at Cheltenham. "S
General Lee. without a do,,bt insnired the
aomlratlon, respect, and LOYALTY of those on
~ 'if'meo1ate staff. 1t is true that even those
4 nus. crlucal OF the General recognized his
.aei LOT surrounding himself with a superior
81 8 ~ - !. supply chiefs. General Hawley, Chief
:. tne Meolcal Service, now Acting Surgeon
General of the United States veterans Ad.
nllnls7ratlon, and General Littleiohn. his
Q.a!1ermaster Chief and now War Assets Al.
na1nlstrator, are examples.
General eisenhower has said that there will
We no need for a Senate Investigation if the
cnafges against General Lee IRE found to he
IA"S |foh experience with the General In