General+John+DeWitt

= = =LIEUTENANT GENERAL JOHN DEWITT=
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General John DeWitt played a large roll in the internment of Japanese-Americans. He convinced many people that the Japanese living in America were all traitors to America. He said that most Japanese-Americans were law-breakers, and that they should be evacuated. Because of the predjudice of one man, a whole race was humiliated. Had it not been for John DeWitt, the evacuation and internment of Japanese-Americans would have been more controversial, and maybe it wouldn't have happened. Lieutenant General John DeWitt was born in Fort Sidney, Nebraska on January 9, 1880. On October 10, 1898 General John DeWitt was appointed as the Second Lieutenant with the United States Army infantry. He served twenty years with the infantry, working at various posts. In 1918 he fought with the [|42nd Infantry] in World War I. In July of the same year DeWitt was promoted to Colonel, and continued his Quartermaster duties for the First Army. At the end of World War I General John DeWitt received the Distinguished Service Medal. In 1930 DeWitt was promoted to the rank of Major General. DeWitt returned to the infantry and assumed control of the Philippine Division. In July of 1937 he became Commandant of the [|Army War College]. DeWitt continued his outstanding work ,when,in December of 1939 DeWitt was promoted to Lieutenant General, and assumed command of the [|Fourth Army] as well as Western Defense Command with responsibility for protecting the whole West Coast. From December 5, 1939 to June 15, 1943, General John DeWitt was head of the Western Defense Command. Because of his awesome power, when he reported that no sabotage had yet been done by Japanese-Americans, but that it will soon happen, President Roosevelt believed him. This shows the amount of bias and hatred toward the Japanese at the time, that even the President of the United States showed racial predjudice towards them. General DeWitt suggested to FDR that all of the Japanese in the California, Oregon, and Washington area be evacuated as soon as possible. President Roosevelt agreed, and Lieutenant General John DeWitt authorized the removal and [|internment of 110,000 people] of Japanese ancestry. He did this even though the FBI and Naval Intelligence assured him that the Japanese-Americans were no threat. Unknown to most people, DeWitt supervised combat operations in the [|Aleutian Islands], which were invaded by Japanese forces. This may be where he gained his hatred for Japanese. In 1947 Lieutenant General John DeWitt retired from the Army. In 1954 DeWitt became a full General by order of Congress, and was honored for the "great" things he did during World War II. June 20, 1962 General DeWitt died of a heart attack. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.