Dates: 1917-1954
The papers of John L. McKee mainly document his experiences in the U.S. Army before, during, and after World War II. McKee was stationed in Europe for most of the war, and led troops in France and Germany. The papers include military orders, correspondence, speeches, printed materials, citations for awards and medals, and photographs relating to McKee’s combat service and his career in the peacetime Army.
Size: Less than one linear foot (approximately 250 pages).
Access: Open.
Copyright: The donor gave to the U.S. government his copyrights in this material and in any collection of papers deposited in the Harry S. Truman Library. Documents created by U.S. government officials in the course of their official duties are in the public domain. Copyright interest in other documents presumably belongs to the creators of those documents, or their heirs.
Processed by: Dennis E. Bilger (1973).
Updated by: Aubrey L. Smith (2006) as part of the Truman Library Internship Program.
Supervising Archivists: Randy Sowell and David Clark.
[ Top of the page | Administrative Information | Biographical Sketch | Collection Description | Series Descriptions | Folder Title List ]
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1894 (December 8) |
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (one source says in 1895) |
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1911-1913 |
Attended Virginia Military Institute |
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1913 |
Joined Virginia National Guard |
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1917 |
Joined Regular Army as Second Lieutenant |
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1932 |
Graduated from Command and General Staff School, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas |
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1939-1941 |
Professor of Military Science and Tactics at Valley Forge Military Academy |
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1941 |
Chief of Pacific Theater Group, Operations Division |
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1942-1945 |
Brigadier General and Assistant Commander of 87th Infantry Division |
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1945 |
Awarded Legion of Merit, Silver Star Medal, Bronze Star Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, and French Croix de Guerre with Palm |
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1946-1948 |
Professor of Military Science and Tactics at University of California- Los Angeles |
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1948-1949 |
Assistant Division Commander, 1st Infantry Division, EUCOM (United States European Command) |
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1949-1951 |
Provost Marshal of EUCOM |
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1950 |
Appointed Major General |
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1951 |
Director of Military Posts Division, EUCOM |
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1952 |
Director of Continental U.S. Defense Planning Group |
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1954 |
Retired from the United States Army |
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1963 (November 18) |
Died |
The papers of John L. McKee mostly relate to his career in the United States Army and particularly to his service in World War II. Also featured are newspaper clippings and other items documenting his life and activities before and after the war. The collection includes printed materials, service reports, personnel records, speeches, military orders, correspondence, citations for awards, photographs, an invitation to the White House, and a short biography.
The papers are arranged in one series, a Subject File. They contain information concerning McKee’s military service before World War II and his successful career as a polo player in the Army, which included a stint as a teammate of future General George S. Patton, Jr. McKee’s World War II papers include material concerning his service as a General in the 87th Infantry Division; information about his son, Major John L. McKee, Jr., who was killed in action in 1945; and letters from General McKee to his wife and other family members. McKee’s service during the Truman administration as Provost Marshal of EUCOM (U.S. European Command) in Germany, and in other military posts, is documented in several newspaper articles and a brief biographical sketch. The collection also contains letters supporting McKee’s application for a job with the County of Los Angeles following his retirement from the Army.
The Truman Library has the papers of other U.S. Army officers who served during World War II, including Frank N. Roberts, George J. Richards, and James T. Quirk.
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Container Nos. |
Series |
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1 |
SUBJECT FILE, 1917-1954 Correspondence, reports, speeches, military orders, service records, printed materials, award citations and photographs related to the life and career of John L. McKee. The collection is arranged chronologically, with a folder of photographs at the end. |
Box 1
- The Early Years
- The War Years
- The Truman Years
- The Truman Years - Biography of Major General John L. McKee
- Photographs