During the Louisiana maneuvers of September 1941, which saw the dawn of the present U.S. Army, Lieut. General Lesley J. McNair was talking to a friend about some necessary weeding out of generals gone to seed. The Army, he said confidently, could find the necessary younger officers to replace the spent militarists.
"Take this young fellow here," he said, nodding at Major Alfred Maximilian Gruenther. "He is capable of a much higher command."
Probably not even General McNair dreamed that the thin, slight officer with the booming voice would swing into higher commands so swiftly. Made a lieutenant colonel during the...
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