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Theodore Roosevelt Jr. or Theodore Roosevelt II (also known as Ted Roosevelt or Teddy Roosevelt) (September 13, 1887 – July 12, 1944) was an American political and business leader, a Medal of Honor winning soldier who fought in both World War One and World War Two, and the eldest son of President Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Governor of Puerto Rico (1929–32), Governor General of the Philippines (1932–33), chairman of the board of American Express Company, and Vice-President at Doubleday Books and as a Brigadier General in the United States Army.
Earliest years
"Teddy," as he was, in childhood, universally known, was the son of President Theodore Roosevelt. He was born at the family estate in Oyster Bay, New York when his father was just starting his political career. His siblings were brothers Archibald (nicknamed "Archie"), Quentin, Kermit; sister Ethel; and half-sister Alice.
Childhood
Like all the Roosevelt children, Ted was tremendously influenced by his father. In later life, Ted would record some of these childhood recollections in a series of newspaper articles written around the time of World War I.
In one article, Ted recalled his first time in Washington when the elder Theodore was Civil Service Commissioner, ". . . when father was civil service commissioner I often walked to the office with him. On the way down he would talk history to me—not the dry history of dates and charters, but the history where you yourself in your imagination could assume the role of the principal actors, as every well-constructed boy wishes to do when interested. During every battle we would stop and father would draw out the full plan in the dust in the gutter with the tip of his umbrella. Long before the European war had broken over the world father would discuss with us military training and the necessity for every man being able to take his part."[1]
Education
Unlike his little brother Quentin, who was as naturally gifted intellectually as his father, and sailed through Harvard, studies did not come easy for Ted, but he persisted and graduated in 1908. After graduating from college, he entered the business world. He took positions in the steel business and carpet business before becoming the branch manager of an investment bank. He had a flair for business and amassed a considerable fortune in the years leading up to World War I and on into the 1920s. The income from his investments stood him in good stead to become involved in politics after the War.
Political career
After service in World War I (see below), Ted began his political career. In 1919 he was elected to the New York State Assembly. Grinning like his father, waving a crumpled hat, and like his father, shouting "bully," Ted participated in every national campaign that he could except when he was governor general of the Philippines. In 1921 when Warren G. Harding was elected president, Teddy was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy. Here he oversaw the transferring of oil leases from the Navy to private corporations. This later became known as the Teapot Dome scandal. Although he was cleared of all charges, his image was tarnished.
In 1924, he was the Republican nominee for governor of New York. His cousin Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke out on Ted's "wretched record" as Assistant Secretary of the Navy during the oil scandals. Eleanor Roosevelt played her part as well in ending Ted's political future. Due to her vigorous campaigning that went as far as Eleanor showing up at one of Ted's speaking engagement in a huge teapot that made tooting sounds to trying to link Ted to the recent Teapot Dome Scandal, a scandal that Eleanor clearly knew Ted had no part in. Eleanor used that campaign tactic after Ted commented of FDR, comparing him to Ted's father, TR, "He's a maverick! He does not wear the brand of our family." Eleanor had been infuriated by these remarks. She would later decry these methods, admitting that they were below her dignity but contrived by democratic party dirty tricksters. Ted never forgave Eleanor for her stunt though his half-sister, Alice Longworth later forgave Eleanor for these actions and resumed their formerly close friendship. These conflicts served to widen the split between the Oyster Bay TR and Hyde Park FDR wings of the Roosevelt family. Because of Eleanor's efforts he lost the support of many of his would-be voters. His opponent, Alfred E. Smith, defeated him by 105,000 votes. But in the simultaneous race for President, the Republican Calvin Coolidge won New York by over 850,000 votes.
In September of 1929, President Herbert Hoover appointed Ted Governor of Puerto Rico. Roosevelt became a well-loved and popular figure there. As governor, he did his best to ease the island's poverty. He was fond of local Puerto Rican culture and assumed many of the island's tradition. He became known as the "Jibarito de La Fortaleza" (Farmer of the Fortaleza) by locals.
Hoover was impressed with his work in Puerto Rico and appointed him Governor General of the Philippines in 1932. When his fifth cousin, Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected President, Ted joked of his position in the Philippines that he was "fifth cousin, about to be removed," and this is what happened not long after FDR took office.
In 1932, when FDR challenged Hoover for the presidency, Ted's half-sister, Alice Roosevelt Longworth, whose dislike for her Democratic cousin FDR was "intensely real" as Time magazine at that time described it, begged Ted to return from the Philippines to take to the stump. Ted announced to the Press on August 22, 1932 that "Circumstances have made it necessary for me to return for a brief period to the United States. . . . I shall start for the Philippines again the first week in November. . While there I hope I can accomplish something." The reaction of many in the US Press was so negative that within a few weeks, it was suddenly arranged for Governor General Roosevelt to remain at Manila throughout the campaign. Secretary of War Hurley cabled Ted, "The President has reached the conclusion that you should not leave your duties for the purpose of participating in the campaign. . . . He believes it to be your duty to remain at your post." [2] Ted's resignation as Governor General of the Philippines after the election of FDR effectively ended his political career. But he saw the war clouds gathering in Europe as a way to capture what he and his father had found on the battlefield, glory and political opportunity. All he would have to do is physically survive the next conflict. He would write his wife as he sailed for North Africa, using his father's language that he had done his best and his fate was now "at the knees of the gods."
Return to the United States
While Governor General of the Philippines, Ted Jr., who continued to have political aspirations to follow in his father's Presidential footsteps, complained during the 1932 presidential campaign of his cousin FDR, "Franklin is such poor stuff it seems improbable that he should be elected President." When Franklin won the election and Ted was asked just how he was related to FDR, he humorously described himself as "fifth cousin about to be removed." He shortly thereafter resigned his office. In 1935, he returned to the United States and became a vice president of the publishing house Doubleday Doran & Company.
National and Military service
World War I service
All the Roosevelt sons except Kermit had had some military training prior to World War I. With the outbreak of war in Europe in August 1914, there had been a heightened concern about the nation's readiness for military engagement. Only the month before Congress had belatedly recognized the significance of military aviation by authorizing the creation of an Aviation Section in the Signal Corps. In 1915, Major General Leonard Wood, TR's CO in the Spanish-American War, organized a summer camp at Plattsburg, New York, to provide military training for business and professional men at their own expense. It would be this summer training program that would provide the basis of a greatly expanded junior officers corps when the Country entered World War I. During that fateful summer of 1915, many well-heeled young men from some of the finest East Coast schools, including all three Roosevelt sons would attend the Camp. When the United States entered the War, commissions were offered to the graduates of these schools based on their performance. The National Defense Act of 1916 continued the student military training and the businessmen's summer camps and placed them on a firmer legal basis by authorizing an Officers' Reserve Corps and a Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC).
After the declaration of War, when the American Expeditionary Force, or "AEF," was organizing, the Roosevelt boys father, Theodore, wired Major General "Black Jack" Pershing asking if his sons could accompany him to Europe as privates. Pershing accepted, but, based on their training at Plattsburg, Archie was offered a commission with rank of second lieutenant, while Ted, Jr., was offered a commission and the rank of major. Quentin had already been accepted into the fledgling Army Air Service. Kermit would volunteer with the British in the area that would eventually become modern-day Iraq.
Ted, having a reserve commission in the Army, as did two of his brothers, Quentin and Archibald was called up shortly after World War I broke out. When the United States declared war on Germany, given a major's commission, Ted volunteered to be of the first soldiers to go France. There, Ted had distinguished himself as the best battalion commander in his division per the division commander, himself. He had braved hostile fire and gas and had led his battalion in combat. So concerned was he for his men's welfare that he had even purchased combat boots for the entire battalion with his own money. He eventually commanded the US Army's 26th Regiment in the First Division, as lieutenant colonel. He fought in several major battles. He was gassed and wounded at Soissons during the summer of 1918. In July of that year his brother, Quentin, was killed in combat. Teddy received the Distinguished Service Cross for his action during the war. Before the troops even came home from France, Ted was one of the originators and founders of the soldier's organization that would become the American Legion. Ted helped to organize the Legion's first convention in Paris.
Teddy resumed his Reserve service between the wars, attending the annual Summer Camps at Pine Camp, and completing both the Infantry Officer's Basic and Advanced Courses, and the Command & General Staff College, and so was eligible for senior commissioned service in World War II.
World War II service and death
In 1940, he attended a military refresher course offered to many business men as an advanced student, and was promoted to Colonel in the Army of the United States. He returned to active duty in April 1941 and was given command of the 26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, the same group he fought with in World War I. Late in 1941, he was promoted to brigadier general. US Army Chief of Staff, George C. Marshall, saw in Ted (as well as the rising stars in the regular ground officer corps of the Army—Patton, Allen, Terry, and Bradley) the kind of intelligence and aggressive instinct that would be needed as a new generation of young Americans, by the millions, went off to war largely untested by combat.
North Africa Campaign
Upon his arrival in North Africa, Roosevelt was given command of his old World War I unit, the 26th Infantry Regiment (United States) and soon promoted to brigadier general. He was known as a general who often visited the front lines. He had always preferred the heat of the battle to the comfort of the command post. This would culminate in his actions in France on D-day.
In North Africa, Teddy led his regiment in an attack on Oran, Africa on November 8, 1942. During 1943, he was the second in command of the U.S. 1st Infantry Division that fought in the North African Campaign under Major General Terry Allen. He was cited for the Croix de Guerre by the military commander of French Africa, General Alphonse Juin:
- As commander of a Franco-American detachment on the Ousseltia plain in the region of Pichon, in the face of a very aggressive enemy, he showed the finest qualities of decision and determination in the defense of his sector.
- Showing complete contempt for personal danger, he never ceased during the period of Jan 28 – Feb 21, visiting troops in the front lines, making vital decisions on the spot, winning the esteem and admiration of the units under his command and developing throughout his detachment the finest fraternity of arms.
Roosevelt's leadership style clashes with Patton's in North Africa
Ted's collaboration and friendship with his commander, the hard-fighting, hard-drinking Allen, and their unorthodox approach to warfare did not escape the attention of General George S. Patton. Patton disapproved of officers like Ted and Allen, who "dressed down" and were seldom seen in regulation field uniforms and who did not any value in Patton's spit-shined ways. Patton thought them both un-soldierly for it and didn't waste any opportunity to send derogatary reports of Allen to the Supreme Allied Commander. In a sense, Roosevelt was also considered by Patton "guilty by association" for his friendship and collabortion with the highly unorthodox Allen. When Allen was relieved of command of the First Division and re-assigned, so was Roosevelt. After criticising Terry Allen in his diary on July 31, 1943, Patton recorded that he was going to relieve both Allen and Roosevelt, noting that he had asked permission of Eisenhower "to relieve both Allen and Roosevelt on the same terms, on the theory of rotation of command," and adding, concerning Roosevelt, "there will be a kick over Teddy, but he has to go, brave but otherwise, no soldier." While Ted was no soldier in the Patton mold, characterized by brashness, impetuosity, arrogance and a self-promoting style, Ted was, in fact, a soldier's soldier. He had wanted to be a soldier since early childhood. Talked out of West Point by his father, the 26th President, Ted, nevertheless, volunteered to attend the Plattsburg Officer Candidates School in New York, and there, had distinguished himself as a young officer candidate in the summers leading up to WW-I. When the United States declared war on Germany, given a major's commission, Ted volunteered to be of the first soldiers to go France. There, Ted had distinguished himself as the best battalion commander in his division per the division commander, himself. He had braved hostile fire and gas and had led his battalion in combat. So concerned was he for his men's welfare that he had even purchased combat boots for the entire battalion with his own money. Before the troops even came home from France, he had originated and championed the idea of a soldier's organization that would become the American Legion. In between wars, Ted continued to attend professional officer training classes. Although not a West Point graduate or a career regular Army officer, any casual reader has to ask how Ted was not a soldier in almost every sense except in Patton's spit-shinned way.
Roosevelt saw action in Sicily, commanded Allied Forces in Sardinia, and fought on the Italian mainland. He was the chief liaison officer to the French Army in Italy for General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Repeatedly, Roosevelt requested combat command of Eisenhower.
Ted leads the way landing at Utah Beach on D-Day
In February 1944, Ted was assigned to England to help lead the Normandy invasion. He was assigned as assistant division commander of the U.S. 4th Infantry Division. After several verbal requests to the Division's Commanding Officer, Maj. General "Tubby" Barton were denied, Roosevelt wrote a written petition saying, "The force and skill with which the first elements hit the beach and proceed may determine the ultimate success of the operation... With troops engaged for the first time, the behavior pattern of all is apt to be set by those first engageds. [It is] considered that accurate information of the existing situation should be available for each succeeding element as it lands. You should have when you get to shore an overall picture in which you can place confidence. I believe I can contribute materially on all of the above by going in with the assault companies. Furthermore I personally know both officers and men of these advance units and believe that it will steady them to know that I am with them.”
Barton approved this letter with much misgivings stating that he did not expect Roosevelt to return alive. Ted would be the only General on D-Day to land with the first wave. He was the first soldier off the landing craft on landed with Company E, 2nd Battalion, 8th US Army Regiment, permission to land with one of the first waves of troops at Utah Beach. On D-day, he led the U.S. 4th Infantry Division's landing at Utah Beach.
When Roosevelt realized that the landing craft had drifted south with the current and smoke more than a mile south of their objective, and that the first wave was a mile off course, walking with the aid of a cane and pistol, he personally made a reconnaissance of the area immediately to the rear of the beach to locate the causeways which were to be used for the advance inland. He then returned to the point of landing, contacted the commanders of the two battalions, Lt. Cols. Conrad C. Simmons and Carlton O. MacNeely, and coordinated the attack on the enemy positions confronting them. Roosevelt's famous quote in these circumstances was "Then we’ll start the war from here!" These impromptu plans worked with complete success and little confusion. With artillery landing close by, each follow-on regiment was personally welcomed on the beach by a cool, calm and collected Roosevelt, who inspired all by humor and confidence. Ted pointed almost every regiment to their changed objectives. Sometimes he worked under fire as a self-appointed traffic cop, untangling traffic jams of truck and tanks all struggling to get inland and off the beach.
When General Barton, the CG of the 4th Division came ashore, he recall of meeting Ted not far from the beach, writing, "while I was mentally framing [orders], Ted Roosevelt came up. He had landed with the first wave, had put my troops across the beach, and had a perfect picture (just as Roosevelt had ealier promised if allowed to go ashore with the first wave) of the entire situation. I loved Ted. When I finally agreed to his landing with the first wave, I felt sure he would be killed. When I had bad him goodbye. I never expected to see him alive. You can imagine then the emotion with which I greeted him when he came out to meet me [near La Grande Dune]. He was bursting with information." [3]
With his division's original plan modified on the beach the division was able to obtain its mission objectives by simply coming ashore and attacking north behind the beach toward its original objective. For his courage and leadership, Roosevelt would be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on 28 September 1944.[4]
Ted dies from heart-related problems
Throughout World War II, he suffered from health problems. He had arthritis, mostly from old World War I injuries, and walked with a cane. He also had heart trouble. One month after the landing at Utah Beach, he died of a heart attack in France. He is buried at the American cemetery in Normandy next to his brother, Lt. Quentin Roosevelt. Quentin was shot down and killed in France during World War I and had been buried at Chamery until his exhumation and move to the Normandy Cemetery. When Ted died, he had already been selected by Eisenhower's for promotion to Major General and command the 90th Infantry Division.
Roosevelt was portrayed by Henry Fonda in The Longest Day.
Medal of Honor
His Medal of Honor citation reads:
- For gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty on 6 June 1944, in France. After 2 verbal requests to accompany the leading assault elements in the Normandy invasion had been denied, Brig. Gen. Roosevelt's written request for this mission was approved and he landed with the first wave of the forces assaulting the enemy-held beaches. He repeatedly led groups from the beach, over the seawall and established them inland. His valor, courage, and presence in the very front of the attack and his complete unconcern at being under heavy fire inspired the troops to heights of enthusiasm and self-sacrifice. Although the enemy had the beach under constant direct fire, Brig. Gen. Roosevelt moved from one locality to another, rallying men around him, directed and personally led them against the enemy. Under his seasoned, precise, calm, and unfaltering leadership, assault troops reduced beach strong points and rapidly moved inland with minimum casualties. He thus contributed substantially to the successful establishment of the beachhead in France.
Family
Roosevelt married his childhood sweetheart, Eleanor Butler Alexander (1889-1960), on June 20, 1910. They had four children: Grace Green Roosevelt (1911-1993), Theodore Roosevelt III (1914-2001), Cornelius V.S. Roosevelt (1915-1991) and Quentin Roosevelt II (1919-1948).[1]
Trivia
- Theodore Roosevelt Sr. and Theodore Roosevelt Jr. are one of only two sets of fathers and sons to have been awarded the Medal of Honor. The other set is Arthur and Douglas MacArthur.
- While Governor-General of the Philippines, Roosevelt acquired the nickname "One Shot Teddy" among the Filipino population, in reference to his marksmanship during a hunt for tamaraw (wild pygmy water buffalo). There may have been some sarcasm behind the nickname, although this is not supported by his other known feats of marksmanship in hunting and in combat.
Notes
- ^ "editors, "Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. Childhood Recollections" , Online Archive Edition". Retrieved 2006-05-29.
{{cite web}}: line feed character in|title=at position 59 (help) - ^ "editors, ""Teddy" & "Frank" ," Time Magazine (12 September 1932 ) Online Archive Edition". Retrieved 2006-05-29.
{{cite web}}: line feed character in|title=at position 28 (help) - ^ Balkoski, Joseph, (2005). "Chapter 8". The Utah Beach: The Amphibious Landing And Airborne Operations On D-Day, June 6, 1944 ). Stackpole Books. p. 236. ISBN 0-8117-0144-1.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ ""Roosevelt Family Tree — Theodore Roosevelt, Jr."". Retrieved 2006-06-04.
External links
References
- Almanac of Theodore Roosevelt: Theodore Roosevelt Jr.
- Theodore Roosevelt, 56, Dies On Normandy Battlefield; Succumbs to a Heart Attack Soon After Visit From Son by Hanson W. Baldwin, New York Times, July 14, 1944.
- http://www.amazon.com/Theodore-Roosevelt-Jr-Life-Hero/dp/0891417397 Theodore Roosevelt Jr.: The Life of a War Hero by H. Paul Jeffers on Amazon]