WALTER BEDELL SMITH

'General Walter Bedell "Beetle" Smith' GBE KCB (October 5, 1895 – August 9, 1961) was Dwight D. Eisenhower's Chief of Staff during Eisenhower's tenure at SHAEF and Director of the CIA from 1950 to 1953. He also served as U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1946 to 1949.
Smith's first military service was as a private in the Indiana National Guard. He continued his service during World War I, in the 4th Division of the United States Army as an Infantry Reserve Officer. This included deployment to France.
When General George C. Marshall became the Army's Chief of Staff, he called in Smith (then a Major) to be Assistant to the Secretary of the General Staff. He became Secretary in September 1941 and in February 1942 was named U.S. Secretary of the Combined Chiefs of Staff. Just before the invasion of North Africa, Marshall sent him to England to be Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower's Chief of Staff. He remained in that role until V-E Day, including making the arrangements for the German surrender. ^[1][2]
Smith had a reputation as a brusque manager, peppered with salty speech, and was often referred to as Eisenhower's "hatchet man". For instance, when Gen. George S. Patton needed to be disciplined, Smith was tasked with delivering the bad news. He was also known to be an avowed segregationist and was oft remarked in writings and private conversations to have doubts about the effectiveness of African-American soldiers in combat. It may be said that Smith was responsible for keeping African-Americans out of most combat roles in the Second World War while in his influential position as chief of staff to the Supreme Allied Commander, General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Smith left the Army to take the position of U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1946 to 1949, and returned to command the US First Army at the rank of General (four-star). He then became Director of Central Intelligence (head of the Central Intelligence Agency) from 1950 to 1953. He retired from the Army upon leaving the DCI position on February 9, 1953.^[3] He also served as Under Secretary of State from 1953 to 1954 and played a role in the creation of the National Security Agency.
He died from a heart attack on August 9, 1961 at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington. He was subsequently buried in Section 7 of Arlington National Cemetery. His wife, Mary Eleanor Smith (1893-1963), is buried with him.
Various writings by Second World War senior commanders, including, but not limited to George S. Patton, Omar Bradley, and others, have tended to portray Smith unfavorably. An effective, ruthless administrator, he is best remembered as being an exceptional professional staff officer, but a man not well admired by his peers or subordinates.

Contents

References and notes

Further reading

References and notes

1. 1945: Germany signs unconditional surrender website of the BBC
2. Earl F. Ziemke "''The U.S. Army in the occupation of Germany 1944-1946''" Center of Military History, United States Army, Washington, D. C., 1990, Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 75-619027. CHAPTER XV:The Victory Sealed
3. Walter Smith CIA website

Further reading

★ Arlington bio

★ The Last Salute: Civil and Military Funeral, 1921-1969, CHAPTER XX, General Walter Bedell Smith, Special Full Honor Funeral, 9-14 August 1961 by B. C. Mossman and M. W. Stark