Joseph Carson Hutchison (September 17, 1894 – December 7, 1982) was a politician, businessman and decorated officer in the
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 ...
and
Florida National Guard during
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 ...
. He is most noted for his service as Assistant Commander,
31st Infantry Division during the
Battle of Mindanao in 1945, when he accepted the surrender of Japanese
35th Army under lieutenant general
Gyosaku Morozumi on behalf of Allied command.
Early career
Joseph C. Hutchinson was born on September 17, 1894, in
Cross Hill, South Carolina
Cross Hill is a town in Laurens County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 507 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Greenville– Mauldin– Easley Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Cross Hill developed around the in ...
as the son of Joseph C. and Elizabeth Cauthen Hutchison. He attended the public schools in
Ninety Six, South Carolina
Ninety Six is a town in Greenwood County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 1,998 at the 2010 census.
Geography
Ninety Six is located in eastern Greenwood County at (34.173211, -82.021710). South Carolina Highway 34 passes through ...
, and graduated from high school there in summer of 1912. Hutchinson then enrolled the
Wofford College
Wofford College is a private liberal arts college in Spartanburg, South Carolina. It was founded in 1854. The campus is a national arboretum and one of the few four-year institutions in the southeastern United States founded before the America ...
in
Spartanburg, South Carolina
Spartanburg is a city in and the county seat, seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. The city of Spartanburg has a municipal population of 38,732 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the 11th-largest c ...
, completing his courses in three years, he graduated with Bachelor of Arts degree in May 1915. While at the university, he was a Class Vice President and was active in the
varsity football club, which he captained in his
Senior
Senior (shortened as Sr.) means "the elder" in Latin and is often used as a suffix for the elder of two or more people in the same family with the same given name, usually a parent or grandparent. It may also refer to:
* Senior (name), a surname ...
year.
Upon his graduation, Hutchinson became a teacher of mathematics and sports coach in Seabreeze High School in
Daytona, Florida
Daytona Beach, or simply Daytona, is a coastal Resort town, resort-city in east-central Florida. Located on the eastern edge of Volusia County, Florida, Volusia County near the East Coast of the United States, Atlantic coastline, its population ...
. He later moved to
Sanford, Florida
Sanford is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Seminole County. As of the 2020 census, its population was 61,051.
Known as the "Historic Waterfront Gateway City", Sanford sits on the southern shore ...
and worked as a teacher of mathematics until the
United States' entry into World War I
United may refer to:
Places
* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...
in April 1917. He enlisted the
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 ...
in September 1917 and was assigned as Private to the Battery "B", 316th Field Artillery Regiment at
Camp Jackson,
South Carolina
)''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
. Hutchinson was promoted to
Corporal one month later and participated in the intensive training for combat deployment in France.
Following his promotion to
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 ...
in April 1918, Hutchinson was transferred to the
333rd Field Artillery Regiment
The 333rd Field Artillery Regiment is a regiment of the Field Artillery Branch of the United States Army.
Part of the regiment's history can be traced to the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion, an African-American racially segregated United Stat ...
at
Camp Grant,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
. His regiment embarked for France in August that year as a part of
86th Division and after its arrival to Europe, Hutchinson was
commissioned 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
Field Artillery
Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, short range, long range, and extremely long range target engagement.
Until the early 20t ...
on September 1, 1918.
He was subsequently ordered for additional officers' training to the Artillery School at
Saumur
Saumur () is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France.
The town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgueil, Coteaux du Layon, etc.. Saumur statio ...
on
Loire
The Loire (, also ; ; oc, Léger, ; la, Liger) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhône ...
river and remained there for one month. Hutchison then rejoined his unit, but the War ended before he could take a part in the action against German forces. He returned to the United States after the
Armistice
An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the La ...
and was discharged from Federal Service in February 1919.
Interwar period
After the War, Hutchinson returned to Sanford, Florida and became the manager of a Sanford growers'. It was during a time when Sanford was becoming the center of Florida's truck farming industry, primarily by growing
celery
Celery (''Apium graveolens'') is a marshland plant in the family Apiaceae that has been cultivated as a vegetable since antiquity. Celery has a long fibrous stalk tapering into leaves. Depending on location and cultivar, either its stalks, lea ...
. He enlisted the
Florida National Guard and was assigned as Private to the 1st Infantry of Florida. His officer rank was confirmed one month later and he was commissioned
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 ...
in the
Infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...
.
His unit was redesignated to a federally recognized
124th Infantry Regiment
The 124th Infantry Regiment is a parent regiment of the United States Army, represented in the Florida Army National Guard by the 1st Battalion headquartered in Miramar and 2nd Battalion at Orlando. The two Battalions are elements of the 53rd In ...
and during the following years, Hutchinson was consecutively promoted to Captain (May 1923), Major (February 1929), and lieutenant colonel (November 1933). Beside the annual summer trainings at Camp Joseph E. Johnston and Camp J. Clifford R. Foster (both located at the present site of
Naval Air Station Jacksonville
Naval Air Station Jacksonville (NAS Jacksonville) is a large naval air station located approximately eight miles (13 km) south of the central business district of Jacksonville, Florida, United States., effective 2007-10-25
Location
NAS Jack ...
), Hutchinson's unit participated in the relief work and guard duty to prevent looting after the hurricanes of September 1926, September 1928, and September 1935;
riot duty and protection of jailed prisoners from a mob in
Tampa, Florida
Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...
, in May and June 1927; guard and security duties in connection with the visit of President
Franklin Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
to
Winter Park, Florida
Winter Park is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 30,183 according to the 2022 census population estimate. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Winter Park was fo ...
, in March 1935 and other.
Hutchins formed the J.C. Hutchison Co. in 1935, and later helped set up a network of crop growers in Florida. He assumed command of the 124th Infantry Regiment in August 1940 and was promoted to the rank of
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 ...
shortly after. The regiment was then a part of the 62nd Infantry Brigade under Brigadier general
John C. Persons
John Cecil Persons (May 9, 1888 – December 11, 1974) was a lawyer, banker, and highly decorated officer in the United States Army and Alabama National Guard, who is most noted as Commanding general, 31st Infantry Division during World War II. ...
and upon Persons' promotion to the command of
31st Infantry Division "Dixie" on November 19, 1940, Hutchinson succeeded him as Brigade commander.
The whole 31st Division including Hutchinson's 62nd Brigade was called up for Federal service on November 25, 1940, and Hutchinson was promptly promoted to the rank of
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 ...
on that day. He then supervised the brigade's transfer to
Camp Blanding
Camp Blanding Joint Training Center is the primary military reservation and training base for the Florida National Guard, both the Florida Army National Guard and certain nonflying activities of the Florida Air National Guard. The installation is ...
, Florida as a new location for divisional headquarters was located there. He then took part in the
Louisiana Maneuvers
The Louisiana Maneuvers were a series of major U.S. Army exercises held in 1941 in northern and west-central Louisiana, an area bounded by the Sabine River to the west, the Calcasieu River to the east, and by the city of Shreveport to the nort ...
in August 1941, and continued in the
First Army Carolina Maneuvers in October–November 1941.
World War II
Following the Japanese
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, j ...
and the
United States' entry into World War II
Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor took place on December 7, 1941. The U.S. military suffered 18 ships damaged or sunk, and 2,400 people were killed. Its most significant consequence was the entrance of the United States into World War II. The US had ...
, the 31st Infantry Division was transformed from "square" infantry division structure into a
triangular organization, centered on three instead of four infantry regiments. With the disbandment of Brigade's headquarters, Hutchinson was appointed Assistant Division Commander of 31st Infantry Division under Major general Persons in late February 1942.
He was then co-responsible for the division's intensive training and preparations for combat deployment until the beginning of 1944, when 31st Division received orders for movement to
South West Pacific. The 31st Division arrived in
Oro Bay
Oro Bay is a bay in Oro Province, Papua New Guinea, located southeast of Buna, Papua New Guinea, Buna. The bay is located within the larger Dyke Ackland Bay. A port is operated by PNG Ports Corporation Limited with limited wharf facilities, loca ...
,
New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu
Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea).
It is a simplified version of ...
on April 24, 1944, and engaged in amphibious training prior to entering combat.
Hutchinson then accompanied the division to
Wakde
Wakde is an island group in Sarmi Regency, Papua, Indonesia, between the districts of Pantai Timur and Tor Atas. It comprises two islands, Insumuar (the larger) and Insumanai (much smaller).
History
Occupied by Japanese forces in April 1942, th ...
, New Guinea, which served as a staging area for a landing near a village of
Sarmi on the mainland. He was a Deputy Commander of Wakde Task Force under Persons and took part in the offensive against Japanese forces on division's perimeter to enlarge his sector. The 31st Division then built bridges, roads, and docks, patrolled the area, and engaged small units of the enemy, trying not to provoke a large scale counterattack by the enemy. Over 1,000 Japanese were killed in these actions.
He then participated in the
assault landing on Morotai in the
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...
to secure a location for airfield, which could be used for the bombing of Japanese positions in the Philippines. Following a departure of Major general Persons by the end of September, new divisional commander,
Clarence A. Martin
Clarence Ames Martin (September 13, 1896 – December 11, 1986) was a highly decorated officer in the United States Army with the rank of Major general (United States), Major General. A veteran of World War I, he distinguished himself as Company ...
retained Hutchinson as his deputy and they both supervised the division's training for the upcoming
liberation of the Philippines
Liberation or liberate may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Liberation'' (film series), a 1970–1971 series about the Great Patriotic War
* "Liberation" (''The Flash''), a TV episode
* "Liberation" (''K-9''), an episode
Gaming
* '' Liberati ...
while stationed on
Sansapor and Morotai. For his service on Morotai, Hutchinson received
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone.
Wh ...
.
The 31st Division was ordered to combat in late April 1945 and landed on
Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
and Hutchinson participated in the combats in the
Agusan River and in the jungles around Waloe against the disintegrated Japanese
35th Army until the cessation of hostilities on August 15, 1945. Following the Japanese surrender, Hutchinson assumed temporary command of the 31st Infantry Division, when general Martin departed for the United States. While in this capacity, he accepted surrender of 35,000 men from the Japanese 35th Army under lieutenant general
Gyosaku Morozumi on September 8, 1945.
Upon general Martin's return, Hutchinson relinquised division's command to Martin and resumed his duty as Assistant Division Commander. The 31st Division was then responsible for the evacuation of the Japanese personnel back to Japan until the end of October, when it was ordered back to the United States. For his service on Mindanao, Hutchinson received the
Silver Star
The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...
. He also received the
Air Medal
The Air Medal (AM) is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. It was created in 1942 and is awarded for single acts of heroism or meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.
Criteria
The Air Medal was establish ...
for participation in the aerial reconnaissance over Mindanao.
Postwar service
The 31st Division returned to the United States on December 19, 1945, and Hutchinson was co-responsible for the division's inactivation at
Camp Stoneman
Camp Stoneman was a United States Army facility located in Pittsburg, California. It served as a major troop staging area for and under the command of the San Francisco Port of Embarkation (SFPOE). The camp operated during World War II and the Kor ...
near
Pittsburg, California two days later. He was released from Federal service on April 18, 1946, and resumed his duties with the
Florida National Guard. Hutchinson returned to
Sanford, Florida
Sanford is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Seminole County. As of the 2020 census, its population was 61,051.
Known as the "Historic Waterfront Gateway City", Sanford sits on the southern shore ...
and became a community leader and local politician.
Following the activation of
48th Infantry Division of the Florida National Guard at
Fort McClellan,
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
in mid-September 1946, Hutchinson assumed duty as Assistant Division Commander under Major general
Henry D. Russell. He succeeded general Russell as Division's commander in February 1951 and was promoted to the rank of
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 ...
in the Florida National Guard one month later. While in this capacity, Hutchinson presided over the first division annual training event at Fort McClellan.
He retired from the Florida National Guard on February 29, 1952, and was advanced to the rank of
lieutenant general
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
in the Florida National Guard for his distinguished service during the war. Hutchinson then served as a member of the
Seminole County Commission and served as its chairman in 1960–1964.
The General Joseph C. Hutchinson Parkway was named in his honor in 1963 (Until 1963, the stretch of two-lane pavement between U.S. Highway 17–92 and County Road 427 was known as Pennsylvania Parkway). In 1974, Hutchinson also received an annual Randall Chase Memorial Award for outstanding citizenship from the
Kiwanis
Kiwanis International ( ) is an international service club founded in 1915 in Detroit, Michigan. It is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, and is found in more than 80 nations and geographic areas. Since 1987, the organizatio ...
.
Lieutenant General Joseph C. Hutchinson died after a long illness on December 7, 1982, aged 88, in
Sanford, Florida
Sanford is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Seminole County. As of the 2020 census, its population was 61,051.
Known as the "Historic Waterfront Gateway City", Sanford sits on the southern shore ...
. He was buried at Evergreen Municipal Cemetery in Sanford. He was married to Annie Caldwell Whitner and they had two daughters.
Decorations
Here is the list of Hutchinson's decorations with ribbon bar:
References
External links
Generals of World War II
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hutchinson, Joseph C.
1894 births
1982 deaths
People from Laurens County, South Carolina
People from Sanford, Florida
Wofford College alumni
United States Army personnel of World War I
United States Army Infantry Branch personnel
Recipients of the Silver Star
United States Army generals of World War II
United States Army generals
National Guard (United States) generals