Henry "Hap" Arnold (1886-1950)
U.S. General "Hap" Arnold was Chief of the Army Air Force in all theaters throughout WWII. Under his leadership, Allied control of the air in all battle areas was established. He became the first Five-Star General of the U.S. Army Air Force. Arnold's help was instrumental in planning air strategy including the crucial 20th Air Force (a key global strategic bombing force which flew the new B-29s). He was a popular figure whose nickname "Hap" or "Happy" was well deserved. Arnold was the force behind the massive war time growth of the U.S.A.A.F. and is credited with literally building U.S. Air Force from the ground up. Under Arnold's command, Air Force personnel had grown from twenty-one thousand in 1935 to over two million is 1944.

Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964)
After winning more awards for valor than had any other American soldier in WW I, Douglas MacArthur went on to become one of the most controversial figures of WW II. After many costly battles, MacArthur started using a tactic called "Island-Hopping" which helped the General lead hi men to victory in the Pacific. In October, 1944, he fulfilled his famous promise - "I shall return," of two years earlier, by landing back in the Philippines. It fell upon MacArthur to accept Japan's formal surrender on the U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2nd, 1945. After the war he ruled Japan as an all-powerful potentate. He spent six years overseeing the re-organization of the government and the economy of this devastated island nation. He later over stepped his authority in Korea which led to his dismissal by President Harry S. Truman.

Omar Bradley (1893-1981)
Perhaps the greatest wartime strategist, General Omar Bradley graduated from West Point in 1915 along with classmate General Eisenhower. Bradley's first commission in WW II was as a Division Commander and by the end of his military career he was Commander of four armies. He is credited with delivering the final knockout to the German Afrika Korps which was accomplished in three weeks. He stormed through Sicily in record time, pushed the Germans out of France in less than a month and fought at the Battle of the Bulge. He also commanded the First Army which landed at Utah and Omaha Beach, Normandy. On D-Day, Bradley was regarded by writer Ernie Pyle as the "Best Allied General of WW II." After the war Bradley succeeded Eisenhower as Chief of Staff of the Army and went on to become Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Joseph W. Stillwell (1883-1946)
U.S. Army Lieutenant General "Vinegar Joe" Stillwell was Commander in Chief of the China-Burma-India theater and Chief of Staff to General Issimo Chiang Kai-shek. His assignment was to train the Chinese forces to resist the Japanese expansion. In addition, he was to build and hold air bases in China. He was a brilliant General who demanded respect. In 1942, while in the jungles of Burma, Stillwell was forced to retreat 140 miles on foot just ahead of the advancing Japanese. He turned around his troops and came back to Burma to beat the Japanese two years later in 1944. He was an independent commander with a stubborn streak. Due to his blatant disregard for diplomacy. Stillwell often found himself locking horns with high ranking officials.

George Patton (1885-1945)
After a distinguished tour of duty in WW I and the important appointment as Superintendent od West Point, Patton was given command of the 2nd Corp. in North Afrika. In Tunisia, he out-smarted "Desert Fox" Erwin Rommel, who was considered Germany's leading Field Marshall. Patton went on to command the 3rd Army, conducting a masterful whirlwind crossing of the Rhine. His dictum for battle was "We shall attack and attack until we are exhausted, and then we shall attack again." Patton had little sympathy and patience for soldiers who "suffered" from "combat fatigue." He is a dramatic figure with an extroverted personality and a flamboyant appearance. He was the founder of the Armored tradition in the United States Army. As with many great war heroes, General Patton died an "ordinary" death, in auto accident in December of 1945.

Dwight Eisenhower (1890-1969)
Dwight D. Eisenhower ("Ike") the soldier-statesmen, began to pave the way for his future military success while attending West Point. With World War II progressing slowly, and with the blessings of Chief of Staff General George marshall, Eisenhower was made the Supreme Commander, Allied Expeditionary Forces, in charge of the forthcoming invasion of France. Ike proved himself a genius in the direction of inter-allied campaigns. Throughout the conflict, Eisenhower's success as Supreme Commander rested on his ability as a strategist and his capacity for harmonizing the personalities of his mixed-national commanders and the often divergent national goals of the Allies. At the end of the war, Eisenhower was as much a hero to the British people as to the Americans who elected him President in 1952.