Evening star., 1951-04-11
|Ridgwoys Knock for Landing in Right Spot
Called Unconny; Known for His Ee0rlessness
By John A. Giles

Distinguished Service Cross pre-
sented to 1t. Gen. Matthew B
Ridgway credited the big athletic
paratrooper with an ''uncanny
ability" for appearing where most
needed.
At the Pentagon, President
Truman's appointment Of the
front line general to succeed Gen
Macarthur came as no surprise
AS one top-ranking officer said:
Hes certainly picked that
Korean thing right of the fioor.' =
Known for his fearlessness, Gen
Ridgway left to take over COM
mand of the 9th Army in Korea
the day before last Christmas
at time when the United Nations
forces were retreating steadily
down the peninsula before onrush-
ing Chinese Communist hordes.
Jumped Into Normandy.
The general, who commanded
and jumped with the 82d Airborne
Division in Normandy on D-day,
succeeded Gen. Walton H. Walker,
who was killed in jeep accident
In the short space of little
over three months Gen. Ridgway
has steadied the U. N. forces and
begun to push the Reds back over
the 38th Parallel with compar-
atively small losses. Now that
38th Parallel-which proved to be
a political obstacle to Gen. Mac
Arthur-becomes Gen. Ridgway's
problem.
Succeeding Gen. Ridgway. 56, in
the field is another top-notch field
commander-Lt. Gen. James A.
Van Fleet, So.
Last August Gen. Van Fleet re-
turned from Greece where he had
demonstrated his ability with the
Greek troops battling Communist
lguerrillas. He had been director
of the joint United States military
and planning group since early
1948.
Series Of Changes Expected.
Gen. Van Fleet, who few here
today from a Florida vacation, was
to hold a few last minute con-
ferences with his superiors before
taking off for Korea. He has been
commander of the End Army with
headquarters at Fort Meade, Md,
and that vacancy was expected to
bring about series of command
changes in the expanding Army.
However. there was no immedi-
ate speculation as to who would
succeed Gen. Van Fleet, veteran
of both World Wars.
The whole Macarthur removal
process caught almost every one
at the Pentagon by surprise. Most
top ranking officials could hardly
believe the news because the Far
East commander has become
somewhat of a myth with the
military here.
TITS the biggest story since
demobilization." one general COM
mented.
Gen. Ridgway had been snapped
out of the Pentagon. where he was
deputy chief of staff for admin
istration, when he succeeded Gen
Walker.
Bruised i'm Glider Wreck.
He was in command of the S2d
Infantry Division when the Wal
Department, soon after the United
States entered the last war, de-
cided to convert to an airborne
division. Immediately he SET
about learning all he could from
textbooks and from actual jump
ing and gliding. The first time he
Jumped everything went well but
his first glider ride ended in Q
wreck and he suffered bruises.
His division was the first to &c
overseas and into action. 1t was
the first large scale airborne as
sault by American troops-the
1943 attack on Sicily.
From the earliest movements
Of the Sicilian invasion >" reae
the D. S. C. citation, Maj. Gen
Ridgway displayed an uncann!
ability for appearing during cru
cial moments in the advance. By
his compelling leadership ane
inspiring presence he helped hi
command to hurdle their OBJ
stacles and once more to continue
the victorious advance"
When he left for Korea friend.
expressed the hope that his ma
tural aggressiveness wouldn't leas
him into personal danger.
In Korea he has garnished hi.
uniform with a live grenade
Worn tapped to his shoulder, i
has become as much a trademark
as the late Gen. George Patton''
pearl handled six shooters.
He is no rear eschelon genera
and has been moving back ane
forth across the front with 6
compact staff, whipping new con.
fidence into what was a defeated
army.
His personality outside his
command post is quiet, He il
notably courteous and polite tt
juniors. He sets visitors at ease
with quiet humor and twinkline
eyes. His style of talking il
staccato phrases and in low
quiet voice. On a point of specia
conviction. however. he puts vol
ume and ringing feeling into hi
voice and his eyes flash.
The son of an Army colonel, HI
was born at Fort Monroe, Va.
and reared at various Army posts
He graduated from West Poin
in 1917.
Was With u. N. in 1916.
It will not be the first politico
diplomatic assignment for Gen
Ridgway. In 1916 he was with tn
Military Staff Committee of tn
u. N. and he also has served a