Russell Lamonte Maxwell (28 December 1890 – 24 November 1968) was an officer in the U.S. Army.

Military career

Born in

Oakdale, Illinois Oakdale is a village in Washington County, Illinois, United States. The population was 221 at the 2010 census. Geography According to the 2010 census, Oakdale has a total area of , all land. Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 21 ...

, and raised in

Modesto, California Modesto () is the county seat and largest city of Stanislaus County, California, United States. With a population of 218,464 at the 2020 census, it is the 19th largest city in the state of California and forms part of the Sacramento-Stockton- ...

, Maxwell graduated from the United States Military Academy in June 1912 where he was classmates with several men who later reached the rank of

general officer A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED O ...

, such as

Walter M. Robertson Major general (United States), Major General Walter Melville Robertson (June 15, 1888 – November 22, 1954) was a senior United States Army Officer (armed forces), officer. During World War II he received the second highest American military awa ...

, Walton Walker, Wade H. Haislip, John Shirley Wood, Robert McGowan Littlejohn,

Gilbert R. Cook Major general (United States), Major General Gilbert Richard Cook (December 30, 1889 – September 19, 1963) was a senior United States Army Officer (armed forces), officer. He had a thirty-six-year military career and served in both World War I ...

Raymond O. Barton Major General Raymond Oscar "Tubby" Barton (August 22, 1889 – February 27, 1963) was a career officer in the United States Army and combat commander in World War I and World War II. As commander of the 4th Infantry Division during World War II ...

, Millard Harmon,

Harry J. Malony Major general (United States), Major General Harry James Malony (August 24, 1889 – March 23, 1971) was a decorated United States Army officer who, after seeing distinguished service overseas on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front dur ...

, Stephen J. Chamberlin,

Franklin C. Sibert Major General Franklin Cummings Sibert (January 3, 1891 – June 24, 1980) was a United States Army officer. During World War II, Sibert was originally the commander of the 6th Infantry Division but was promoted to command the X Corps of General ...

Albert E. Brown Major General Albert Eger Brown (June 13, 1889 – October 12, 1984) was a decorated officer in the United States Army. A graduate of West Point, he was a veteran of Pancho Villa Expedition and both World Wars and is most noted for his service as ...

Archibald Vincent Arnold Major General Archibald Vincent Arnold (February 24, 1889 – January 4, 1973) was a United States Army officer who served during World War II. Early life and career Arnold was born in Collinsville, Connecticut on February 24, 1889. He attende ...

and

William H. Wilbur William Hale Wilbur (September 24, 1888 – December 27, 1979) was a United States Army officer and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II. Early life and militar ...

. Commissioned as a field artillery officer, Maxwell transferred to the Ordnance Department and became an expert on military explosives. He graduated from the

Command and General Staff School The United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC or, obsolete, USACGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military ...

in 1924, the Army Industrial College in 1925 and the Army War College in 1934. By February 1941, Colonel Maxwell was the Administrator of Export Control. Shortly before United States entry into World War II, Maxwell was promoted to brigadier general and sent to North Africa as head of the US Military North African Mission. He was the Lend Lease coordinator in the area. Maxwell became the Commanding General U.S. Army Forces in the Middle East (USAFIME) which consisted largely of Army Air Forces units. On 4 November 1942, Lieutenant General

Frank M. Andrews Lieutenant General Frank Maxwell Andrews (February 3, 1884 – May 3, 1943) was a senior officer of the United States Army and one of the founders of the United States Army Air Forces, which was later to become the United States Air Force. ...

replaced Maxwell as commander of USAFIME. A German merchant ship, the Liebenfels, salvaged at

Massawa Massawa ( ; ti, ምጽዋዕ, məṣṣəwaʿ; gez, ምጽዋ; ar, مصوع; it, Massaua; pt, Maçuá) is a port city in the Northern Red Sea region of Eritrea, located on the Red Sea at the northern end of the Gulf of Zula beside the Dahlak ...

Italian Eritrea Italian Eritrea ( it, Colonia Eritrea, "Colony of Eritrea") was a colony of the Kingdom of Italy in the territory of present-day Eritrea. The first Italian establishment in the area was the purchase of Assab by the Rubattino Shipping Company in ...

by Navy Commander Edward Ellsberg working under Maxwell's direction was named for General Maxwell. The General Maxwell was later renamed Empire Nile by the British. From 30 September 1943 to 14 March 1946, Maxwell served as the Assistant Chief of Staff, G-4, in the War Department General Staff. He served as a major general from 9 March 1942 to 30 September 1946. Maxwell died at his home in Washington, D.C., and was buried at the West Point Cemetery on 27 November 1968.

References

1890 births 1968 deaths People from Washington County, Illinois People from Modesto, California United States Military Academy alumni United States Army personnel of World War I United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy alumni United States Army War College alumni United States Army generals of World War II Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) United States Army generals Military personnel from Washington, D.C. Burials at West Point Cemetery {{US-army-bio-stub