Lieutenant General Walter Leo Weible (June 2, 1896 − February 19, 1980) was a United States Army officer who served in both World War I and World War II
Early life Weible was born on June 2, 1896, in Waterbury, Connecticut. He graduated from Pratt Institute in 1917 with a degree in engineering.
World War I Weible enlisted for World War I as a private in the Army Coast Artillery on December 17, 1917. He served on Long Island until June 25, 1918, when he received his commission as a second lieutenant in the Coast Artillery.Official U.S. Army Register, published by U.S. Army Adjutant General, 1954, p. 790U. S. Army Register, published by U.S. Army Adjutant-General's Office, 1922, p. 694
Post-World War I Weible served throughout the United States in the 1920s and 1930s. In 1927, he graduated from the Coast Artillery School.U. S. Army Register, published by U.S. Army Adjutant General, 1957 In 1928, Weible graduated from the Engineer Officer Advanced Course.Official U.S. Army Register, 1954 Weible graduated from the Chemical Warfare Officer Course in 1928,U. S. Army Register, published by U.S. Army Adjutant General, 1957 afterwards carrying out an assignment at Fort Winfield Scott, where he remained until 1930.The Coast Artillery Journal, 1920, Volume 72, p. 273 In 1930, Weible was transferred to Hawaii,Annual Report, Governor of Hawaii Territory, 1931, p. 127 and in 1931 he was assigned to Fort MacArthur, where he stayed until 1933.Coast Artillery Journal, 1933, Volume 76, p. 237 Weible then attended the Command & General Staff College, graduating in 1935.Annual Report , Command and General Staff College, 1935, p. 8 In 1938, Weible graduated from the Army War College,American Men in Government, by Jerome Rosow, 1949, Page 408 and in 1939 he graduated from the Army Industrial College.U. S. Army Register, 1957
World War II From 1942 to 1943, Weible was deputy director of Military Training for the Army Service Forces.Organic Aviation in the Ground Arms, 1941-1947, 1992, p. 314 In 1943, he was appointed as Director, receiving promotion to major general, and serving until 1945.U.S. Government Manual, The War Department, 1945, published by the Office of War Information
Post-World War II General Weible served during the occupation of Japan as commander of Headquarters and Service Group, the logistical and administrative unit of the Far East Command.Newspaper article, WAC’s 7th Birthday, Pacific Stars and Stripes, May 14, 1949Newspaper photo caption, Bon Voyage: Gen. Weible bids farewell to Head Librarian, Pacific Stars and Stripes, November 5, 1949
Korean War In 1950, Weible was appointed commander of the Japan Logistical Command (JLC), based in Yokohama. The JLC was responsible for supporting fighting units in Korea by pre-ordering supplies and equipment from the United States, and then maintaining stockpiles in Japan for rapid transport into the combat theater.Korea, the Untold Story of the War, by Joseph C. Goulden, 1982, p. 259
Post-Korean War Weible was named Deputy Commander of the 5th United States Army in 1953 and was promoted to lieutenant general.The National Guardsman, 1953, Volume 7, p. 25
Later in 1953, Weible was named the Army's Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations & Administration.Special Studies From Root to McNamara: Army organization and Administration , by James E. Hewes, Jr., United States Army Center of Military History, 1975, Appendix B Principal Officials of the War Department and Department of the Army, 1900-1963, p. 379
In 1956, a reorganization of the roles and responsibilities of the Army staff resulted in Weible's appointment as Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, where he remained until his 1957 retirement.U.S. Army Special Studies From Root to McNamara: Army organization and Administration, Appendix BArmy Information Digest, published by the Armed Forces Information School, 1957, p. 46
McCarthy hearings controversy During the McCarthy hearings of 1954 and 1955, Senator McCarthy objected to the Army's decision to promote dentist Irving Peress to major on the grounds that he was a security risk. Peress subsequently received an honorable discharge, despite McCarthy's call for a court-martial. General Weible later testified that he was responsible for approving the honorable discharge for Peress, determining that McCarthy's request was not sufficient reason to deny it. Weible also testified that he might have made a different determination if information about Peress later revealed by McCarthy had been known to him at the time.Newspaper article, Army Names Officials in Peress Case , Los Angeles Times, January 8, 1955Newspaper article, Weible Admits Peress Error, Associated Press, published in the Prescott (Arizona) Evening Courier, March 23, 1955
Awards and decorations General Weible's decorations included multiple awards of the Distinguished Service Medal, including two for World War II, the Legion of Merit, and the Bronze Star.Military Times, Hall of Heroes, List of Recipients of Major Military AwardsOfficial U.S. Army Register, 1954
Civilian career Weible had served as president of the Association of the United States Army in the mid-1950s, while it was still an unofficial organization.Newspaper article, Russ Missile Danger Cited, Deseret News, Salt Lake City, February 13, 1956 After retiring from the Army Weible was employed as AUSA's Executive Vice President.Newspaper article, Army Assn. To Meet, Norwalk (Connecticut) Sunday Herald, May 17, 1959
Retirement and death In retirement General Weible lived in Montgomery County, Maryland. He died in Rockville, Maryland on February 19, 1980.Social Security Death Index, Accessed on WorldVitalRecords.com web site He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Section 11 Lot 233–1.
Other In 1955 Weible received an honorary doctor of laws degree from Pratt Institute.Pratt University List of Honorary Degree RecipientsNewspaper article, Moses Deplores Loss of the Eagle, New York Times, June 4, 1955
The Walter L. Weible Papers are stored at the U.S. Army's Military History Institute.World Catalogue web page, Walter L. Weible Papers
References
External links Generals of World War II