Jens A. Doe
Encyclopedia
Major General
Jens Anderson Doe (20 June 1891-25 February 1971) was an American
soldier
and General in the first half of the 20th century. He is best known for his command of the 41st Infantry Division in the South West Pacific Area
during World War II
.
, Illinois
. He graduated from the United States Military Academy
at West Point and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 11th Infantry
on 12 June 1914. He was stationed with the 11th Infantry successively at Texas City, Texas
, Naco, Arizona
, and Douglas, Arizona
.
. He attended a machine gun
training course at Fort Sill
before assuming command of the 15th Machine Gun Battalion in December 1917. In April 1918, he sailed for France
.
Promoted to major
on 7 June 1918, Doe served as 5th Infantry Division before assuming command of the 14th Machine Gun Battalion in July. As such, he participated in the Battle of Saint-Mihiel
and Meuse-Argonne Offensive
, where he was wounded. His gallantry earned him the Silver Star
.
In November 1918, Doe organised and became an instructor at the Army Machine Gun School at Langres
. He was an instructor at the II Corps Schools, and a student at the Artillery Center. In June 1919 he joined the 61st Infantry, returning to the United States with it in June 1919.
. He attended the Field Officers' Course in 1921-1922, after which he was assigned to the 2nd Infantry
at Fort Sheridan, Illinois
, as a machine gun officer at Fort Custer
, and to the United States Military Academy
at West Point.
Doe attended the Command and General Staff College
at Fort Leavenworth
from 1925 to 1926 and on graduation was posted to the 15th Infantry at Tientsin, China
. He did not return to the United States until 1930, when he joined the 16th Infantry
at Fort Jay
. He then commanded the machine gun school at Fort Dix until 1932, when he left to attend the U.S. Army War College
. After nearly 18 years as a major, he was finally promoted to lieutenant colonel
on 1 January 1936. He was an instructor at the Command and General Staff College
and Professor of Military Science and Tactics at University of California, Berkeley
.
in September 1940 and assumed command of its 17th Infantry
in November. He was promoted to colonel on 26 June 1941. In June 1942 he was sent to Australia
to command the 163rd Infantry.
The 163rd Infantry was selected as the first regiment of the 41st Infantry Division to enter combat, at Sanananda
in January 1943. For his leadership, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
. His citation read:
This action also resulted in Doe becoming Assistant Division Commander and being promoted to Brigadier General
on 2 February 1943.
Doe led the Persecution Task Force
that landed at Aitape
, and the Tornado Task Force that landed at Wakde
, both of which were built around the 163rd Infantry. For these actions he was awarded the Army Distinguished Service Medal.
His task force was absorbed back into the 41st Infantry Division for the Battle of Biak
. In this battle he earned an oak leaf cluster
to the Silver Star he had won in the Great War. His citation read:
At Biak the commander of the 41st Infantry Division, Major General
Horace H. Fuller
asked to be relieved of his command. Both Fuller and Eichelberger had recommended Doe for the next available divisional command, so Doe assumed command of the 41st Infantry Division and was promoted to major general on 1 August 1944. For his leadership at Biak he was also awarded an oak leaf cluster to his Distinguished Service Medal.
In February and March 1945, Doe led 41st Infantry Division at Palawan
and Zamboanga
, where he earned a second oak leaf cluster to his Silver Star. His citation read:
Doe also received the Air Medal
for his numerous flights over Japanese held areas.
on 9 August 1946. On 29 September 1946 he assumed command of 3rd Infantry Division.
Doe was promoted to the permanent rank of major general in 1948, backdated to 6 September 1944.
He retired from the army in February 1949 and died on 25 February 1971.
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
Jens Anderson Doe (20 June 1891-25 February 1971) was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
and General in the first half of the 20th century. He is best known for his command of the 41st Infantry Division in the South West Pacific Area
South West Pacific Area
South West Pacific Area was the name given to the Allied supreme military command in the South West Pacific Theatre of World War II. It was one of four major Allied commands in the Pacific theatres of World War II, during 1942–45...
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...
.
Education and Early Life
Jens Anderson Doe was born on 20 June 1891 in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. He graduated from 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...
at West Point and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 11th Infantry
11th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 11th Infantry Regiment is a regiment in the United States Army.-The First 11th Infantry:Under the authority granted the President by the Act of July 16, 1798, to raise twelve additional regiments of infantry, the first 11th Infantry came into existence in the Army of the United States in...
on 12 June 1914. He was stationed with the 11th Infantry successively at Texas City, Texas
Texas City, Texas
Texas City is a city in Chambers and Galveston counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 41,521 at the 2000 census. It is a part of the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, Naco, Arizona
Naco, Arizona
Naco is a census-designated place in Cochise County, Arizona, United States. Its population was 833 at the 2000 census. It is across the United States–Mexico border from Naco, Sonora. The Naco port of entry is open 24 hours per day....
, and Douglas, Arizona
Douglas, Arizona
Douglas is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States. Douglas has a border crossing with Mexico and a history of mining.The population was 14,312 at the 2000 census...
.
Great War
Doe was promoted to first lieutenant on 1 July 1916 and captain on 15 May 1917. From May to August 1917 he was stationed with the 11th Infantry Fort OglethorpeFort Oglethorpe (Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia)
Fort Oglethorpe was an Army post established in 1902 and opened in 1904. It served largely as a cavalry post for the 6th Cavalry. During World War I Fort Oglethorpe was home to 4,000 German Prisoners of War and civilian detainees. During World War I and World War II, it became a war-time...
. He attended a machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
training course at Fort Sill
Fort Sill
Fort Sill is a United States Army post near Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.Today, Fort Sill remains the only active Army installation of all the forts on the South Plains built during the Indian Wars...
before assuming command of the 15th Machine Gun Battalion in December 1917. In April 1918, he sailed for France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Promoted to major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
on 7 June 1918, Doe served as 5th Infantry Division before assuming command of the 14th Machine Gun Battalion in July. As such, he participated in the Battle of Saint-Mihiel
Battle of Saint-Mihiel
The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a World War I battle fought between September 12–15, 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Force and 48,000 French troops under the command of U.S. general John J. Pershing against German positions...
and Meuse-Argonne Offensive
Meuse-Argonne Offensive
The Meuse-Argonne Offensive, or Maas-Argonne Offensive, also called the Battle of the Argonne Forest, was a part of the final Allied offensive of World War I that stretched along the entire western front.-Overview:...
, where he was wounded. His gallantry earned him the Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
.
In November 1918, Doe organised and became an instructor at the Army Machine Gun School at Langres
Langres
Langres is a commune in north-eastern France. It is a subprefecture of the Haute-Marne département in the Champagne-Ardenne region.-History:As the capital of the Romanized Gallic tribe the Lingones, it was called Andematunnum, then Lingones, and now Langres.The town is built on a limestone...
. He was an instructor at the II Corps Schools, and a student at the Artillery Center. In June 1919 he joined the 61st Infantry, returning to the United States with it in June 1919.
Interwar Years
In September 1919 he became an instructor at the Infantry School at Fort BenningFort Benning
Fort Benning is a United States Army post located southeast of the city of Columbus in Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties in Georgia and Russell County, Alabama...
. He attended the Field Officers' Course in 1921-1922, after which he was assigned to the 2nd Infantry
2nd Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 2nd Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment in the United States Army. It has served the United States for more than two hundred years. It is the third oldest regiment in the US Army with a Lineage date of 1808 and a history extending back to 1791...
at Fort Sheridan, Illinois
Fort Sheridan, Illinois
Fort Sheridan is a residential neighborhood spread among Lake Forest, Highwood, and Highland Park in Lake County, Illinois, United States. It was originally established as a United States Army Post named after Civil War Cavalry General Philip Sheridan, to honor his services to Chicago...
, as a machine gun officer at Fort Custer
Fort Custer Training Center
Fort Custer Training Center, often known simply as Fort Custer, is a federally-owned and state-operated Michigan Army National Guard training facility, but is also used by other branches of the armed forces and armed forces from Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio...
, and to 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...
at West Point.
Doe attended the Command and General Staff College
Command and General Staff College
The United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military officers. The college was established in 1881 by William Tecumseh Sherman as a...
at Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth is a United States Army facility located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, immediately north of the city of Leavenworth in the upper northeast portion of the state. It is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C. and has been in operation for over 180 years...
from 1925 to 1926 and on graduation was posted to the 15th Infantry at Tientsin, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. He did not return to the United States until 1930, when he joined the 16th Infantry
16th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 16th Infantry Regiment is a regiment in the United States Army.-Formation:The 34th Infantry Regiment and 11th Infantry Regiment consolidated into the 16th Infantry Regiment on 3 March 1869. The 11th Infantry's history prior to the consolidation is normally included with the 16th's.-U.S...
at Fort Jay
Fort Jay
Fort Jay is a harbor fortification and the name of the former Army post located on Governors Island in New York Harbor. Fort Jay is the oldest defensive structure on the island, built to defend Upper New York Bay, but has served other purposes...
. He then commanded the machine gun school at Fort Dix until 1932, when he left to attend the U.S. Army War College
U.S. Army War College
The United States Army War College is a United States Army school located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, on the 500 acre campus of the historic Carlisle Barracks...
. After nearly 18 years as a major, he was finally promoted to lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
on 1 January 1936. He was an instructor at the Command and General Staff College
Command and General Staff College
The United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military officers. The college was established in 1881 by William Tecumseh Sherman as a...
and Professor of Military Science and Tactics at University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
.
World War II
Doe joined the newly-reformed 7th Division at Fort OrdFort Ord
Fort Ord was a U.S. Army post on Monterey Bay in California. It was established in 1917 as a maneuver area and field artillery target range and was closed in September 1994. Fort Ord was one of the most attractive locations of any U.S. Army post, because of its proximity to the beach and California...
in September 1940 and assumed command of its 17th Infantry
17th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 17th Infantry Regiment is a United States Army infantry regiment. While the 17th Infantry Regiment was organized on January 11, 1812, it was consolidated with the 3rd Infantry due to extremely heavy losses at Frenchtown, and lost its identity two years later until May 3, 1861, when it was...
in November. He was promoted to colonel on 26 June 1941. In June 1942 he was sent to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
to command the 163rd Infantry.
The 163rd Infantry was selected as the first regiment of the 41st Infantry Division to enter combat, at Sanananda
Battle of Buna-Gona
The Battle of Buna–Gona was a battle in the New Guinea campaign, a major part of the Pacific campaign of World War II. On 16 November 1942, Australian and United States forces attacked the main Japanese beachheads in New Guinea, at Buna, Sanananda and Gona. Both forces were riddled by disease and...
in January 1943. For his leadership, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...
. His citation read:
This action also resulted in Doe becoming Assistant Division Commander and being promoted to Brigadier General
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
on 2 February 1943.
Doe led the Persecution Task Force
Operation Persecution
The Landing at Aitape was a battle of the Western New Guinea campaign of World War II. American and Allied forces undertook an amphibious landing on 22 April 1944 at Aitape on northern coast of Papua New Guinea...
that landed at Aitape
Operation Persecution
The Landing at Aitape was a battle of the Western New Guinea campaign of World War II. American and Allied forces undertook an amphibious landing on 22 April 1944 at Aitape on northern coast of Papua New Guinea...
, and the Tornado Task Force that landed at Wakde
Battle of Wakde
The Battle of Wakde was part of the New Guinea campaign of World War II. It was fought between the United States and Japan from 15 May 1944 to 18 May 1944....
, both of which were built around the 163rd Infantry. For these actions he was awarded the Army Distinguished Service Medal.
His task force was absorbed back into the 41st Infantry Division for the Battle of Biak
Battle of Biak
The Battle of Biak was part of the New Guinea campaign of World War II. It was fought between the United States Army and the Japanese Army from May 27 to June 22, 1944. It was the first major tactical use of an ambush by the Japanese during the war....
. In this battle he earned an oak leaf cluster
Oak leaf cluster
An oak leaf cluster is a common device which is placed on U.S. Army and Air Force awards and decorations to denote those who have received more than one bestowal of a particular decoration. The number of oak leaf clusters typically indicates the number of subsequent awards of the decoration...
to the Silver Star he had won in the Great War. His citation read:
At Biak the commander of the 41st Infantry Division, Major General
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
Horace H. Fuller
Horace H. Fuller
Major General Horace H. Fuller was an American soldier and general in the first half of the 20th century. He is best known for his command of the 41st Infantry Division in the South West Pacific Area during World War II....
asked to be relieved of his command. Both Fuller and Eichelberger had recommended Doe for the next available divisional command, so Doe assumed command of the 41st Infantry Division and was promoted to major general on 1 August 1944. For his leadership at Biak he was also awarded an oak leaf cluster to his Distinguished Service Medal.
In February and March 1945, Doe led 41st Infantry Division at Palawan
Invasion of Palawan
The Invasion of Palawan fought by U.S. liberation forces against the Japanese from 28 February -22 April 1945, in a series of actions officially designated as Operations Victor I and II, and part of the campaign for the liberation of the Philippines during World War II, was waged to initiate...
and Zamboanga
Battle of Mindanao
The Battle of Mindanao was fought by United States forces and allied Filipino guerrillas against the Japanese from 10 March-15 August 1945 at Mindanao island in the Philippine Archipelago, in a series of actions officially designated as Operation VICTOR V, and part of the campaign for the...
, where he earned a second oak leaf cluster to his Silver Star. His citation read:
Doe also received the Air Medal
Air Medal
The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States. The award was created in 1942, and is awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.-Criteria:...
for his numerous flights over Japanese held areas.
Later life
Doe remained in command of the 41st Infantry Division until it was inactivated in Japan at midnight on 31 December 1945. He returned to the United States for a brief tour of duty at the War Department before assuming command of the 5th Infantry Division at Fort CampbellFort Campbell
Fort Campbell is a United States Army installation located astraddle the Kentucky-Tennessee border between Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and Clarksville, Tennessee...
on 9 August 1946. On 29 September 1946 he assumed command of 3rd Infantry Division.
Doe was promoted to the permanent rank of major general in 1948, backdated to 6 September 1944.
He retired from the army in February 1949 and died on 25 February 1971.