During WWII, did anyone go from draftee to general officer?

Meet Keith Lincoln Ware. This cool looking dude in shades is also wearing the Medal of Honor, just presented to him by Lt. General Alexander ‘sandy’ Patch, commander of the 7th Army.

Keith Ware was a catalog clerk when he received his draft notice. Nothing in his background suggested he would become an excellent combat soldier, yet only on his second day of combat, he would receive the Silver Star.

He became a Lt. Colonel commanding the 15th Regiment of the 3rd Infantry Division. He was Audie Murphy’s commanding officer. The 3rd Infantry Division holds the distinction of its members receiving the most Medals of Honor during the war. The final number is 44.

On 26 December 1944, Sigolsheim, France-one of Ware’s Companies had been stopped while trying to take a German occupied position suffering many casualties and loss of morale. Ware seeing this took matters into his own hands. Ware picked up a BAR, got 2 officers and 9 enlisted men and advanced toward the enemy’s position. He personally assaulted 3 enemy machine gun nests, killing 7 Germans. Wounded and refusing medical attention, he intentionally exposed himself to direct a tank to fire on the 4th machine gun position, thereby talking the hill singlehandedly. For this action he was awarded the Medal of Honor. Of note, one month later, one of his Lieutenant’s Audie Murphy, would also earn the M.O.H. eventually becoming the most decorated soldier of WWII. Mr. Ware, the ex catalog clerk endured 600 days of combat during WWII.

The “ Fighting General” would go onto serve in Korea , then as commanding officer of the 1st Infantry Division, the Big Red One in Vietnam.

On October 13, 1968, Loc Ninh, near the Cambodian border. While directing fire from his command helicopter, it was shot down from intense ground fire. Ware, his 3 command staff and 4 crew members were killed in action when the chopper was hit. He was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. General Ware’s other awards included the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and 3 Purple Hearts.

General Keith Ware is the only soldier during WWII to rise from a draftee to General Staff officer.

We never truly know what our calling in life is.

General Ware was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. In attendance was President Johnson, who had met Ware before, and had great respect for the man.

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The Last Judicial Hanging in The United States

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Holocaust victim

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