WWII Dated ’43 Field Jacket for Gen. Lyman L. Lemnitzer SOLD

Description

General Lemnitzer’s 1943 field jacket, contract date, Nov. 1943.  A size 42 R, and in excellent condition.  This jacket may have been in the general’s hands from WWII or later, and with the airborne flash over the pocket, places the usage of the jacket as early as 1950, and most likely worn by Lemnitzer when Major General commanding the 11th Airborne Division beginning in 1951.

This item along with a civilian made white canvas jacket with the general’s initials inside of the coat looks to be something worn when the general was in the Philippines before WWII. It is in excellent condition as well.

Both of the items were purchased at an Alderfer Auction in 2007, where a large portion of Lemnitzer’s estate was sold off.

Lyman L. Lemnitzer, born in Pennsylvania in1889, and graduated from West Point in 1920. Lemnitzer made Brigadier General in June of 1842, commanding the 34th Coast Artillery Brigade. Soon after his was appointed to Eisenhower’s Allied Forces headquarters, and had a large roll in the planning of Operation TORCH, the invasion of North Africa in November of ’42. He was promoted to major general in 1944. Later during the war, along with a British brigadier general, held secret negotiations with the top German SS leader Karl Wolff, to bring about the surrender of the German army in Italy in 1945.

In 1950, at 51 years of age under went parachute training. He took command of the 11th Airborne Division followed with command of the 7th Army in Korea.  In 1952, Lemnitzer was promoted to lieutenant general.

Lemnitzer was named commander of the US Army Forces in the Far East in 1955 with the rank of full general. Named as Chief of Staff of the Army in 1957, was soon appointed Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Sept. of 1960.  In this office he was involved in the Bay of Pigs during the Kennedy Administration.  He approved the plans known as Operation Northwoods in 1962 which ultimately, through discrediting the Castro regime, and through “false flag acts of terrorism, would bring military action against Cuba.  The plan was eventually denied, and would loss favor in the Kennedy Administration. Lemnitzer was denied another term as the JCS chairmanship.

Following this affair, he was appointed as commander of US European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe  of NATO, and stayed in command there until 1966.

General Lemnitzer retired in 1969, and had held 4 star rank for 14 years.  He had been a general officer covering 4 decades. He passed away in 1988, as laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery.

A great cap and flag worn and used by a great 20th Century American General from WWII through to Viet Nam.

 

Shirt and tie are my props, NFS.

USPS Priority Mail  $17.00