White, Isaac, GEN

Excellent Polo Player.

Manager of the US Equistrian Team that competed in the 1948 Olympic Games in London, England.

His 2nd Armored Division was only 57 miles from Berlin when WW2 ended. He was given a direct order NOT to advance to Berlin. This allowed the Soviets to capture Berlin.

He is mentioned several times in W.E.B. Griffin's best - selling Brother of War and Honor Bound series of books.

Nicknamed "Mr. Armor" by Armor Magazine following his military retirement, he was known as a visionary and strategic military thinker and was a strong advocate for a quick strike capability using armored warfare tactics. The son of a career US Army officer who achieved the rank of major general, he enrolled at Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont after completing high school and graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in 1922, and the following year he received a 2nd lieutenant's commission in the US Army Cavalry. In 1932 he joined the US Army's Armored Force at Fort Knox, Kentucky. He then served at the US Army Cavalry School at Fort Riley, Kansas and attended the US Army Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. In 1940 he was assigned to the 2nd Armored ("Hell on Wheels") Division and after the US entered World War II in December 1941, his unit saw combat action in North Africa and Sicily. In May 1944 he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general and led the 2nd Armored Division in France and Belgium, participated at the Battle of the Bulge, and was promoted to the rank of major general. His Division then pushed into Germany, bringing final defeat to the enemy forces, and in July 1945 they became the first American unit to occupy the German capital of Berlin. In May 1948 he served as Commanding General of the US Constabulary for the European Command and created the tank training center at Vilseck, Germany. He then returned to the US and performed duty as the Commanding General of the Armored Center at Fort Knox, Commandant of the Cavalry and Ground General School at Fort Riley, Commandant of the Armored School at Fort Benning, Georgia, and Chief of Staff for the 1st Army at Governor's Island, New York. In 1952 he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general and became the Commanding General of US Army 10th Corps and saw action in three mountain campaigns during the Korean War. In 1953 he was assigned to Fort Sam Houston, Texas as Commanding General of the 4th US Army. In June 1955 he was promoted to the rank of general and he became Commander-in-Chief of the United Nations Command in Korea. In 1957 he was assigned as Commander-in-Chief of US Army Pacific and retired in that position in 1961 with 38 years of continuous military service. Among his military and foreign decorations and awards include the Army Distinguished Service Medal (with one oak leaf cluster), the Silver Star (with one oak leaf cluster), the Legion of Merit (with two oak leaf clusters), the Bronze Star (with one oak leaf cluster), the American Defense Service Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the European/African/Middle Eastern Campaign Medal (with one silver and three bronze campaign stars and arrowhead), the Distinguished Unit Citation, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Service Medal (with three bronze stars), the Presidential Unit Citation, the French Legion of Honor and Croix de guerre, the Belgian Croix de guerre (with palm), the Soviet Order of the Red Banner, the Korean Order of Military Merit (Taeguk, with silver star), and numerous other foreign decorations. Additionally, he earned a Master's Degree in Military Science from Norwich University in 1951 and an Honorary Doctorate of Military Science Degree from the University of Maryland at College Park, Maryland in 1958. After retiring to Dublin, New Hampshire, he published his book "Alternative to Armageddon - the Peace Potential of Lightening War" (1970). He died of natural causes at the age of 89. US Route 202, from his birthplace to the Massachusetts border was named the General I.D. White Highway in his honor.