Posted on 06/06/2019 4:10:50 AM PDT by topher
Full Title:General Theodore “We’ll Start The War From Right Here!” Roosevelt Jr. Was Awarded The Medal Of Honor On Utah Beach
A son will often attempt to live up to the legacy of their father, and when your father happens to be former President, Rough Rider, and man extraordinaire Teddy Roosevelt, that can be quite a tall order. Named after his father, Theodore Roosevelt Jr. fought in both World Wars and demonstrated the type of bravery that must clearly run in the Roosevelt blood.
He made multiple petitions to be on the first wave of the D-Day invasion and when command finally relented, Roosevelt was the only General to be there with the men when the ramps first dropped. General Omar Bradley once noted when asked that the single most heroic thing he had ever seen in combat was Ted Roosevelt on Utah Beach.
For his actions that day, Theodore Roosevelt Jr would receive the Medal of Honor and prove the most difficult thing to do in any war just might be killing a man named Theodore Roosevelt.
(Excerpt) Read more at warhistoryonline.com ...
The assault on Utah Beach drifted one mile South of the targeted spot:
From the article:
History would prove Roosevelt correct as the landing craft for the division had drifted approximately a mile south before hitting the beach. As one of the first men off his craft, General Roosevelt was able to assess the situation and coordinate the impromptu assault.He was quoted as saying to his battalion commanders, “We’ll start the war from right here!”
It also meant that supplies would go to the spot one mile South of the targeted spot for the landing.
A case that a quick and decisive decision fixed a problem on where the troops actually landed on Utah beach.
“A case that a quick and decisive decision fixed a problem on where the troops actually landed on Utah beach. “
And that is what makes a leader. Someone who makes decisions, whether right or wrong, but is decisive. A leader does not waffle with his decisions.
For any of us who are leaders or want to be a leader, this is one of the first lessons.
Thanks for posting this.
I’ve never understood why so little has been written and reported about this man. I hate to say this, but the actual ‘charge’ up San Juan hill was pretty much a nothing - yet Roosevelt senior received unrelenting glory for it. Roosevelt Jr receives almost no mention, but in fact should be recognized as a great American hero. And he proved that on several occasions.
Are there any books written about him? I have never heard of him!!!
I believe he was played by Henry Fonda in The Longest Day and that critical decision and important statement are featured.
I had never heard of Teddy Roosevelt, Jr.
We were, indeed, fortunate to have a man on the beach with the authority and intelligence to shift the point of attack after the first wave drifted. If this decision had not been made, and the second wave landed at the previously designated spot, the whole attack in this sector might have failed.
On such things whole worlds turn. An amazing story.
He was initially recommended for a second DSC for his actions on D-Day at Utah Beach and was approved for a promotion to Major General if he had lived another day. The DSC recommendation was upgraded to the MoH and awarded posthumously in September of 1944.
He is interred at the Normandy US Cemetery devoted for the most part to the fallen of D-Day and the subsequent Normandy Campaign. However, interred next to him is his younger brother, 2nd Lieutenant Quentin Roosevelt, who died in Aerial Combat on 14 July 1918 (WW1). This was done in 1955 and is the sole WW1 grave in this cemetery.
Another historical note can be made that TRJr and his father, President Theodore Roosevelt (TR), are one of two father&son MoH awardees (Arthur & Douglas MacArthur being the other pair). TR was (very) posthumously awarded the MoH for his actions at the Battle of San Juan Hill (1 July 1898 - Cuba - Spanish-American War) in 2001.
An amazing American Man. Thank you.
That would be correct.
Stephen Ambrose often spoke about how D-day showed the superiority of democracy over dictatorship. When all the best-laid plans of D-day went to muckets, the junior officers and enlisted men improvised. The Webrmacht and Waffen SS were just as good of troops, but were hamstrung because nobody wanted to wake up Hitler. When he did awaken, he was still convinced the main invasion would be at Calais.
“Planning is essential, but plans are useless.”
A good solider will improvise because they have worked the problem six ways to Sunday.
There is a book by Paul Jeffers that is excellent.
I would be very upset about people never having heard of this great man except for one thing...
I’d never heard of him either until about 10 years ago when I saw a small article in some trivial section about fathers and sons. That sent me off on a quest to find out more about him.
Sadly, unless it has been written since then, there is not much about him.
Apparently he dared to openly disagree and say bad things about Saint FDR, so the liberal press has banished him. He was a FAR better man than FDR.
“Years later, Omar Bradley was asked to name the single most heroic action he had ever seen in combat. He replied, “Ted Roosevelt on Utah Beach.””
On a big perfect sunny day at Omaha Beach, I saw TDR’s headstone... accented by gold lettering...
A little know fact is that more US troops went down during the Battle at Ardennes than during D-Day. We lost over 75,000 killed or wounded at the Bulge and the Germans lost 120,000 killed or wounded. Talk about bloody.
Winning this battle was the beginning of the end for hitler and his thugs.
The sad thing is, we let the soviets split Berlin and that caused the cold war.
If Patton had been listened to, we'd have kicked the reds out of Berlin and Germany never would have been split in two parts.
Even if he sent the tanks in, they would have been pulverized from the air and sea.
At that point, everyone was sick of fighting.
Remember TR’s other son Quentin died in WWI. Quentin Roosevelt was killed in aerial combat over France on Bastille Day (July 14), 1918.
Archie Roosevelt (another son) served WWI & WWII - won a Silver Star in New Guinea.
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