World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseAlbert Coady Wedemeyer was born in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. In 1919 he graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, United States near the bottom of his class of 285 cadets. He was described as tall, suave, able, and ambitious. After service in China with the 15th Infantry Regiment, he went to Germany to attend the German War Academy.

ww2dbaseWhen the United States entered the war, he was promoted to the war time rank of lieutenant colonel and was assigned to the War Plans Division. His education in Germany, along with his German heritage, brought suspicion of espionage upon him. When the Federal Bureau of Investigation was unable to find evidence against him, his name was cleared, and he was assigned to Asia, away from the Germans. Wedemeyer was assigned as Chief of Staff to British Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, Supreme Allied Commander of the Southeast Asia Theater, in 1943. After Joseph Stilwell's removal from his previous position in 1944, Wedemeyer took over Stilwell's responsibility as the Chief of Staff of Chiang Kaishek and as the commander of all American forces in China. Although extremely capable in this high position, his prejudice against the Chinese people, and Chiang's inherent mistrust of most foreigners, somewhat limited his achievements. Wedemeyer also brought the Army-Navy internal political in-fighting to China, for example wrestling for control of US Navy's intelligence network (in the form of the Sino-American Special Technical Cooperative Organization, or SACO for short) despite Admiral Ernest King's protest. Wedemeyer remained Chiang's Chief of Staff until 1946.

ww2dbaseAfter the war, Wedemeyer served as the Army Chief of Plans and Operations, bringing his expertise of airlift operations from his years in the China-Burma-India theater to aid the supply situations in post war Berlin. He retired from the United States Army in 1951, and in 1954 he was promoted to the rank of full general. In 1958 he published his memoirs under the title Wedemeyer Reports.

ww2dbaseWedemeyer passed away in 1989 at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, United States. He was buried at the Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.

Photographs

Albert Wedemeyer Timeline