PEOPLE: Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr.

Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr. (July 18, 1886 – June 18, 1945) was a lieutenant general in the United States Army during World War II. He served in the Pacific Theater of Operations and commanded the defenses of Alaska early in the war. Following that assignment, he was promoted to command the 10th Army, which conducted the amphibious assault on the Japanese island of Okinawa on April 1, 1945. He was killed during the closing days of the Battle of Okinawa by enemy artillery fire, making him the highest-ranking U.S. military officer lost to enemy fire during World War II.

Buckner, Lesley J. McNair, Frank Maxwell Andrews, and Millard Harmon, all lieutenant generals at the time of their deaths, were the highest-ranking Americans to be killed in World War II. Buckner and McNair were posthumously promoted to the rank of four-star general on July 19, 1954, by a Special Act of Congress (Public Law 83-508).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Bolivar_Buckner_Jr.

http://1-22infantry.org/commanders/bucknerpers.htm

http://the-american-catholic.com/2015/06/24/death-of-general-simon-bolivar-buckner-jr/

Additional video footage:

Naval Photographic Center film # 111615. National Archives description " 1) CU Group of marines at command post looking at a chart of combat area.2) MS Picture of marine in a partial foxhole with a mortar.3) CU Marines, in a trench, looking out over open valley with binoculars smoke columns rise in the distance from mortar fire.4) HA MS Marine communications squad lays telephone wire toward advance position.5) CU Marine carrying mortar parts on his shoulders.6) CU USMC sniper, with telescopic lens on rifle, shooting across valley.7) HA MS Mortar squad firing.8) LS Phosphorous smoke shells hit in open valley & lay smoke screen.9) CU Marine C.P. men lying flat on ground (SV).10) HA MS Men advancing across open field below (SV).11) CU Three marines in C.P. near top of ridge.12) CU M5 tank, "AMAPOLA, " passing, FG.13) HA MS Two tanks advancing, infantrymen follow behind (SV).14) HA MS Tanks firing.15) LS Shells bursting in small group of houses Pan, back to C.P. at top of ridge LT GEN SIMON BOLIVAR BUGR, USA, directing operations.16) HA MS Six marine tanks, in valley, firing at caves on side of cliff.381= G. L., islands, Okinawa381= BATTLES, Okinawa381= ENL"D. MEN, USMC, mil. act., ashore (battle op.)381= .../CHARTS, combat area381= FORTIFICATIONS, foxhole/trenches (USMC)381= GUNS, mortars, firing381= L. S., valley381= INSTRUMENTS, optics, binoculars381= SMOKE, columns, land (from mortar fire)381= WIRING, telephone (laid)381= GUNS, rifles (SNIPER)381= FIRE CONTROL, telescopic lens (rifle)381= SHELLING, hits (phosphorous smoke)381= SMOKE, screens, laying (phosphorous smoke shells)381= TANKS, M5, undwy./firing381= BLDGS., houses (shelled)381= BUCKNER, GEN SIMON B. (USA)381= CHAMBERLAIN, MAJ WILLIAM (USA)381= WALLACE, LTCOL CLARENCE (USA)381= HUBBARD, MAJ (USA)381= OFFICERS, combined services, ail. act., ashore (battle op.)381= GUARDS, USMC, mil. police" National Archives Identifier: 79517

https://youtu.be/uCmd17fSGlA