Ralph Julian Canine (November 9, 1895 – March 8, 1969) was a

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

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

and the first director of the

National Security Agency The National Security Agency (NSA) is a national-level intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense, under the authority of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The NSA is responsible for global monitoring, collect ...

Early life and education

Canine was born in 1895 in

Flora, Indiana Flora is a town in Monroe Township, Carroll County, Indiana, United States. The population was 2,036 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Lafayette, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area. History A post office was established at Flora in 1873 ...

, one of two children of the local superintendent of schools. When he left home, he was intent on being a doctor, and had completed pre-med studies at

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

when he entered the

during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and was commissioned a second lieutenant.

Military career

Canine served in various combat posts in France during World War I, and elected to stay in the army after the armistice was signed in 1918. The interwar period was his education, when he traveled from one army post to another, filling just about any job that was vacant. When

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 opposing ...

broke out, Canine was well-fitted for responsibility. He became the chief of staff for the XII Corps, which served in General

George S. Patton George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in France ...

's Third Army during its race across France in 1944. After the war, he was rewarded with command of the 1st Infantry Division. In 1951 Canine became director of the

Armed Forces Security Agency The National Security Agency (NSA) is a national-level intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense, under the authority of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The NSA is responsible for global monitoring, collectio ...

, which was America's first tentative step toward cryptologic unification. He was there long enough (one year) to see what the organization lacked. When President

Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...

created the

in 1952, Canine continued as its first director. He died unexpectedly of a

pulmonary embolism Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a blockage of an artery in the lungs by a substance that has moved from elsewhere in the body through the bloodstream ( embolism). Symptoms of a PE may include shortness of breath, chest pain particularly upon breathin ...

in March 1969. He was buried in

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

.Burial Detail: Canine, Ralph J
– ANC Explorer

References

External links

Biography
from the

(public domain)
Tribute
from the

(public domain)
Generals of World War II
{{DEFAULTSORT:Canine, Ralph Directors of the National Security Agency United States Army personnel of World War I 1895 births Military personnel from Indiana 1969 deaths Deaths from pulmonary embolism Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) Recipients of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Silver Star Burials at Arlington National Cemetery United States Army generals of World War II United States Army generals