Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

Eugene M. Landrum (February 6, 1891 – July 24, 1967) was a senior

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

officer. He is known primarily for defeating the Japanese in the Aleutian Islands Campaign at the start of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, being relieved as commander of the 90th Infantry Division shortly after the

D-Day landings The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...

, and organizing the

Pusan Perimeter The Battle of the Pusan Perimeter ( ko, 부산 교두보 전투) was a large-scale battle between United Nations Command (UN) and North Korean forces lasting from August 4 to September 18, 1950. It was one of the first major engagements of the ...

to blunt the North Korean offensive during the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

Early life and military career

Eugene Manuel Landrum was born in

Pensacola, Florida Pensacola () is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle, and the county seat and only incorporated city of Escambia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 54,312. Pensacola is the principal ...

, on February 6, 1891. He was educated in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

and enlisted in the Alabama National Guard’s Company M of the 1st Regiment in 1909. He joined the

as a member of the Coast Artillery Corps on August 20, 1910, and quickly transferred to the Infantry Branch. Landrum served in the

17th 17 (seventeen) is the natural number following 16 and preceding 18. It is a prime number. Seventeen is the sum of the first four prime numbers. In mathematics 17 is the seventh prime number, which makes seventeen the fourth super-prime, as s ...

and 2nd Infantry Regiments, and attained the rank of

sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...

. He was commissioned as a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

in the Infantry Branch, and was assigned to the 20th Infantry Regiment in November 1916. He served initially in

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

, where he was promoted to

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...

. Shortly after the American entry into World War I, in April 1917, Landrum was assigned to the 43rd Infantry Regiment, and performed duty as aide-de-camp to Robert K. Evans in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. Landrum later took part in action in

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

as part of

American Expeditionary Force, Siberia The American Expeditionary Force, Siberia (AEF in Siberia) was a formation of the United States Army involved in the Russian Civil War in Vladivostok, Russia, after the October Revolution, from 1918 to 1920. The force was part of the larger All ...

Between the wars

After the war Landrum continued his army career, receiving promotion to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

and carrying out Infantry and Adjutant General assignments in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, and at forts including Leavenworth, Benning, and Lewis. He was promoted to

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

in 1927. In the mid-1930s, he commanded the 23rd Forestry District of the

Civilian Conservation Corps The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was a major part of ...

, with headquarters in Marion, Illinois. Landrum graduated from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff School in 1933 and the U.S. Army War College in 1936. He was promoted to

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

on April 1, 1938.

World War II

When the United States entered

in December 1941 Landrum was

Chief of Staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...

of the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Lewis, after receiving a temporary promotion to

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

in June 26. On March 12, 1942 he was promoted to temporary

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

and was assigned as assistant division commander (ADC) of the 3rd Infantry Division until June when

William W. Eagles Major General William Willis Eagles (January 12, 1895 − February 19, 1988) was a decorated officer in the United States Army. A graduate of the United States Military Academy (USMA), he is most noted for his service during World War II as Comman ...

succeeded him. Landrum served with the 7th Infantry Division in the Aleutian Islands campaign during combat as the United States reclaimed islands in the

Aleutians The Aleutian Islands (; ; ale, Unangam Tanangin,”Land of the Aleuts", possibly from Chukchi ''aliat'', "island"), also called the Aleut Islands or Aleutic Islands and known before 1867 as the Catherine Archipelago, are a chain of 14 large vo ...

which had been seized by the Japanese. For his service in Alaska, Landrum received both the

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

and

Navy Distinguished Service Medal The Navy Distinguished Service Medal is a military decoration of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps which was first created in 1919 and is presented to sailors and Marines to recognize distinguished and exceptionally meritoriou ...

s. Landrum was promoted to temporary

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

on March 13, 1943 and commanded the 87th Infantry Division during its training in the United States. He relinquished command and went to Europe shortly before the June 1944

D-Day invasion The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...

, with

U.S. First Army First Army is the oldest and longest-established field army of the United States Army. It served as a theater army, having seen service in both World War I and World War II, and supplied the US army with soldiers and equipment during the Kore ...

commander Omar Bradley, keeping Landrum unassigned and available to command a division on short notice. The 90th Infantry Division took part in the D-Day invasion, coming ashore on D-Day+1 and conducting combat activities in Normandy. Major General

J. Lawton Collins General (United States), General Joseph Lawton Collins (May 1, 1896 – September 12, 1987) was a senior United States Army officer. During World War II, he served in both the Asiatic-Pacific Theater, Pacific and European Theater of Operations, U ...

, commanding the

VII Corps 7th Corps, Seventh Corps, or VII Corps may refer to: * VII Corps (Grande Armée), a corps of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars * VII Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army prior to and during World War I * VII R ...

, became concerned that the 90th, which had not seen service in the war so far, was not performing effectively in combat. As a result, he relieved the division commander, Brigadier General

Jay W. MacKelvie Brigadier General Jay W. MacKelvie (September 23, 1890 – December 5, 1985) was a career United States Army officer. He was prominent during World War II for being relieved of his command of the 90th Infantry Division shortly after the Normandy ...

and assigned Landrum as his replacement. Landrum commanded the division during the rest of June and into August. During this period, he became involved in a verbal altercation with his ADC, Brigadier General Samuel Tankersley Williams, and requested that Williams be reduced in rank to colonel and reassigned. Landrum’s superiors concurred, and the action was carried out. (Despite this, Williams remained in the army and was eventually promoted again to brigadier general in 1951, and advanced to lieutenant general before retiring in 1960.) In August, Landrum’s corps, army and army group commanders were still not satisfied with the performance of the 90th Division, and Landrum was relieved. He was succeeded by Major General

Raymond S. McLain Lieutenant General Raymond Stallings McLain (April 4, 1890 – December 14, 1954) was a senior United States Army officer. In the words of General George C. Marshall, Raymond S. McLain "gave great distinction to the term 'citizen soldier. His serv ...

, and returned to the United States. Upon returning to the United States Landrum succeeded

Robert L. Spragins Major general (United States), Major General Robert Lily Spragins (November 12, 1890 – December 26, 1964) was a senior United States Army Officer (armed forces), officer. He was notable for his command of the 71st Infantry Division (United Sta ...

as commander of the 71st Infantry Division during its mobilization and training before it departed for combat in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

. He did not remain in command when the division departed for Europe, but was reassigned to command the Infantry Advanced Replacement Training Center at Camp Maxey,

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

Postwar

Following World War II Landrum returned to his permanent rank of colonel and continued his career, including assignment as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Fifth Army in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Korean War

During the

Landrum served with Eighth Army, first as Deputy Chief of Staff and then Chief of Staff. At the time, commanders of numbered armies were not officially authorized deputies, so Landrum served as the ''de facto'' deputy for

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

Walton Walker, the Eighth Army commander. Walker, who had served with Landrum at Fifth Army, relied on him during organization of the

as Eighth Army organized the defensive action which enabled U.S. and South Korean forces to begin the counterattack that pushed the

North Koreans The demographics of North Korea are determined through national censuses and international estimates. The Central Bureau of Statistics of North Korea conducted the most recent census in 2008, where the population reached 24 million inhabitants ...

north across the 38th Parallel. Walker, who always referred to Landrum as "General Landrum" in recognition of his temporary World War II rank, made Landrum responsible for finding replacement troops and reinforcements and employing them where they could be most effective. Landrum received a second award of the Distinguished Service Medal to recognize his efforts in Korea. Landrum served until reaching the mandatory retirement age of 60. He retired at his wartime rank of major general in a ceremony at Fort Mason,

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

Death and burial

In retirement Landrum resided in

San Jose, California San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popul ...

. He died in

Springfield, Illinois Springfield is the capital of the U.S. state of Illinois and the county seat and largest city of Sangamon County. The city's population was 114,394 at the 2020 census, which makes it the state's seventh most-populous city, the second largest o ...

, on July 24, 1967, and was buried at

San Francisco National Cemetery San Francisco National Cemetery is a United States national cemetery, located in the Presidio of San Francisco, California. Because of the name and location, it is frequently confused with Golden Gate National Cemetery, a few miles south of the ci ...

, Section DE, Site 17-A.

Family

Landrum was married to Frances Richardson Yeater (1894–1961), the daughter of Charles Yeater. Their children included son Eugene and daughter Marianna. Eugene M. Landrum Jr. (1920–2009) was a lieutenant colonel in the army and served during World War II and the Korean War.Eugene M. Landrum, Jr.
a

References

External resources

Eugene M. Landrum
a

, - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Landrum, Eugene M. 1891 births 1967 deaths United States Army Infantry Branch personnel United States Army Coast Artillery Corps personnel People from Pensacola, Florida People from San Jose, California United States Army personnel of World War I United States Army personnel of the Korean War United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal United States Army War College alumni American military personnel of the Russian Civil War Burials at San Francisco National Cemetery United States Army generals of World War II United States Army generals Military personnel from Florida