Brotherhood of War (book series)
Encyclopedia
The Brotherhood of War is a series of novels written by W. E. B. Griffin
about the United States Army
from the Second World War through the Vietnam War
. The story centers around the careers of four U.S. Army officers who were lieutenants in the early 1940s. The series is notable for the amount of attention it does not devote to combat—rather than skipping forward, it follows the main characters though their peacetime service as the Army evolves in the forties, fifties and sixties, particularly in the development of Army Aviation
and the Special Forces.
of the United States Military Academy
(or West Point) to accept a direct commission as a 2nd Lieutenant and a German and Russian linguist in the last year of World War II
. While doing so he is instrumental in locating a group of allied POW
s and assists in their repatriation. He subsequently goes to Ranger and Parachute school and serves as a 1st Lt. in Greece under Lt. Col Paul T Hanrahan, and with 2nd Lt. Craig W Lowell who becomes his best friend. Afterwards, he serves in Berlin as an intelligence officer. During the Korean War he commands a covert, behind the lines operation with Captain Rudolph G. MacMillan. He subsequently becomes Counselor to the President for four US Presidents. Though Felter wishes several times to return to the conventional army, he is kept on in his role as Counselor to the President due to his demonstrated abilities. In the books, Felter is respected, feared, and even hated because of the clout he wields with the President and his analytical and espionage abilities, as he usually has information before anyone else and is sometimes the only one to analyze that information correctly. Despite his short stature and unimposing appearance (earning him the nickname, "Mouse"), he becomes a highly capable officer. In the Epilogue of The Generals, he reaches the rank of Lieutenant General
, and head of the Defense Intelligence Agency
(DIA). It seems possible that the Felter character may have been based in part on Lt. Gen. Sidney T. Weinstein
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/25/AR2007052502231.html
who received a battlefield commission while participating in Operation Market Garden
, although he was taken prisoner before he learned of it. For his actions in that abortive river crossing, he was later awarded the Medal of Honor
. He was the senior NCO of the prisoners of war in the same POW camp as Bob Bellmon. As a former NCO with a tenth grade education, he doesn't always think very far ahead, but is a survivor and knows his way around paperwork in his recurring role as an aide-de-camp
. MacMillan qualifies as an aviator prior to the Korean War
although his flying escapades are limited largely to The Captains. Following an altercation with another officer in an officers' club in the pages of The Colonels, Mac is assigned as Red Hanrahan's deputy at the Special Warfare Center. He dies, apparently of a stroke, during a raid on a POW camp in the final pages of The Generals.
skills, he, as a Private First Class
, was assigned to manage a polo team for the commanding general
"Porky" Waterford. Since he was essential to the general's team and since a game against the French could only be played by officers, the General orders Mac MacMillan to get him commissioned before the game. When the general dies during the polo match, General Waterford's replacement, disgusted by the direct commissioning of Lowell just to play polo (which he views as a breach of military ethics) uses Lowell to fill a request to be an advisor to the Greek Army in the Greek Civil War
since Lowell had not been an officer long enough to rate an efficiency report. Here he meets Sandy Felter and serves under Paul "Red" Hanrahan. During heavy action in which most of the Greek
officers and soldiers in the unit to which he is assigned are killed, Lowell takes command and they successfully hold the position. He is eventually awarded the medal of the Order of St. George and St. Andrew, the highest award for bravery that Greece can bestow on a foreigner. Upon his return to the US, Lowell stays in the Army a couple of years until his commission expires, but later joins the Pennsylvania Army National Guard
where he is given a tank company command. Lowell is accepted to, and graduates, from the Wharton School of Business (Masters Degree) before having attained a baccalaureate degree. In Korea, Lowell commands an element of the 73rd Heavy Tank Battalion, "Task Force Lowell", so well that he is promoted to Major
at the age of 24. An incident with a visiting movie star, his appearing as a witness for the defense of Phil Parker during Parker's murder trial, his smart mouth, and his penchant for circumventing the rules when it suits him all hurt Lowell's career. Upon returning to the US, Lowell attends the Advanced Armor Officer's course at Fort Knox
where one of his studies (in an Orwellian twist) includes analyzing and recommending improvements to the organization and operations of Task Force Lowell in Korea. He privately tells Parker that he felt he did it correctly the first time. He is almost thrown out of the Army several times before finally being promoted to Lieutenant Colonel
after rescuing Sandy Felter and an "A" Team during the failed Bay of Pigs invasion
. An accomplished, though reluctant, staff officer, Lowell was instrumental in the formation of the Army's first airmobile division, the First Cavalry Division. Due to the insistence of General H.H. Howard, Lowell was given a command in the First Cav. The Generals does not address Lowell's Vietnam service, but mentions that his performance in his command earned him a promotion to full Colonel. Lowell is a civil aviator, an army helicopter pilot, and a de facto Green Beret.
Though Lowell ends the series as quite the reputed ladies' man, he was a faithful and devoted husband to Ilse von Greiffenberg Lowell and their son, "P.P." (Peter-Paul), until Ilse was killed in a car accident while Lowell was serving in Korea. Lowell's escapades with women often nearly cost him career. His most notable affairs included Georgia, a Hollywood starlet whom he allegedly took to the front lines and had a liaison in a tank, Jane Cassidy, his married secretary while stationed at Fort Rucker, and Cynthia, a wealthy journalist to whom he became engaged, though Cynthia left Lowell at the altar. His last affair with Dorothy Sims, the wife of an Air Force POW in Vietnam, was so far beyond acceptable behavior that he was immediately retired. His administrative skills, along with his planning ability and superb leadership abilities, make him an invaluable asset to almost every unit to which he is assigned. Lowell is also described as quite the "guardhouse lawyer
" and knows how to manipulate the rules, his rank, and situations to his advantage. Lowell was admired and respected by the soldiers who served with him, though some of the more traditional officers, such as Bob Bellmon and Bill Roberts, dislike Lowell because his womanizing and his disregard for the rules. They all have a grudging respect for both his administrative skills and his demonstrated warrior abilities.
, Phil Sheridan is a 4th generation Army officer. His grandfather was a member of the distinguished unit of African-American soldiers known as the Buffalo Soldiers Like his father, Phil IV began his career serving as an Armor officer. He commands a tank company with distinction in Korea, though his record is marred by an incident where Parker shoots a cowardly fellow officer. Because he is black, he knows that he has to be the best in every class to stay even with the others in an Army just beginning desegregation
. He begins a lifelong friendship with Craig Lowell while attending the same Basic Armor Officer's course at Fort Knox
(as told in Book I: The Lieutenants), where he is the top graduate and Lowell is second in the class.
However, this friendship with Craig Lowell often works against his career. His career is very nearly ended by the shooting incident in Korea for which he is charged with murder. He is subsequently acquitted of the charge with the help of testimony given by Craig Lowell, but they are both branded as troublemakers. Following their graduation from the Armor School, both are given dead-end assignments, but the intervention of a Senator (at Lowell's cousin's suggestion) helps revive their careers. Parker is recruited to Army Aviation by then Colonel Bill Roberts and becomes dual-qualified to fly both fixed wing and rotary aircraft. Parker remains a Captain for over fifteen years, which he assumes is the result of the Korea incident. Frustrated by his lack of advancement, Phil volunteers for the Green Berets and is accepted by General Paul Hanrahan. Shortly thereafter, it is discovered that his promotion has been held up by a clerical error, and he is promoted to Major. Given the option to leave Special Forces once he has been promoted, Parker elects to stay and is the de facto aviation section of Special Forces in its early days.
He marries Antoinette Parker, a doctor and former associate professor of pathology at Massachusetts General, at the end of Book II: The Captains.
Parker is sent to Vietnam
as an aviator and becomes a Prisoner of War
through an act of sabotage on his OV-1 Mohawk
(as told in Book VI: The Generals). Parker is ultimately rescued from a prisoner of war camp during a daring mission commanded by Lowell.
in the Army of the United States
he is captured at the battle of Kasserine Pass. As a POW of the Germans in Poland, he is executive officer
of the prisoner detachment and its de facto commander. Bellmon moved from Armor to Army Aviation and eventually became the Commanding General
of Army Aviation at Fort Rucker
. While he is a typified as a bit of a stuffed shirt, there is no doubt as to his abilities and his devotion to the US Army. In The Generals he was the Commanding General of XVIII Airborne Corps at Ft. Bragg
. The General Robert F. Bellmon character probably in part resembles General John K. Waters
who was the real son-in-law of Patton and a POW in Germany
after he was taken prisoner while fighting in Tunisia
in 1943.
in Greece
during World War II
, nominally as a Signal Corps Officer. He served as Felter's and Lowell's commanding officer when they were advisors during the Greek Civil War
. He is an advocate of the concept of Special Forces
to assist allies in fighting their own wars. Eventually, Hanrahan was named Commandant
of the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg
. Hanrahan's real-life counterpart as commandant during that era was then-Brigadier General William P. Yarborough
, who arranged for President Kennedy to approve the famed green berets worn by Special Forces.
regiment in North Africa and Northern Europe under General "Porky" Waterford. Without orders, he led the task force that rescued Bob Bellmon.
(in response to being hit first by the sergeant). Craig Lowell was able to get him into Special Forces school where he was given a promotion to Sergeant
. While in Vietnam, he received a battlefield commission after being the last American able to fight in a Special Forces base they were defending. After Vietnam, he became an aviator. As an aviator and Brigadier General [Select] in the Pentagon in Washington, he plays a critical role in Army aviation and with covert operations around the world.
graduate, Captain Oliver served in Vietnam commanding the 170th Assault Helicopter Company. He earned the Combat Infantryman Badge
during a Special Forces operation where his helicopter was shot down. As the only surviving officer, he led the Green Beret A-Team to safety through the jungle. He served as General Bellmon's aide-de-camp
while stationed at Fort Rucker
.
W. E. B. Griffin
W. E. B. Griffin is a writer of military and detective fiction with 38 novels in six series published under that name. He has also published under several pseudonyms....
about the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
from the Second World War through the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. The story centers around the careers of four U.S. Army officers who were lieutenants in the early 1940s. The series is notable for the amount of attention it does not devote to combat—rather than skipping forward, it follows the main characters though their peacetime service as the Army evolves in the forties, fifties and sixties, particularly in the development of Army Aviation
Military aviation
Military aviation is the use of aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of conducting or enabling warfare, including national airlift capacity to provide logistical supply to forces stationed in a theater or along a front. Air power includes the national means of conducting such...
and the Special Forces.
Novels
- Book I, The Lieutenants (North Africa, Germany, Greece, CONUS 1942–1950)
- Book II, The Captains (Korea 1950–1953)
- Book III, The Majors (French IndoChina, Algeria, CONUS 1954-1958)
- Book IV, The Colonels (Vietnam, Cuba, Germany, CONUS 1958-1961)
- Book V, The Berets (Vietnam, Germany, CONUS, 1961–1962)
- Book VI, The Generals (Vietnam, CONUS, 1962–1985)
- Book VII, The New Breed (Congo, CONUS, 1963–1964)
- Book VIII, The Aviators (Vietnam, Congo, CONUS 1963-1965)
- Book IX, Special Ops (Congo, Argentina, CONUS, 1965–1967)
Colonel Sanford "Sandy" Thaddeus Felter, USA
Sandy Felter is a son of Jewish immigrants who resigns while a Cadet Corporal during his third year in the Corps of CadetsUnited States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
of the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
(or West Point) to accept a direct commission as a 2nd Lieutenant and a German and Russian linguist in the last year of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. While doing so he is instrumental in locating a group of allied POW
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
s and assists in their repatriation. He subsequently goes to Ranger and Parachute school and serves as a 1st Lt. in Greece under Lt. Col Paul T Hanrahan, and with 2nd Lt. Craig W Lowell who becomes his best friend. Afterwards, he serves in Berlin as an intelligence officer. During the Korean War he commands a covert, behind the lines operation with Captain Rudolph G. MacMillan. He subsequently becomes Counselor to the President for four US Presidents. Though Felter wishes several times to return to the conventional army, he is kept on in his role as Counselor to the President due to his demonstrated abilities. In the books, Felter is respected, feared, and even hated because of the clout he wields with the President and his analytical and espionage abilities, as he usually has information before anyone else and is sometimes the only one to analyze that information correctly. Despite his short stature and unimposing appearance (earning him the nickname, "Mouse"), he becomes a highly capable officer. In the Epilogue of The Generals, he reaches the rank of Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
, and head of the Defense Intelligence Agency
Defense Intelligence Agency
The Defense Intelligence Agency is a member of the Intelligence Community of the United States, and is the central producer and manager of military intelligence for the United States Department of Defense, employing over 16,500 U.S. military and civilian employees worldwide...
(DIA). It seems possible that the Felter character may have been based in part on Lt. Gen. Sidney T. Weinstein
Sidney T. Weinstein
Sidney T. Weinstein was a United States Army Lieutenant General. He is considered by many to be the father of the modern military intelligence corps....
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/25/AR2007052502231.html
Colonel Rudolph George "Mac" MacMillan, USA
Mac MacMillan was an 82nd Airborne Division SergeantSergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
who received a battlefield commission while participating in Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden was an unsuccessful Allied military operation, fought in the Netherlands and Germany in the Second World War. It was the largest airborne operation up to that time....
, although he was taken prisoner before he learned of it. For his actions in that abortive river crossing, he was later awarded the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
. He was the senior NCO of the prisoners of war in the same POW camp as Bob Bellmon. As a former NCO with a tenth grade education, he doesn't always think very far ahead, but is a survivor and knows his way around paperwork in his recurring role as an aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
. MacMillan qualifies as an aviator prior to the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
although his flying escapades are limited largely to The Captains. Following an altercation with another officer in an officers' club in the pages of The Colonels, Mac is assigned as Red Hanrahan's deputy at the Special Warfare Center. He dies, apparently of a stroke, during a raid on a POW camp in the final pages of The Generals.
Colonel Craig W. Lowell, USA
Craig Lowell is an extremely wealthy Harvard drop-out who was drafted and sent to the US occupation forces in Germany, where his duties include being the Constabulary golf pro. Because of his poloPolo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
skills, he, as a Private First Class
Private First Class
Private First Class is a military rank held by junior enlisted persons.- Singapore :The rank of Private First Class in the Singapore Armed Forces lies between the ranks of Private and Lance-Corporal . It is usually held by conscript soldiers midway through their national service term...
, was assigned to manage a polo team for the commanding general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
"Porky" Waterford. Since he was essential to the general's team and since a game against the French could only be played by officers, the General orders Mac MacMillan to get him commissioned before the game. When the general dies during the polo match, General Waterford's replacement, disgusted by the direct commissioning of Lowell just to play polo (which he views as a breach of military ethics) uses Lowell to fill a request to be an advisor to the Greek Army in the Greek Civil War
Greek Civil War
The Greek Civil War was fought from 1946 to 1949 between the Greek governmental army, backed by the United Kingdom and United States, and the Democratic Army of Greece , the military branch of the Greek Communist Party , backed by Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Albania...
since Lowell had not been an officer long enough to rate an efficiency report. Here he meets Sandy Felter and serves under Paul "Red" Hanrahan. During heavy action in which most of the Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
officers and soldiers in the unit to which he is assigned are killed, Lowell takes command and they successfully hold the position. He is eventually awarded the medal of the Order of St. George and St. Andrew, the highest award for bravery that Greece can bestow on a foreigner. Upon his return to the US, Lowell stays in the Army a couple of years until his commission expires, but later joins the Pennsylvania Army National Guard
Pennsylvania Army National Guard
The Pennsylvania Army National Guard, abbreviated PAARNG, is part of the United States Army National Guard and is based in the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania...
where he is given a tank company command. Lowell is accepted to, and graduates, from the Wharton School of Business (Masters Degree) before having attained a baccalaureate degree. In Korea, Lowell commands an element of the 73rd Heavy Tank Battalion, "Task Force Lowell", so well that he is promoted to Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
at the age of 24. An incident with a visiting movie star, his appearing as a witness for the defense of Phil Parker during Parker's murder trial, his smart mouth, and his penchant for circumventing the rules when it suits him all hurt Lowell's career. Upon returning to the US, Lowell attends the Advanced Armor Officer's course at Fort Knox
Fort Knox
Fort Knox is a United States Army post in Kentucky south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. The base covers parts of Bullitt, Hardin, and Meade counties. It currently holds the Army Human Resources Center of Excellence to include the Army Human Resources Command, United States Army Cadet...
where one of his studies (in an Orwellian twist) includes analyzing and recommending improvements to the organization and operations of Task Force Lowell in Korea. He privately tells Parker that he felt he did it correctly the first time. He is almost thrown out of the Army several times before finally being promoted to Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
after rescuing Sandy Felter and an "A" Team during the failed Bay of Pigs invasion
Bay of Pigs Invasion
The Bay of Pigs Invasion was an unsuccessful action by a CIA-trained force of Cuban exiles to invade southern Cuba, with support and encouragement from the US government, in an attempt to overthrow the Cuban government of Fidel Castro. The invasion was launched in April 1961, less than three months...
. An accomplished, though reluctant, staff officer, Lowell was instrumental in the formation of the Army's first airmobile division, the First Cavalry Division. Due to the insistence of General H.H. Howard, Lowell was given a command in the First Cav. The Generals does not address Lowell's Vietnam service, but mentions that his performance in his command earned him a promotion to full Colonel. Lowell is a civil aviator, an army helicopter pilot, and a de facto Green Beret.
Though Lowell ends the series as quite the reputed ladies' man, he was a faithful and devoted husband to Ilse von Greiffenberg Lowell and their son, "P.P." (Peter-Paul), until Ilse was killed in a car accident while Lowell was serving in Korea. Lowell's escapades with women often nearly cost him career. His most notable affairs included Georgia, a Hollywood starlet whom he allegedly took to the front lines and had a liaison in a tank, Jane Cassidy, his married secretary while stationed at Fort Rucker, and Cynthia, a wealthy journalist to whom he became engaged, though Cynthia left Lowell at the altar. His last affair with Dorothy Sims, the wife of an Air Force POW in Vietnam, was so far beyond acceptable behavior that he was immediately retired. His administrative skills, along with his planning ability and superb leadership abilities, make him an invaluable asset to almost every unit to which he is assigned. Lowell is also described as quite the "guardhouse lawyer
Jailhouse lawyer
Jailhouse lawyer is a colloquial term in North American English to refer to an inmate in a jail or other prison who, though usually never having practiced law nor having any formal legal training, informally assists other inmates in legal matters relating to their sentence or to their conditions...
" and knows how to manipulate the rules, his rank, and situations to his advantage. Lowell was admired and respected by the soldiers who served with him, though some of the more traditional officers, such as Bob Bellmon and Bill Roberts, dislike Lowell because his womanizing and his disregard for the rules. They all have a grudging respect for both his administrative skills and his demonstrated warrior abilities.
Colonel Phillip Sheridan Parker IV, USA
A 1946 graduate of Norwich UniversityNorwich University
Norwich University is a private university located in Northfield, Vermont . The university was founded in 1819 at Norwich, Vermont, as the American Literary, Scientific and Military Academy. It is the oldest of six Senior Military Colleges, and is recognized by the United States Department of...
, Phil Sheridan is a 4th generation Army officer. His grandfather was a member of the distinguished unit of African-American soldiers known as the Buffalo Soldiers Like his father, Phil IV began his career serving as an Armor officer. He commands a tank company with distinction in Korea, though his record is marred by an incident where Parker shoots a cowardly fellow officer. Because he is black, he knows that he has to be the best in every class to stay even with the others in an Army just beginning desegregation
Desegregation
Desegregation is the process of ending the separation of two groups usually referring to races. This is most commonly used in reference to the United States. Desegregation was long a focus of the American Civil Rights Movement, both before and after the United States Supreme Court's decision in...
. He begins a lifelong friendship with Craig Lowell while attending the same Basic Armor Officer's course at Fort Knox
Fort Knox
Fort Knox is a United States Army post in Kentucky south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. The base covers parts of Bullitt, Hardin, and Meade counties. It currently holds the Army Human Resources Center of Excellence to include the Army Human Resources Command, United States Army Cadet...
(as told in Book I: The Lieutenants), where he is the top graduate and Lowell is second in the class.
However, this friendship with Craig Lowell often works against his career. His career is very nearly ended by the shooting incident in Korea for which he is charged with murder. He is subsequently acquitted of the charge with the help of testimony given by Craig Lowell, but they are both branded as troublemakers. Following their graduation from the Armor School, both are given dead-end assignments, but the intervention of a Senator (at Lowell's cousin's suggestion) helps revive their careers. Parker is recruited to Army Aviation by then Colonel Bill Roberts and becomes dual-qualified to fly both fixed wing and rotary aircraft. Parker remains a Captain for over fifteen years, which he assumes is the result of the Korea incident. Frustrated by his lack of advancement, Phil volunteers for the Green Berets and is accepted by General Paul Hanrahan. Shortly thereafter, it is discovered that his promotion has been held up by a clerical error, and he is promoted to Major. Given the option to leave Special Forces once he has been promoted, Parker elects to stay and is the de facto aviation section of Special Forces in its early days.
He marries Antoinette Parker, a doctor and former associate professor of pathology at Massachusetts General, at the end of Book II: The Captains.
Parker is sent to Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
as an aviator and becomes a Prisoner of War
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
through an act of sabotage on his OV-1 Mohawk
OV-1 Mohawk
The Grumman OV-1 Mohawk is an armed military observation and attack aircraft, designed for battlefield surveillance and light strike capabilities. It is of twin turboprop configuration, and carried two crewmembers with side by side seating...
(as told in Book VI: The Generals). Parker is ultimately rescued from a prisoner of war camp during a daring mission commanded by Lowell.
Lieutenant General Robert F. Bellmon, USA
Bob Bellmon, USMA '39, the son of one general and the son-in-law of another (Porky Waterford), is a quintessential career Army officer. As a very young Armor MajorMajor
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in the Army of the United States
Army of the United States
The Army of the United States is the official name for the conscription force of the United States Army that may be raised at the discretion of the United States Congress in the event of the United States entering into a major armed conflict...
he is captured at the battle of Kasserine Pass. As a POW of the Germans in Poland, he is executive officer
Executive officer
An executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...
of the prisoner detachment and its de facto commander. Bellmon moved from Armor to Army Aviation and eventually became the Commanding General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
of Army Aviation at Fort Rucker
Fort Rucker
Fort Rucker is a U.S. Army post located mostly in Dale County, Alabama, United States. It was named for a Civil War officer, Confederate General Edmund Rucker. The post is the primary flight training base for Army Aviation and is home to the United States Army Aviation Center of Excellence and...
. While he is a typified as a bit of a stuffed shirt, there is no doubt as to his abilities and his devotion to the US Army. In The Generals he was the Commanding General of XVIII Airborne Corps at Ft. Bragg
Fort Bragg (North Carolina)
Fort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina, U.S., mostly in Fayetteville but also partly in the town of Spring Lake. It was also a census-designated place in the 2010 census and had a population of 39,457. The fort is named for Confederate...
. The General Robert F. Bellmon character probably in part resembles General John K. Waters
John K. Waters
John Knight Waters was a United States Army four star general who served as commander, U.S. Army, Pacific from 1964 to 1966. He was also the son-in-law of General George S. Patton...
who was the real son-in-law of Patton and a POW in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
after he was taken prisoner while fighting in Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
in 1943.
Major General Paul T. "Red" Hanrahan, USA
One of the original Airborne officers before the war, Red Hanrahan served in the OSSOffice of Strategic Services
The Office of Strategic Services was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. It was the wartime intelligence agency, and it was a predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency...
in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, nominally as a Signal Corps Officer. He served as Felter's and Lowell's commanding officer when they were advisors during the Greek Civil War
Greek Civil War
The Greek Civil War was fought from 1946 to 1949 between the Greek governmental army, backed by the United Kingdom and United States, and the Democratic Army of Greece , the military branch of the Greek Communist Party , backed by Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Albania...
. He is an advocate of the concept of Special Forces
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
to assist allies in fighting their own wars. Eventually, Hanrahan was named Commandant
Commandant
Commandant is a senior title often given to the officer in charge of a large training establishment or academy. This usage is common in anglophone nations...
of the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg
Fort Bragg (North Carolina)
Fort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina, U.S., mostly in Fayetteville but also partly in the town of Spring Lake. It was also a census-designated place in the 2010 census and had a population of 39,457. The fort is named for Confederate...
. Hanrahan's real-life counterpart as commandant during that era was then-Brigadier General William P. Yarborough
William P. Yarborough
Lieutenant General William Pelham Yarborough was a United States Army officer and a 1936 graduate of West Point. General Yarborough designed the parachutist badge, paratrooper or 'jump' boots, and the airborne jump uniform. He is known as the 'Father of the Modern Green Berets.' He is descended...
, who arranged for President Kennedy to approve the famed green berets worn by Special Forces.
Barbara Waterford Bellmon
The daughter of General Porky Waterford, Barbara is the classic officer's wife, assisting with the families of her husband's command. She is amused by some of the junior officers and often reminds her husband to relax a little with them.Colonel Phillip Sheridan Parker III, USA, Retired
A Norwich graduate, Colonel Parker commanded a colored tank destroyerTank destroyer
A tank destroyer is a type of armored fighting vehicle armed with a gun or missile launcher, and is designed specifically to engage enemy armored vehicles...
regiment in North Africa and Northern Europe under General "Porky" Waterford. Without orders, he led the task force that rescued Bob Bellmon.
Generalleutnant Graf Peter Paul von Greiffenberg
A member of the German professional officer corps, he is made commandant of the POW camp Bob Bellmon is held in after suffering wounds commanding a Regiment in the Ardennes. After the war, he becomes the head of German intelligence. For nearly five years after the war he was a prisoner in a Russian Gulag, and was identified and repatriated by Sandy Felter where he found his daughter married to Craig Lowell.Ilse von Greiffenberg Lowell
Ilse is Graf von Greiffenberg's daughter and becomes Craig's wife. She is killed in an automobile accident in Germany caused by a drunk US Army Quartermaster Officer, while Craig is in Korea.Major George Washington "Father" Lunsford, USA
A talented, black Special Forces Officer, his skills at Swahili allow him to play a key role in support of operations in the Congo. He becomes a good friend to John Oliver. Lunsford appears in The Aviators, The New Breed, and Special Ops.Brigadier General [Select] Geoff Craig, USA
Craig Lowell's cousin (see Porter Craig; Other notable characters), he was drafted into the army and placed in the stockade after assaulting his NCONon-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
(in response to being hit first by the sergeant). Craig Lowell was able to get him into Special Forces school where he was given a promotion to Sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
. While in Vietnam, he received a battlefield commission after being the last American able to fight in a Special Forces base they were defending. After Vietnam, he became an aviator. As an aviator and Brigadier General [Select] in the Pentagon in Washington, he plays a critical role in Army aviation and with covert operations around the world.
1st Lieutenant Jacques Emile "Jack" Portet, USAR
The American-born son of a commercial airline pilot from the former Belgian Congo, he is an accomplished aviator whose knowledge of the area proves invaluable in the operation detailed in The Aviators, Special Ops, and The New Breed. He later marries the Bellmons' daughter Marjorie.Captain John S. Oliver Jr., USA
A Norwich UniversityNorwich University
Norwich University is a private university located in Northfield, Vermont . The university was founded in 1819 at Norwich, Vermont, as the American Literary, Scientific and Military Academy. It is the oldest of six Senior Military Colleges, and is recognized by the United States Department of...
graduate, Captain Oliver served in Vietnam commanding the 170th Assault Helicopter Company. He earned the Combat Infantryman Badge
Combat Infantryman Badge
The Combat Infantryman Badge is the U.S. Army combat service recognition decoration awarded to soldiers—enlisted men and officers holding colonel rank or below, who personally fought in active ground combat while an assigned member of either an infantry or a Special Forces unit, of brigade size...
during a Special Forces operation where his helicopter was shot down. As the only surviving officer, he led the Green Beret A-Team to safety through the jungle. He served as General Bellmon's aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
while stationed at Fort Rucker
Fort Rucker
Fort Rucker is a U.S. Army post located mostly in Dale County, Alabama, United States. It was named for a Civil War officer, Confederate General Edmund Rucker. The post is the primary flight training base for Army Aviation and is home to the United States Army Aviation Center of Excellence and...
.
Sharon Felter
Sandy Felter's wife. She hated Sandy for wanting to be a soldier but has come to love the life they have. Later in the series, she wishes Sandy was a regular soldier but understands the importance he has to the President. Sandy's role as an intelligence officer leaves her yearning for life like her friends have. She helped bury Craig's wife, Ilse, when he was in Korea and when Sandy was believed to have died in Korea, and later in a plane crash at Dien Bien Phu, helped comfort Craig Lowell (when Lowell should have been comforting her). She, and Barbara Bellmon, regard Lowell as a mischievous younger brother. Lowell regards Sharon probably more fondly than any other woman in his life, and often jokes that if anything were to happen to Sandy, he would quickly propose.Dorothy Sims
A wife of a prisoner of war during Vietnam. She becomes involved with Craig Lowell and they fell in love and married after she divorced her husband, Thomas Sims, USAF, after Craig rescued him from a POW Camp. Their relationship cost Craig his career.Other notable characters
- General E. Z. Black - Armor officer, division and corps commander in Korea (see I. D. WhiteIsaac D. WhiteIsaac Davis White commanded the U.S. Army, Pacific from July 1957 to March 1961. He gained his commission into the Cavalry in 1923 and went on to serve in World War II and the Korean War. Because of his extensive experience in tank warfare, Armor magazine dubbed him "Mr...
). Later served as Vice Chief of Staff and CINCPAC. Longtime protector of Mac MacMillan (The Captains, The Colonels) and also the officer who rescued Craig Lowell's career at the end of The Majors. - Porter Craig - Craig Lowell's cousin, and father of Geoffrey Craig; Porter is the Chairman of the Board of the Lowell/Craig family firm of investment bankers, Craig, Powell, Kenyon, and Dawes.
- Lieutenant Commander Edward Eaglebury, USN - Naval Intelligence Officer and Aviator assigned to U.S. Army Special Forces; disguised as an Army Sergeant First Class, he served as Tom Ellis' tormentor during the latter's Green Beret training cycle (featured in The Berets) Commander Eaglebury was killed while looking for missile sites in Cuba during the crisis. He was decorated posthumously by President Kennedy for his actions.
- 1st Lieutenant Tom Ellis - Airborne and later Green Beret officer (introduced in The Colonels, featured in The Berets). Tom Ellis was an OCS graduate who enlisted to be a cook and then went to Officer Candidate and Airborne Schools at Ft. Benning, Ga. to avoid the kitchen. He was picked up by Col. MacMillan while hitchhiking to Ft. Bragg because he lost his car playing poker. Served as Aide to Paul Hanrahan after his promotion to Brigadier General. Commanded the "A" Team picked up by Craig Lowell in Cuba. Died after stepping on a Punji stickPunji stickThe Punji stick or Punji stake is a type of booby trapped stake. It is a simple spike, made out of wood or bamboo, generally placed upright in the ground. Punji sticks are usually deployed in substantial numbers....
while leading an unauthorized patrol in Vietnam while acting as an officer courier. Went AWOL in returning to the United States rather than undergoing proper medical care of his infections in Vietnam. - Major William Franklin - Early Army Warrant Officer Aviator
- 1st Lieutenant Ed C. Greer - Early Army Warrant Officer Aviator (Featured in The Majors). Former assistant to Gen. E. Z. Black, later sent to Warrant Officer Candidate (WOC) school at Ft. Rucker to learn how to fly. Served in Algeria after Craig Lowell and Bill Franklin. Married Melody Dutton. Pilot of the ill-fated H-19 "Big Bad Bird".
- Major General Paul T. Jiggs - Army Armor Officer and Aviation convert; Served as Craig Lowell's CO with the 73rd Heavy Tank in Korea and later became the Commanding General of Ft. Rucker
- Major General Angus C. "Scotty" Laird - Army General and Aviation convert (Introduced in The Majors) (see Bogardus S. Cairns)
- Colonel William R. Roberts - West Point Graduate (Class of '40), Long time Army Aviation visionary and promoter. Frequently at odds with Bob Bellmon.
Inconsistencies and historical integration
- One minor point is that when receiving landing instructions, winds are often reported as "negligible" The correct terms would be "calm" or "light and variable". Also in The Majors clearance to land on "Runway 45" is given. Runways cannot have a number higher than "36" for a heading of 360 degrees is the highest possible.
- In The Lieutenants Stalag XVII-B is erroneously located some 5 miles south of Szczecin (today it is a Polish city) and another erroneous reference as to the camp was located in a former Cavalry barracks from the Polish Army (before WWII Szczecin was part of Germany so there was no Cavalry barracks of the Polish Army near the city). The real location of Stalag XVII-B was not in Pomerania as described in the book. Among other mistakes when using German phrases and abbreviations Griffin took the wrong denomination for the mentioned POW camp. Stalag is an abbreviation for Stammlager referring to camps for enlisted personnel. Officers were imprisoned in an Offlag (abbreviation for Offizierslager).
- The operation to free American officers from their new Soviet captors described in The Lieutenants is obviously informally based on the failed Task Force BaumTask Force BaumTask Force Baum was a secret and controversial World War II task force set up by U.S. Army general George S. Patton and commanded by Capt. Abraham Baum in late March 1945. Baum was given the task of penetrating 50 miles behind German lines and liberating the POWs in camp OFLAG XIII-B, near...
set up by U.S. Army General George S. PattonGeorge S. PattonGeorge Smith Patton, Jr. was a United States Army officer best known for his leadership while commanding corps and armies as a general during World War II. He was also well known for his eccentricity and controversial outspokenness.Patton was commissioned in the U.S. Army after his graduation from...
and commanded by Capt. Abraham Baum in late March 1945.
- WWII commanding General Porky Waterford who commissioned Craig W. Lowell in The Lieutenants was modelled using character traits of George S. PattonGeorge S. PattonGeorge Smith Patton, Jr. was a United States Army officer best known for his leadership while commanding corps and armies as a general during World War II. He was also well known for his eccentricity and controversial outspokenness.Patton was commissioned in the U.S. Army after his graduation from...
.
- In The Lieutenants Lowell is evacuated from Greece in a British "Sutherland" "seaplaneSeaplaneA seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
". Presumably this is meant to be a SunderlandShort SunderlandThe Short S.25 Sunderland was a British flying boat patrol bomber developed for the Royal Air Force by Short Brothers. It took its service name from the town and port of Sunderland in northeast England....
flying boatFlying boatA flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a float plane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage...
.
- In The Lieutenants MacMillan in the spring of 1945 escapes via "neutral port"Neutrality (international relations)A neutral power in a particular war is a sovereign state which declares itself to be neutral towards the belligerents. A non-belligerent state does not need to be neutral. The rights and duties of a neutral power are defined in Sections 5 and 13 of the Hague Convention of 1907...
of OdessaOdessaOdessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
on the Black SeaBlack SeaThe Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
to CairoCairoCairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and subsequently to US. However, OdessaOdessaOdessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
was liberated by Soviet ArmySoviet ArmyThe Soviet Army is the name given to the main part of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union between 1946 and 1992. Previously, it had been known as the Red Army. Informally, Армия referred to all the MOD armed forces, except, in some cases, the Soviet Navy.This article covers the Soviet Ground...
3rd Ukrainian Front3rd Ukrainian Front3rd Ukrainian Front was a Front of the Red Army during World War II.It was founded on 20 October 1943, on the basis of a Stavka order of October 16, 1943, by renaming the Southwestern Front. It included 1st Guards Army, 8th Guards Army, 6th, 12th, and 46th Armies and 17th Air Army...
on April 10, 1944. In 1945 OdessaOdessaOdessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
was under Soviet rule and thus couldn't be "neutral".
- In "The Captains", General MacArthur is mentioned as having received the Medal of Honor during the First World War. He did however not receive it untl 1942 at the direction of General George C. Marshall, for his leadership in the defense of the Philippines
- In Special Ops the C-46 transport aircraft operated by "Air Simba" in the Congo is mentioned as a "Boeing C-46," actually, it was manufactured by Curtiss-Wright. Also in this book there is a reference to "T-18" engine test run-ups keeping Jack awake. This should read "T-28" and in one of the mass of messages near the end of the book Cecelia Taylor's signature block reads: "C.R. Taylor Station Chief Buenos Aires" when it should read "... Station Chief Leopoldville" then, further on, there are messages with "C.B. Taylor as the signature slug.
- Originally, there would have been no novels written after The Generals, as the book closed with an epilogue of each officer's and character's career. This was skillfully pushed aside, however, in the three novels written after The Generals. However these three books were set before the last book.
- Griffin's books frequently suffer from inconsistencies in character names and historical references. For example, in The Lieutenants, the Bellmons' daughter is referred to as "Eleanor", however, she is called "Marjorie" in the remaining books. Similarly, in The Lieutenants, the Bellmon family owns a farm in Virginia, but in later books in the series the farm is described as being owned for generations by the Waterford family (Bellmon's in-laws). While "Scotty" Laird (The Majors) is mentioned as the namesake of the airfield at Ft. Rucker following his crash at the controls of his H-13, a later book makes reference to the same helicopter crash naming the real General Bogardus S. Cairns, after whom the Ft. Rucker airfield is named. Cairns died in an H-13 SiouxH-13 SiouxThe H-13 Sioux was a two-bladed, single engine, light helicopter built by Bell Helicopter. Westland Aircraft manufactured the Sioux under license for the British military as the Sioux AH.1 and HT.2.-Development:...
crash 9 December 1958.
- In this series of books, Griffin incorporates many of his own experiences from his service in the U.S. Army and captures some of the critical and little-known episodes in the evolution of new branches of arms, such as Special Forces and Airmobile Operations. In the afterword of The Aviators he pays tribute to a long-time friend (Col. Clifford Merritt Walker, Jr.) whose exploits as a Huey pilot in Vietnam served as the inspiration for the events surrounding Capt. John Oliver's award of the Combat Infantryman's Badge.
- The successful prison camp rescue mission is based on Operation Ivory CoastOperation Ivory CoastOperation Ivory Coast was a failed rescue mission conducted in North Vietnam during the Vietnam War by United States Special Operations Forces and other elements of the U.S. Military....
in which a rescue of American POWs was attempted at Sơn TâySon TaySơn Tây is an urban district and city in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. It was the capital of Son Tay province before merging with Ha Dong province in 1965...
prison camp on 21 November 1970. The mission, while a tactical success, failed due to the prisoners having been moved to another camp several months prior to the operation. Over-compartmentalization in keeping the effort secret caused this information from reaching the units involved.
- The epilogue of The Generals states that Roxie MacMillan attempted to return her husband's medals to the government after President Jimmy CarterJimmy CarterJames Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
offered amnesty to all Vietnam-era draft dodgers, but fails to point out that Carter, a DemocratDemocratic Party (United States)The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, was simply expanding an initiative begun by his predecessor, Gerald FordGerald FordGerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
, who was a RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
.