World War II Database

Albert Coady Wedemeyer was born in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. In 1919 he graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point near the bottom of his class of 285 cadets. He was described as tall, suave, able, and ambitious. After service in China with the 15th Infantry Regiment, he went to Germany to attend the German War Academy.

When the United States entered the war, he was promoted to the war time rank of Lieutenant Colonel; however his education in Germany, along with his German heritage, brought suspicion of espionage upon him, who at the time served at the War Plans Division. When the Federal Bureau of Investigation was unable to find evidence against him, his name was cleared, and he was assigned to Asia. This move was "to get him out of the public eye", as described by historian Nathan Prefer. His theories which focused on defeating the German Army on the European continent had influences on later campaigns in Normandy and the rest of France.

Wedemeyer was originally assigned as Chief of Staff to British Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten in 1943. Serving the Supreme Allied Commander of the Southeast Asia Theater allowed him to demonstrate his capability. After Joseph Stilwell's removal from his previous position in 1944, Wedemeyer took over Stilwell's responsibility as the Chief of Staff of Generalissimo Chiang Kaishek and as the commander of all American forces in China. He held this position until 1946.

After the war, Wedemeyer served as the Army Chief of Plans and Operations, bringing his expertise of airlift operations from his years in the China-Burma-India theater to aid the supply situations in post war Berlin. He retired from the United States Army in 1951, and in 1954 he was promoted to the rank of full general. In 1958 he published his memoirs under the title Wedemeyer Reports.

Wedemeyer passed away in 1989 at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, United States. He rests in peace at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.

Albert Wedemeyer Timeline

Photographs

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