Russell W . Volckmann Russell William Volckmann ( September 23 , 1911 - June 30 , 1982 ) was a West Point graduate , a U . S . Army infantry officer and a leader of the guerrilla resistance to the Japanese conquest of the Philippines during World War II . After the war , he remained in the U . S . Army and helped create the U . S . Army Special Forces . In addition to his other services to his country , Russell Volckmann , at that time a colonel , is considered a co - founder of the U . S . Army Special Forces ( the " Green Berets " ) , together with Colonels Aaron Bank and Wendell Fertig . He eventually retired as a brigadier general . Pre - war . Russell Volckmann was born 23 October 1911 , in Clinton , Iowa , to Hattie May ( Dodds ) and William J . C . Volckmann . He attended high school at Shattuck Military Academy , Fairbault , Minnesota . In 1930 , he entered the United States Military Academy at West Point , New York , and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the infantry upon graduation in June 1934 . Although he asked for assignment to the Philippines , a choice duty station requested by many officers , his below average performance at West Point resulted in assignment elsewhere . Volckmann received orders to Fort Snelling , Minnesota , where he was a rifle platoon leader and later a company executive officer with the 3rd Infantry Division . In 1937 , he received orders to attend the Infantry Officer Advanced Course at Fort Benning , Georgia . After completing this school he served at Fort Sam Houston , Texas , as a company commander with the 2nd Infantry Division . In 1940 , he finally received orders for duty in the Philippines In the summer of 1940 , 29 - year - old Captain Volckmann loaded himself , his wife Nancy and their young son aboard a ship for duty in the Far East . Upon arrival in the Philippines , he became the commander of Company H , 31st Infantry Regiment . In July 1941 , he was transferred to the 11th Infantry Regiment , 11th Infantry Division ( Philippine Army ) as the regimental executive officer . This was unusual duty for a company - grade officer , but political tensions in the Pacific resulted in accelerated expansion and training for the Philippine Army . In August 1941 , Volckmann ' s wife and son , along with all other U . S . military dependents , were sent back to the United States due to war concerns . On 8 December 1941 , the Japanese attacked the Philippines . World War II . At the fall of Bataan in 1942 , Volckmann refused to surrender and accompanied by Donald Blackburn , another American officer also serving in the Philippine Army , left Bataan and began a trek to northern Luzon . This was before the fall of Corregidor . Using back trails , sometimes hiding in villages and sometimes in the company of other fleeing American and Filipino soldiers , Volckmann and Blackburn traveled to the cordillera in Northern Luzon . Once there they hoped to assist in establishing an organized resistance against the Japanese . During this journey , they had close encounters with Japanese patrols , but always managed to avoid being seen . Volckmann strongly credits the assistance of Filipino civilians in making their journey a success , especially during their periods of illness , particularly that of Blackburn who contracted malaria . Volckmann organized military resistance among the Ifugao ' s 11th Infantry Battalion : 1st Lieutenants : Francisco Balanban , Alpha Company ; Guinid Tuguinay , Bravo Company ; Pedro Dulnuan Sr . , Admin . His forces operated in the western and northern coasts of Luzon , launching attacks against the Japanese occupiers . During the U . S . and Filipino invasion of the Philippines in January 1945 , Volckmann ' s guerrillas cut key communication lines and bridges and isolated barracks . Once the invasion had landed , he led attacks against the retreating Japanese forces far behind the lines , capturing bases and air fields , thereby allowing the American advance to proceed at a much quicker pace . Eventually , Volckmann was designated as Commander , United States Armed Forces in the Philippines — Northern Luzon or USAFIP - NL ( Military and Guerrillas ) . During World War II . Volckmann served either in regular or irregular military units , and was never assigned to the Office of Strategic Services ( OSS ) as mentioned in some sources . Post World War II . During December 1945 , Colonel Volckmann briefly returned to the United States to reunite with his family . After two months of leave and medical treatment due to his exposure to various diseases in the Philippines , he returned to the Philippines to assist in unfinished business related to his command as the guerrilla leader of North Luzon . This included investigation of war crimes , payments to civilians of vouchers issued during the war , and confirmation of pay to guerrilla soldiers . He did not return again to the United States until July 1946 . Due to his illnesses and the stress of continual combat , Volckmann would not be released as a medical patient until early 1948 . After his official release as a patient , General Dwight D . Eisenhower , now Army Chief of Staff , ordered Volckmann to write what would become the Army ' s first official counterinsurgency doctrine . During 1948 - 1949 , Volckmann was busy writing this new technical manual , based on his experiences in the Philippines . In September 1950 , FM 31 - 20 " Operations Against Guerrilla Forces " was released . This was just in time , as the Korean War began when South Korea was invaded by the North Koreans in June 1950 . The North Koreans made extensive use of guerrillas and regular U . S . Army doctrine was ineffective against them . General MacArthur requested that Colonel Volckmann be immediately assigned to Eighth Army Headquarters , and he appointed Volckmann as Executive Office of the Special Activities Group ( SAG ) - Far East Command , a combination of U . S . Army Rangers , U . S . Marines and South Korean troops . The unit was commanded by Colonel Louis B . Ely , a veteran of the OSS . As executive officer , Volvkmann ' s duties were to plan and conduct guerrilla activities behind North Korean lines . Less than six months into this new position , Volckmann was evacuated to the United States due to a relapse of a medical condition , most likely a severe stomach ulcer , he had incurred in the Philippines . Upon his return , Volckmann began a new writing assignment , and , in 1951 , FM 31 - 21 " Organization and Conduct of Guerrilla Warfare " was released . Brigadier General Robert A . McClure , director of the Office of the Chief of Psychological Warfare ( OCPW ) , asked Volckmann to become OCPW ' s Chief of Plans — Special Operations Division . Joining Volckman were Colonel Aaron Bank , a former OSS operative who served with the Jedburghs in Europe ; Colonel Wendell Fertig , another major leader of guerrilla resistance in the Philippines ; and Colonel Melvin Blair , a veteran of " Merrill ' s Marauders . " After attending the National War College , in Washington , D . C . , during 1953 - 1954 , Volckmann was Chief of Special Operations Division , U . S . European Command , during 1954 - 1956 . In 1956 , Volckmann completed the Basic Airborne Course at Fort Benning , Georgia . At that time , he was 45 years old and one of the oldest soldiers to take and complete that course . The course was required since he then served as assistant division commander , 82nd Airborne Division , at Fort Bragg , North Carolina , during 1956 - 1957 . Due to his service with irregular troops in the Philippines and loss of contact with the U . S . Army , Volckmann ' s promotions were also irregular . Promoted to major on 31 January 1942 , months before his escape to North Luzon , he then received temporary promotion to lieutenant colonel on 20 November 1944 , and a temporary promotion to colonel on 21 January 1945 . However , he reverted to permanent lieutenant colonel on 1 August 1946 , and then to colonel again , this time also permanent , on 1 February 1953 . He received his final promotion to brigadier general on 31 December 1956 . In July 1957 , Volckmann retired from the Army after 27 years of military service , including his four years as a cadet at West Point . The Special Forces Association lists Volckmann one of three men who " used their wartime experience to formulate the doctrine of unconventional warfare that became the cornerstone of SF [ Special Forces ] , " Bank often receives credit for being the true founder , but this is because he created the Table of Organization for the Special Forces and commanded the first units . In addition , in a letter dated 23 February 1969 , Bank gives credit to Volckmann for " the development of position , planning and policy papers that helped see the establishment of Special Forces units in the active Army . " Volckmann and Fertig both commanded corps - sized guerrilla units in World War II and organized them from the ground up . It was they who developed the doctrine of U . S . military guerrilla insurgency that guides the Special Forces today . One authority even lists Fertig as one of the top ten guerrilla leaders in history . Later life . After retiring from the U . S . Army , Volckmann was president of Volckmann Furniture Manufacturing Company in Morrison , Illinois . He was also president of Zeffyr Industries and president of Volckmann Division of Ethan Allen Inc . , from 1970 until his retirement in 1977 . However , Volckmann was often active in military matters . For example , in 1962 , he was asked by the U . S . Air Force to lead a Rand Corporation study panel on the feasibility of air support in counterinsurgency operations . Russell Volckmann died on 30 June 1982 . Attending his funeral were several officials representing the Philippine government : Brigadier General Angel G . Kanapi , defense attache of the Philippine Embassy in Washington , D . C . ; Mr . Nick Nor Paynor Jr . , aide to General Kanapi ; and Mr . Esperanto Curaming , representing the Philippine Consul General of Chicago . Also in attendance was Brigadier General Donald Blackburn of McLean , Virginian . Volckmann is buried in Springdale Cemetery at Clinton , Iowa . Family . In August 1934 , after graduating from West Point , Volckmann married Nancy Sorley . In 1936 , a son , Russell Jr . , was born . Although both accompanied him to the Philippines in 1940 , they were forced to return to the United States with other military dependents in August 1941 . In March 1942 , his wife received a letter from him before the surrender of Bataan , It would be the last his family would hear from him until January 1945 . Upon Volckmann ' s second return to the United States in July 1946 , his wife Nancy requested a divorce , which was finalized in August 1947 . On 28 August 1948 , he married Helen Rich , and they had two sons , William ( b . 1954 ) and Edward ( b . 1961 ) . They remained married until Volckmann ' s death in 1982 .