Clark, Mark Wayne (1896-1984), was a leading United States general of World War II (1939-1945). He also had a major role in the Korean War (1950-1953).
Clark was born in Madison Barracks, New York, on May 1, 1896. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1917 and served in World War I (1914-1918).
In 1942, during World War II, Clark became a lieutenant general after leading a secret submarine mission to North Africa. He acquired information that was vital to the success of the 1942 Allied invasion of North Africa. Clark commanded the U.S. Fifth Army in its invasion of Italy at Salerno in 1943, during the hard-fought battles at Cassino and Anzio, and during its entrance into Rome in 1944. In 1945, Clark was promoted to general. In May 1945, in northern Italy, he accepted the first major German surrender.
During the Korean War, Clark commanded the United Nations Forces and the U.S. Army in the Far East in 1952 and 1953. He took part in the signing of the armistice that ended the fighting in July 1953. Clark retired from the Army in 1953. He died on April 17, 1984.
