John K . Waters John Knight Waters ( December 20 , 1906 – January 9 , 1989 ) was a United States Army four - star general who served as commander , U . S . Army , Pacific from 1964 to 1966 . He was also the son - in - law of General George S . Patton . During World War II , he was taken prisoner while fighting in Tunisia in 1943 , leading Patton to set up the controversial Task Force Baum to break him out . Early career . Waters attended Johns Hopkins University in Maryland for two years before deciding he wanted a military career . He relocated to Illinois in order to obtain an appointment to the United States Military Academy , from which he graduated in 1931 with a commission in the cavalry . World War II . Waters was captured in Tunisia at Dejebel Lassouda when German forces attacked Sidi bou Zid during World War II . Waters , who had married General George S . Patton ' s daughter Beatrice in 1934 , was one of many officers interned at Hammelburg . Patton claimed that he did not know that Waters was at OFLAG XIII - B and that he feared the Germans would execute the POWs rather than let them be liberated . According to some sources the Third Army had received intelligence that Waters was indeed at the camp , having recently been moved there from Silesia . The task force , known as Task Force Baum , reached the camp , which was 50 miles behind the front lines , on March 27 with some losses after running into several German units detraining in a marshalling area . It had been shadowed by a German observation plane while en route , and its intentions were anticipated . Waters had been shot by a defending guard as he and a German officer were trying to contact the task force . Badly wounded , he was treated by a Serbian doctor Colonel Radovan Danic , the chief surgeon of the former Yugoslavian Army , who was also interned at the camp . The camp was liberated about a week to ten days later , but the only prisoners there were badly wounded and sick , the rest ( including the remnants of Task Force Baum ) having been moved farther east . Later career . Waters returned to duty in 1946 and became commandant of cadets at West Point . He was promoted to brigadier general in 1952 when he deployed to Korea as Chief of Staff for I Corps . His major command assignments include Commanding General for the 4th Armored Division and Commanding General for V Corps , both in Europe , as well as Commanding General for the Fifth United States Army , then headquartered in Chicago . Significant other assignments for Waters were as Chief of the American Military Assistance Staff in Yugoslavia from 1955 to 1957 , and as Deputy Chief of Staff for Material Developments , Fort Monroe , Virginia . He also commanded the latter unit before taking command of U . S . Army , Pacific in Hawaii . He retired on August 31 , 1966 . Major awards for Waters include the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions leading fellow prisoners , the Army Distinguished Service Medal , the Silver Star , the Bronze Star , the Purple Heart , and the Korean Service Medal . He died on January 9 , 1989 . Family . He married Beatrice Patton , daughter of General George S . Patton , on June 27 , 1934 , with whom he had two sons , John and George P . This union lasted until her death on October 24 , 1952 .