Edward Almond Edward Mallory " Ned " Almond ( December 12 , 1892 – June 11 , 1979 ) was a controversial United States Army general best known as the commander of the Army ' s X Corps during the Korean War . Early biography . Born in Luray , Virginia , Almond graduated from the Virginia Military Institute ( VMI ) in 1915 and became an infantry officer in 1916 , serving in France with the 4th Division during the final months of World War I . He graduated from the Command & General Staff School , Fort Leavenworth , Kansas , 1930 . After a tour of duty in Philippines he attended the Army War College in 1934 . From 1934 to 1938 he was attached to intelligence Division of the General Staff . Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in September 1938 , he completed the course at Naval War College in 1940 and in January 1941 was assigned staff duty at VI Corps HQ , Providence , Rhode Island . Promoted to the temporary ranks of Colonel October 1941 , Brigadier General March 1942 , when was named assistant commander of the 93rd Infantry Division located in Arizona . World War II and postwar occupation in Japan . Almond was for a time highly regarded by George Marshall , also a VMI graduate , who was Army Chief of Staff during World War II . This regard accounted in part for Almond ' s promotion to Major General ahead of most of his peers and subsequent command of the 92nd Infantry Division , made of almost exclusively African - American soldiers , a position he held from its formation in October 1942 until August 1945 . He led the division in combat in the Italian campaign of 1944 - 1945 . Although George Marshall picked Almond for this assignment because Marshall believed Almond would excel at this difficult assignment , the division performed poorly in combat . Almond blamed the division ' s poor performance on its largely African - American troops , echoing the widespread prejudice in the segregated Army that blacks made poor soldiers — and went on to advise the Army against ever again using African - Americans as combat troops . Almond told confidants that the division ' s poor combat record had cheated him of higher command . In 1946 Almond was transferred to Tokyo as chief of personnel at General MacArthur ' s General Headquarters ( GHQ ) . Normally a dead - end job , Almond handled the sizable challenge of staffing the occupation forces in Japan as the American forces rapidly demobilized , standing out among MacArthur ' s lackluster staff officers . Having won MacArthur ' s confidence as a capable and loyal staff officer Almond was the logical choice to become GHQ Chief of Staff in January 1949 , when the incumbent , Paul Mueller , rotated home . Korean War and X Corps . In 1950 , MacArthur split X Corps from the 8th Army then placed Almond , who had no experience with amphibious operations , in command of the main landing force just before the amphibious invasion s of Inchon and Wonsan . Almond earned the scorn of Marine officers when , during the early phase of the Inchon landing , he asked if the amphibious tractor s used to land the Marines could float . During this invasion Almond failed to capture most of the opposing North Korean Army as they retreated from the 38th parallel to defensive positions above Seoul . During this time , Almond had many conflicts with Major General O . P . Smith , commander of the 1st Marine Division , which was part of X Corps ( and therefore under Almond ' s overall command ) from October until December 1950 . Likewise Almond had a poor relationship with Lieutenant General Walton Walker , commander of the 8th Army . Historians have criticized Almond for the wide dispersal of his units during the X Corps invasion of the north - eastern part of North Korea , in November – December 1950 . This dispersal contributed to the defeat of X Corps by Chinese troops , including the destruction of Task Force Faith , and the narrow escape of the Marines at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir . Almond was slow to recognize the scale of the Chinese attack on X Corps , urging Army and Marine units forward despite the huge Chinese forces arrayed against them . Displaying his usual boldness , he underestimated the strength and skill of the Chinese forces , at one point telling his subordinate officers " The enemy who is delaying you for the moment is nothing more than remnants of Chinese divisions fleeing north . We ' re still attacking and we ' re going all the way to the Yalu . Don ' t let a bunch of Chinese laundry men stop you . " As stated by a close associate : " When it paid to be aggressive , Ned was aggressive . When it paid to be cautious , Ned was aggressive " Despite these mistakes and partly due to his close relationship with General MacArthur , the new Eighth Army commander Lieutenant General Matthew Ridgway retained Almond as head of X Corps . Ridgway admired Almond ' s aggressive attitude , but felt he needed close supervision to ensure his boldness did not jeopardize his command . Almond and X Corps later took part in the defeat of the Chinese offensives during February and March 1951 , as well as the Eighth Army ' s counter - offensive , Operation Killer . Almond was promoted to Lieutenant General in February 1951 . Post Korea . In July 1951 , Almond became head of the U . S . Army War College . He retired in 1953 and worked in insurance until his death in 1979 . He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery .