George Grunert George Grunert was a United States Army cavalry officer who worked his way up through the ranks from private to retirement as a Lieutenant General . His 47 year career extended from the Spanish - American War to the end of World War II . Education and early career . Grunert , born of German immigrants , was a native of White Haven , Pennsylvania . He enlisted in the Army in 1898 during the Spanish - American War and served in the Philippines , Cuba and western posts in his early career . As a quartermaster sergeant in an artillery unit at Fort Monroe , Virginia he obtained a commission at second lieutenant in the cavalry in 1901 . By 1908 he was stationed in Cuba and at Fort Oglethorpe , Georgia , a cavalry post in 1910 . World War I and the Inter - War Years . He was sent to France as an observer with British forces in 1917 World War I . During the American build up , he served as assistant chief of staff for I Corps and was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for his work during the American offensives of 1918 . In 1919 , he attended the Army War College then at Washington Barracks , now Fort Lesley J . McNair , in Washington , D . C . He served with the 1st Infantry Division ( United States ) at Camp Dix , then to Washington , D . C . to serve in the office of the Army Chief of Staff . He returned to the field as a lieutenant colonel of the 10th Cavalry Regiment at Fort Huachuca , Arizona in 1925 . After a second tour of duty in the office of the Army Chief of Staff , Grunert attended the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth , Kansas from 1930 to 1932 . In 1933 , he was the director of military intelligence and espionage division course at the Army War College and in 1935 , he became director of war plans division course . In 1936 , he was posted to the Philippines as commanding officer of the 26th Cavalry Regiment ( Philippine Scouts ) . He received his promotion to brigadier general in December 1936 in preparation for his command of the 23rd Brigade , a brigade of the Philippine Division composed of Philippine Scouts . In November 1938 Grunert succeeded George C . Marshall in command of 5th Brigade at Vancouver Barracks , Washington . Grunert was promoted to major general in 1939 , and in October returned to the Philippines to command the Philippine Division . From May 1940 to November 1941 Grunert commanded the Philippine Department , directing the U . S . Army supervision and control over the Philippine defense force until Douglas MacArthur came out of retirement to command in July 1941 . MacArthur abolished the Philippine Department as a redundant command echelon in November 1941 and Grunert returned to the United States . World War II . The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor occurred shortly after Grunert reached the United States , and he was shuffled between a number of assignments that included command of the Sixth Service Command at Fort Sheridan , Illinois , serving as the ranking military officer in the Chicago area , and two administrative posts with Army Service Forces as Deputy Chief of Staff for Service Commands ( Service of Supply ) overseeing the nine United States - based supply and logistics commands ( formerly corps areas ) , under General Brehon B . Somervell . In August 1943 , he was appointed deputy commander for both the Eastern Defense Command , a continental defense command for the eastern United States , and First United States Army at Fort Jay , Governors Island in New York City , taking the place of General Hugh A . Drum upon his mandatory retirement at age 64 in October 1943 . Grunert held interim command over First Army until January 1944 while Omar N . Bradley completed assembling and staffing its new headquarters in England for the Normandy Invasion . Grunert continued command of Eastern Defense Command , which also assumed the duties of Central Defense Command , and Second Service Command for the New York area until his retirement in July 1945 . Pearl Harbor Investigation . In June 1944 , Grunert was appointed by Secretary of War Henry Stimson as the presiding officer of a secret panel that investigated the Army response to events prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor . The Pearl Harbor Board report , released after the war , traced the entire military and diplomatic history prior to the attack finding much fault along the way , critical of break downs in communications between Secretary of State Cordell Hull , George C . Marshall and a failure of appropriate action by Hawaiian Department commander , Walter C . Short . The panel ' s method of investigation and conclusions are still subject to criticism today . Retirement . Grunert died at Brooke Army Hospital in San Antonio , Texas on January 12 , 1971 at age 89 and was buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery . He was survived by his wife Florence Reynolds , daughter Mary and son - in - law , then U . S . First Army commander , Lieutenant General Jonathan O . Seaman at Fort Meade , Maryland . His son , Colonel George R . Grunert ( 1908 – 1969 ) , attended the U . S . Military Academy , graduating with the class of 1930 and played on the Army polo team . He was a veteran of World War II and Korea and preceded his father in death . Decorations . Ribbon bar with the list of General George Grunert ' s decorations :