Talk:Walter Bedell Smith

Article copied
This article was simply copied fromt the Arlington National Cemetery website (link at bottom of article). —Preceding unsigned comment added by 198.37.17.162 (talk • contribs) 17:57, November 6, 2005

Relation to author Sally Bedell Smith?
I noticed there is a rather prolific biography writer named Sally Bedell Smith. Does anyone know if she is related (granddaughter?) to Walter Bedell Smith? If so, and if we have a good reference, it should be part of the article. --rogerd 14:40, 12 May 2007 (UTC)

Walter Bedell Smith had no children —Preceding unsigned comment added by 93Stroud (talk • contribs) 17:08, 19 January 2008 (UTC)


 * Probably no relation - Sally Bedell Smith was born Sally Bedell; the Smith is her married name. Andrew Gray (talk) 21:35, 14 August 2012 (UTC)

Why is there a set of links to Medal of Honor recipients, when he was not one?
My question is done more out of ignorance than anything. I cannot find anything saying he was a recipient, but I may not have searched enough. Perhaps he was the son of a recipient. My question stands for the moment. UEL 03:11, 24 September 2007 (UTC)

I did not see the Medal of Honor link. He received other medals listed in the article. He gave the brief introduction in the movie "To Hell and Back," about and starring Medal of Honor winner Audie Murphy. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 93Stroud (talk • contribs) 17:16, 19 January 2008 (UTC)

Born and raised where?
The article doesn't say. - Jmabel | Talk 19:48, 13 November 2007 (UTC)

Indianapolis, Indiana —Preceding unsigned comment added by 93Stroud (talk • contribs) 17:13, 19 January 2008 (UTC)

Inappropriate to Blame Smith for Segregation in the Armed Forces
It is not appropriate to blame Smith for segregation in the armed forces. As difficult as it may be for persons now living to believe, back then, segregation was merely a way of life. It was no different to them than restrooms marked "men" and "women" are for us today. As the article points out, segregation existed in the Pacific Theatre, and Smith had nothing to do with that. If racial integration had been attempted during the Second World War, it would have provoked sharp protest from the South and from other parts of the country. Whatever President Roosevelt's personal views on the matter may have been, he realized that it was not worth endangering the war effort to press for an end to segregation. Indeed, segregation in the armed forces was not eliminated until 1948, when President Truman issued his executive order. The fact that Truman favored integration caused him a great deal of political trouble and resulted in a split in the Democratic party, when J. Strom Thurmond and his supporters pulled out and created the "Dixiecrat" political party.

I think the section about segregation should be removed.

John Paul Parks (talk) 12:01, 29 March 2009 (UTC)

Active role in excluding African soldiers from liberation of Paris
I would expect that the General's mandate that the French forces be "100% white" during the liberation of Paris be addressed in the article. Here is a link to the BBC article:

Paris liberation made 'whites only' —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.27.242.106 (talk) 14:25, 6 April 2009 (UTC)


 * The only thing the article says about him specificlly is that he wrote a memo recommending that blacks be removed from the units, I have changed the articles entry to say that specificlly. I think it would be helpful to put it in context and determine why that was his position, or even if it was his position, or and order from a higher commander. Charles Edward (Talk) 16:51, 7 April 2009 (UTC)

Relationship With Patton
In the movie, The Last Days of Patton, Gen. Smith is portrayed as Ike's hatchet man in the struggle over denazification. Smith tells Gen. Eisenhower that Patton "hates my guts." Later, Mrs. Patton specifically forbids that Gen. Smith be allowed to visit Gen. Patton in the hospital. There is a book with the same name as the movie - I'd be interested in sources behind this animosity. Marty Mangold (talk) 14:23, 30 September 2021 (UTC)

Post nominal
I notice that GBE KCB have been added after his name. Is it usual for US citizens to add UK awards after their names? I've looked at other high ranked generals of the era. They surely must have been awarded some UK distinctions but don't have the post nominals in use. Any ideas? Ozdaren (talk) 22:23, 8 May 2010 (UTC)
 * It is not usual. Removed. Hawkeye7 (talk) 01:40, 21 August 2010 (UTC)

References?
The notes regularly refer to "Pogue 1954", but there's no work by Pogue in the references. Shimgray | talk | 15:54, 5 September 2010 (UTC)
 * It is there now. Hawkeye7 (talk) 20:31, 5 September 2010 (UTC)
 * Thanks. Shimgray | talk | 20:37, 5 September 2010 (UTC)