Stilwell, Joseph Warren (1883-1946), commanded all the United States forces in the China-Burma-India theater of war during World War II (1939-1945). He also served as chief of staff to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, supreme commander of the Chinese theater, and was the first American general to command a Chinese army. Stilwell won the nickname of Vinegar Joe because of his forthright manner.
Stilwell was sent to Burma (now Myanmar) in 1942 to assist the Chinese and British troops defending Burma against Japan. When the Allied forces were defeated in Burma, Stilwell retreated to India. In India, he trained several Chinese divisions to recapture Burma and open a line of communication to China. With these forces and a small American force called “Merrill’s Marauders,” Stilwell opened a route to China late in 1944 (see Merrill’s Marauders). In June 1945, Stilwell took command of the U.S. Tenth Army on Okinawa. After the war ended, he held an Army command in the United States.
Stilwell was born on March 19, 1883, in Palatka, Florida. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1904 and later served in World War I (1914-1918). He studied Chinese and served as a military attache in China from 1935 to 1939. Stilwell died on Oct. 12, 1946.
