Henry Aurand Henry S . Aurand ( November 16 , 1894 – 1980 ) was a career United States Army officer . He was a veteran of World War I , World War II and the Korean War . Aurand served in the Coastal Artillery branch . He later transferred to the Ordnance Corps . Education . Henry Aurand attended the United States Military Academy and was a member of the class of 1915 , " the class the stars fell on " . During his military career he went on to attend the Army Ordnance School ( 1916 ) , the Command and Staff College ( 1928 ) , the Army War College ( 1931 ) , and the Army Industrial College ( 1940 ) . World War I . Served at Sandy Hook Proving Ground from 1917 to 1919 . Between the wars . Aurand served in a variety of positions prior to World War II . Leading up to the war he attended military schools and developed an expertise in logistics . As early as the mid 1930s he began to use principles of logistics that are still in use today . In 1920 , he formally transferred to the Ordnance Corps . He served in the Philippines from 1925 to 1927 . He served on the faculty of the Ordnance School at Watertown Arsenal from 1929 to 1930 . From 1933 to 1939 , he was an instructor for Logistics at the Army War College . World War II . General Aurand professional preparation paid off during World War II . He was tasked with a number of demanding high profile commands . In 1941 he was the Director of Defense Aid , the program that sent Lend Lease materials to the Allies . After that position he became the Chief of the International Division , Army Service Forces in 1942 and later that year he became the Secretary of the Combined Production Board . He finished 1942 as the Commanding General of the Sixth Service Command in Chicago , Illinois . In 1944 , Aurand was assigned as the Assistant Chief Ordnance Officer , European Theater of Operations ( ETOUSA ) and Communications Zone ( ComZ ) . He then moved to become the Commanding General , Normandy Base Section , ComZ , ETOUSA later that same year . In 1945 he was the last Commanding General , United States Services of Supply , China Theater ( US SOS CT ) . Postwar and retirement . Aurand returned to the United States as the Commanding General of the Sixth Service Command , a position he had held during the war . Likewise he was again the last commander of a theater of operations for the U . S . Army , the Africa - Middle East Theater in 1946 . To close out 1946 , he was the last Director of Research and Development , War Department . In 1947 Henry Aurand became the Director of Logistics , Department of the Army and in 1949 Commanding General , United States Army , Pacific ( CG USArPac ) , a position he held until his retirement in 1952 . He died in 1980 . Legacies and accomplishments . Lieutenant General Aurand accomplishments during his career were diverse and wide ranging . The impact of some of his actions were fundamental to the success of the United States military during World War II and the Korean War . Reshaped the U . S . military ' s logistics philosophy in many ways . For example , he convinced army planners to first calculate logistics capabilities before determining operational plans . Prior to this planning had begun with operations and then logistics had been examined to see if they could support the operational plan . Other examples of his revisionist thinking were his two principles of logistics , " Troops in action should never have to turn their backs on the enemy to fetch further supplies " and " Troops should not be encumbered with supplies beyond immediate needs " . He made extensive use of black supply troops in the ETO . He believed that they could be as effective as any other group of soldiers provided their officers were allowed to act with the same authority as white troops . The success of the U . S . Army logistical operation in Europe , especially during the race across France in the fall of 1944 and the Battle of the Bulge during the winter of 1944 to 1945 proved General Aurand correct . He was instrumental in the acquisition of the 1 / 4 ton general purpose vehicle , the famous Jeep . Was one of the first to realize the importance of using computers in supply management when he saw them used during the Louisiana Maneuvers . When he was appointed the commander of the Normandy Base Section , he had all ammunition requirements entered onto punchcards for computer entry .