Sharpen Your Bayonets: LT GEN John Wilson “Iron Mike” O’Daniel, 3rd Infantry Division Commander in WWII
This candid conversation highlights Iron Mike’s atypical career path as an “unlikely general,” the legacy of his unique training programs that prepared new recruits for combat in short order, and the high and low points of his career that spanned the Mexican-American War, WWI, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. His loyalty to his troops was returned in their selfless performance that meant success in the liberation of Nuremberg, Augsburg, Munich, and Hitler’s Berghof and Eagles’ Nest in the Obersalzberg.
:32 – 1:38 – Short bio on Lt Gen John Wilson “Iron Mike” O’Daniel
1:40 – 2:30 Brief background on author, Lt.Col. (Ret) Timothy R. Stoy
2:58 – 4:44 Genesis of the book: “division commanders translate vision to action”
4:45 – 6:36 Uncovering great pearls of stories to be told – Center for Military History
7:15 – 10:15 O’Daniel – the “unlikely general” seen in the context of today’s Army
10:28 – 11:13 Leading Black soldiers in a segregated Army
11:15 – 12:35 O’Daniel’s reputation as a ruthless disciplinarian and meticulous trainer; Ft Myer, VA; Operation Torch
12:36 – 14:42 Determining factors of success: serving under LT Mark Clark, WWI; General Kruger; General Eisenhower; importance of constant training of troops
14:43 – 16:22 O’Daniel’s training camps were quick preparation for war – turned raw recruits into soldiers; colonels to 2nd lieutenants trained for each other’s job
18:00 – 20:48 O’Daniel’s rapid rise through the ranks; 5th Army; amphibious operations; 36th Division; Commander, 3rd Infantry Division; Anzio
20:49 – 23:46 Soldiers generally revered him. Reputation for being with the forward line of troops. and in the foxhole. Soldiers appreciated his presence and his energy. His subordinate officers found him to be challenging.
23:57 – 27:17 Led 3rd Infantry Division to be the first to capture Hitler’s Eagle Nest. (Stephen Ambrose got it wrong in Band of Brothers.)
27:18 – 30:34 O’Daniel’s lost his son in battle; it made him even more cognizant of the impact of the soldiers at the front.
30:35 – 32:19 O’Daniel’s legacy as an infantry commander: building an army that will win the next war.
32:43 – 34:30 O’Daniel’s assignment in the Soviet Union makes him a staunch anti-communist.
34:32 – 35:49 Probably his most important battle, O’Daniel’s successful strategy for the destruction of the German-held Colmar Pocket took the enemy off-guard.
38:29 – 39:07 Anzio scarred the all.
39:08 – 39:42 Chief of Staff of the Army Maxwell Taylor stated that O’Daniel and his troops got to Berchtesgaden first.
General O’Daniel’s brother John W. O’Daniel, Jr., died in WWI and is buried at the ABMC American Cemtery at Oise-Aisne. His son is buried at Netherlands American Cemetery.
LT. COL. (RET) TIMOTHY R. STOY
Timothy R. Stoy is a 1981 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and served 31 years in the Infantry and as a foreign area officer. He served six and a half years with the 3rd Infantry Division while it was stationed in Germany during the Cold War. He was the historian of the Society of the 3rd Infantry Division, United States Army 2007-2017, is a past president of the Society, and serves as president and historian of the 15th Infantry Regimental Association. With his wife, Cpt (Ret) C. Monika Stoy, Lt. Col. Stoy conducts historical seminars in the U.S., France and the Republic of Korea telling the stories of the 3rd ID, its headquarters, the 7th U.S. Army, its parent 6th Army Group, and the 1st French Army in WWII.
MAJ GEN (RET) DOUG CRISSMAN
Doug Crissman is a retired U.S. Army Major General. He led teams in complex and uncertain environments around the world during more than 33 years of service. His assignments throughout the U.S. and overseas include combat leadership in Iraq and Afghanistan, tours on the faculty at West Point and in the Pentagon, and as the only U.S. Army general assigned to the British Army. He was deputy commanding general, 3rd Infantry Division in Bagram, Afghanistan and at Fort Stewart, GA. Gen. Crissman’s work in the private sector draws upon his experience supporting 30,000+ soldiers rotating through the Middle East each year while administrating a $7B budget. Gen. Crissman is a member of the ABMF International Council.
