Griswold, Oscar Woolverton.

Griswold, Oscar Woolverton, born 22-10-1886, in Ruby Valley, Nevada, the son of Willard Smith Griswold (1852–1915) and his wife Margaret E, born Woolverton Griswold (1868–1947) Oscar had 4 brothers and 3 sisters: Arthur Willard Griswold (1890–1924), John Wheately Griswold (1891–1959), Agnes Leona Griswold Angel (1893–1937), Amy R Griswold Lee (1895–1995), Margaret Brown Griswold Wright (1899–1998), Joseph R. Griswold (1903–1977) and Charles Albert Griswold (1909–1968).

Oscar attended the University of Nevada, Reno from 1905 to 1906, when he received an appointment to the United States Military Academy. On graduation with the West Point Class of 1910, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Infantry.

Griswold’s early company grade assignments included three years service in China from 1914 to 1917. During World War I he served as a Major and Lieutenant Colonel in the 84th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, under command of Brigadier. Geneneral. Wilber Elliot Wilder, from 1918 to 1919, and participated in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.

Griswold was assigned to the United States Military Academy from 1921 to 1924. He graduated from the Command and General Staff College in 1925, graduating 189th in the class of 258,[2] and the United States Army War College in 1929. From 1929 to 1931 Griswold served with the War Department General Staff. This duty was followed by service with the United States Army Air Corps. He served as a member of the Infantry Board from 1932 to 1936, and from 1936 to 1939 was assigned to the Office, Chief of Infantry.

Griswold commanded the 29th Infantry Regiment from September 1939 to October 1940. The 29th was the primary training regiment permanently billeted at the Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia; under Griswold’s command, the first Parachute Test Platoon was organized out of the 29th, as well as its ersatz successor, the original 501st Parachute Battalion, nicknmae “Geronimo” under command of Colonel Howard Ravenscroft “Jumpy” Johnson . Griswold was promoted to Brigadier General in October 1940 and became Commanding General of the Infantry Replacement Training Center at Camp Croft. Promoted to major general in August 1941, he commanded 4th Infantry Division.

New Zealand Major General Harold Barrowclough (right), with Major General Oscar Griswold, commander of U. S. XIV Corps, Vella Lavella, 1943. Major General Harold Barrowclough survived the war and died 04-03-1972 (aged 77) in Auckland, New Zealand

From April 1943, Griswold was Commanding General of the XIV Corps, which fought in New Georgia, Bougainville and in the Philippines. He was promoted to Lieutenant General in early 1945, and continued to serve in the Pacific theater under Douglas MacArthur during the Battle of Manila in February 1945. Griswold was the top ground commander only under General MacArthur and General Walter Krueger

during that battle, which was the largest urban warfare American troops ever participated in up to that point; Griswold’s XIV Corps, in their bitter and bloody fight for Manila, consisted of the 1st Cavalry Division, under command of Brigadier General Kenyon Ashe Joyce, the 37th Infantry Division, under command of Brigadier General Leo Myron Kreber,

and the 11th Airborne Division. under command of General Swing, Joseph May In June 1945, General of the Army MacArthur nominated Griswold to command the Tenth United States Army following the death of Lieutenant General Simon Bolivar Buckner, Jr. in the Battle of Okinawa. However, he was passed over in favor of General Joseph Stilwell. Brigadier General Kenyon Ashe Joyce survived the war and died, age 80 on 11-01-1960, Brigadier General Leo Myron Kreber,also survived the war and  died 05 -09-1973, age 77.

After World War II, Griswold served as Commanding General of the Seventh United States Army from 11-06-1946 to 15-03-1947, and then the Third United States Army from 15-March to 14 April 1947.

In October 1947, Griswold retired to The Broadmoor resort in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and resided in the Broadmoor Stadium Apartments. In 1948 he was employed by The Broadmoor Hotel Corporation as the Director of Athletic Events. These included ice hockey and figure skating in the Broadmoor Ice Palace. He also appeared in a television segment of This Is Your Life in December 1956 where he lauded the exploits of an army captain who refused to surrender in the Philippines and successfully led a guerilla campaign against the Japanese until he turned himself in to General Griswold. He remained employed by the Broadmoor until health problems caused him to retire. Griswold, Oscar Woolverton.died on 28-09-1959, in aged 72, in Colorado Springs/Colorado, USA. and is buried at the United States Military Academy Post Cemetery, West Point, Orange County, New York, VS. Section X, Row F, Grave 102.

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