John P . Lucas John Porter Lucas ( January 14 , 1890 — December 24 , 1949 ) was an American Major General and one of the commanders of VI Corps ( September 1943 - February 1944 ) during the Italian Campaign of the Mediterranean Theater of World War II . Early career . Lucas , a native of Kearneysville , Jefferson County , West Virginia , was a graduate of West Point , class of 1911 . Commissioned as a Cavalry officer on 13 June 1911 , he would branch - transfer to the Field Artillery in 1920 . Lucas spent the first few years of his commissioned service in the Philippines , returning to the US in August 1914 . Lucas was stationed at Columbus , New Mexico , where he served as the commander of the Machine Gun Troop of the 13th Cavalry Regiment . On 9 March 1916 he distinguished himself in action against Pancho Villa ' s raiders during the Battle of Columbus . He served during the Mexican Punitive Expedition , as an Aide de Camp to MG George Bell , Jr . at Fort Bliss , Texas . World War I . Lucas joined the 33rd Infantry Division in August 1917 at Camp Logan , Texas , where he continued to serve MG George Bell , Jr . , commander of the 33rd , as Aide de Camp . CPT Lucas then led the division ' s Infantry School of Arms while the division trained for war . Promoted to Major on 15 January 1918 , he was given command of the 108th Field Signal Battalion ( the Signal Battalion for the 33rd Infantry Division ) and sailed to France with this unit . He simultaneously served as the Division Signal Officer . While serving as commander of the 108th , he was seriously wounded in action near Amiens , France on 23 June 1918 . MAJ Lucas was the battalion ' s first casualty , being struck by a fragment from a German high - explosive shell . Evacuated to a hospital in England , he was later sent back to the United States on convalescent leave , where he recovered from his wounds in the Washington , D . C . , area . His wounds were severe enough to prevent him from rejoining the 33rd Infantry Division . He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on 31 October 1918 . Following the war , he would revert to his permanent rank of Captain . Inter - War Period . From 1919 - 1920 , Lucas was assigned as a military science instructor for the University of Michigan R . O . T . C . program in Ann Arbor , Michigan . In 1920 , he branch - transferred to the Field Artillery . He was promoted to Major in 1920 , and in that year also entered the Field Artillery School at Fort Sill , Oklahoma ( 1920 – 1921 ) . He graduated from the Field Artillery Advanced Course in 1921 and became an instructor at the Field Artillery School ( 1921 – 1923 ) . He then entered the one - year program at the U . S . Army Command and General Staff College , Fort Leavenworth , Kansas , graduating in 1924 and finishing 78th out of 247 in his class . He next became the Professor of Military Science and Tactics for the R . O . T . C . program at Colorado Agricultural College ( now Colorado State University ) , Fort Collins , Colorado . He served in this position for approximately 5 years ( 1924 – 1929 ) , earning an MS degree in 1927 . He was selected for command of 1st Battalion , 82d Field Artillery Regiment at Fort Bliss , Texas , from 1929 - 1930 / 31 . He then enrolled in the Army War College , Carlisle , Pennsylvania , in June 1931 , and graduated in June 1932 . From 1932 to 1936 , Lucas worked in the Personnel Division , G1 , of the War Department General Staff . From July to October , 1940 , he served as commander , 1st Field Artillery Regiment , Fort Sill , Oklahoma . He then served as commander of the Artillery Brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division at Fort Sam Houston , Texas , until July 1941 , when he was notified that he would be given command of the 3rd Infantry Division . World War II . In September 1941 , Lucas was assigned as the commander , 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Lewis , Washington , where he conducted amphibious operations in the Puget Sound . He was next assigned as the Commander , III Corps , Fort McPherson , Georgia ( April 1942 - May 1943 ) . In the Spring of 1943 , Lucas was sent overseas as a deputy to Eisenhower , and briefly took command of II Corps ( 9 – 19 September 1943 ) . On 20 September 1943 , Lucas was given command of VI Corps , taking over from Major General Ernest J . Dawley . On January 22 , 1944 , from the deck of the cruiser USS " Biscayne " , Lucas was relieved of command after Operation Shingle , the amphibious landing at Anzio . Lucas was highly critical of the plans for the Anzio battle , believing his force was not strong enough to accomplish its mission . His confidence was not reinforced when the mission was scaled back by last - minute orders and advice from his commander , Lieutenant General Mark W . Clark , who told him not to " stick his neck out " . After nine days of preparation to reenforce his position and four weeks of extremely tough fighting , Lucas was relieved by Clark and replaced with Major General Lucian K . Truscott as the commander of VI Corps at Anzio . Lucas spent three weeks as Clark ' s deputy at Fifth Army headquarters before returning to the United States . Post - War Service and Death . In March 1944 Lucas was assigned as deputy commander and later as commander of the U . S . Fourth Army , headquartered at Fort Sam Houston , Texas . After the war , he was made Chief of the US Military Advisory Group to the Nationalist Chinese Government led by Generalissimo Chiang Kai - shek ( 1946 – 1948 ) . In 1948 , he was assigned as Deputy Commander of the reactivated Fifth Army in Chicago , Illinois . While still on active duty as Deputy Commander of the Fifth Army , he died suddenly at Naval Station Great Lakes Naval Hospital , near Chicago on 24 December 1949 . He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery with his wife Sydney Virginia Lucas ( 1892 – 1959 ) . An obituary written by long - time associate and friend Major General Laurence B . Keiser appeared in the October , 1950 issue of " The Assembly , " the magazine of the Association of West Point Graduates . Memorialization . A camp in Sault Ste . Marie , Michigan , was named after MG Lucas in honor of his service . The polo field at Fort Sill , Oklahoma , was renamed Lucas field in his honor . Lucas was widely known as a Polo player in his youth . Lucas Street at Fort Sill is also named in his honor . On 28 June 1962 , Lucas Place at Fort Eustis was named in his honor . Awards and decorations . Dates of Rank . 2nd Lieutenant ( Regular Army ) ( RA ) - June 13 , 1911 1st Lieutenant ( RA ) - July 1 , 1916 Captain ( RA ) - May 15 , 1917 Major ( Temporary ) - January 15 , 1918 Lieutenant Colonel ( Temporary ) - October 30 , 1918 Captain ( RA ) - January 20 , 1920 Major ( RA ) - July 1 , 1920 Lieutenant Colonel ( RA ) - August 1 , 1935 Colonel ( RA ) - May 2 , 1940 Brigadier General ( Army of the United States ) ( AUS ) - October 1 , 1940 Major General ( AUS ) - August 5 , 1941 Major General ( RA ) - January 24 , 1948 Miscellany . John Porter Lucas was a Freemason , having been entered ( 20 February 1919 ) , passed ( 6 March 1919 ) , and raised ( 10 March 1919 ) in the Elk Branch Lodge No . 93 , Shenandoah Junction , WV . He is also believed to have been a member of the York Rite , attaining the degree of Knight Templar . According to his obituary in the October , 1950 issue of the Assembly , he had served as a Past Master of a Lodge of Freemasons in Fort Collins , CO . Media Depiction . In the movie Anzio the character of the over - cautious " General Lesley " is presumably based on John P . Lucas .