James Dalton II

Infobox Military Person
name= James L. Dalton II
lived= Died 16 May 1945
placeofbirth= New Britain, Connecticut
placeofdeath= Luzon, Philippines


caption= James Dalton (left) with Douglas MacArthur, most likely on Luzon in 1945
nickname= Dusty
allegiance= United States of America
branch= United States Army
serviceyears= 1933-1945
rank= Brigadier General
commands= 161st Infantry Regiment
unit=
battles=

World War II:
*Guadalcanal Campaign
*New Georgia Campaign
*Battle of Luzon

awards= Silver Star
laterwork=

James Dalton II (died 16 May 1945) was a general and commander of United States Army forces during World War II. He graduated from West Point in 1933 [Ohl, John Kennedy; "Minuteman, The Military Career of General Robert S. Beightler", Lynne Rienner Publishers (2001) pg 109 ISBN 1555879233] and earned the Silver Star during the strategically significant Guadalcanal Campaign in which he commanded the 161st Infantry Regiment as a colonel.

Dalton later commanded the 161st during the New Georgia Campaign in 1943 and Battle of Luzon in 1945 before being promoted and reassigned as assistant commander of the 25th Infantry Division. He was killed by a Japanese sniper during the Battle of Balete Pass on May 16, 1945.

Birth and schooling

Dalton was born in New Britain, Connecticut but moved to Naugatuck with his family at a very young age. There he attended Saint Francis of Assisi School, and in 1927 he graduated from Naugatuck High School. In 1929 he entered West Point, graduating in 1933, when he transfered from cavalry to infantry.

Early military history

Dalton was posted at Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack in 1941 and in January 1943 his regiment, the 161st Rifle (Infantry) Regiment, was sent to Guadalcanal, as part of the Americal Division's deployment to the island. The 161st took part in the final weeks of the campaign. For his duties during this campaign, Dalton was awarded the Silver Star and was promoted to lieutenant-colonel, then colonel.

Dalton was given command of the 161st in the closing days of the Guadalcanal Campaign [ [http://www.ibiblio.net/hyperwar/USA/USA-P-Rabaul/USA-P-Rabaul-8.html "Cartwheel: The reduction of Rabaul", John Miller Jr.] Hyper War Website] after its previous commander, Colonel Clarence Orndorff, was ordered back to the United States through illness. Initially the 161st was a National Guard regiment, but having seen combat in the Guadalcanal campaign and taken in veteran replacements the regiment had lost that title. After Guadalcanal the 161st was ordered to New Georgia Island to link up with the 145th and 148th Infantry Regiments, in an attempt to take out the Japanese airfield at Munda Point. On arrival at New Georgia Island on 22 July 1943, Dalton's regiment was placed under the command of General Robert Beighter. In a difficult campaign, in which his regiment was unable to make gains due to heavy enemy defensive positions, Dalton's regiment was also blamed by Colonel Baxter of the 148th for failures in the field. Beighter, although a fellow Ohio Guardsman of Baxter, decided that Dalton's command was sound and was able to remove Baxter from his position through a fortuitous element of Baxter's ill health. [Ohl; pg 123]

Later military service and death

After the 161st was deployed to the Philippines during the Battle of Luzon, Dalton was promoted to brigadier general and reassigned as assistant commanding general of the 25th Infantry Division. Soon after, Dalton was killed in action by a Japanese sniper during the Battle of Balete Pass on 16 May 1945. The pass where Dalton died was renamed in his honor after the battle, and is still sometimes referred to as Dalton Pass today. [Government of the Philippines] Dalton was one of only 11 US general officers killed in action during World War II. [Cagley]

External sites

* [http://www.biblio.org/WHITTEMORE/dalton.htm Howard Whittemore Library, Naugatuck]

Notes

References

Books

*cite book
last = Radike
first = Floyd W.
authorlink =
coauthors =
year = 2003
chapter =
title = Across the Dark Islands: The War in the Pacific
publisher =
location =
id = ISBN 0891417745 (Radike refers to Dalton as "Colonel Weston" in this memoir of Radike's experiences as an officer in the 161st Infantry Regiment during World War II.)

Web

*cite web
last = Cagley
first = Thomas R.
authorlink =
coauthors =
date =
year = 2005
month =
url = http://www.wwiihistorymagazine.com/2005/july/col-insight.html
title = Relatively few U.S. generals lost their lives in World War II
format =
work = World War II History (magazine)
pages =
publisher =
language =
accessdate = 2008-08-18
accessyear =
*cite web
last = GlobalSecurity.org
first =
authorlink = GlobalSecurity.org
coauthors =
date =
year =
month =
url = http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/1-161inf.htm
title = 1st Battalion - 161st Infantry Regiment
format =
work =
pages =
publisher =
language =
accessdate = 2008-08-18
accessyear =
*cite web
last = Government of the Philippines
first =
authorlink = Politics of the Philippines
coauthors =
date =
year =
month =
url = http://www.gov.ph/news/default.asp?i=9277
title = DFA Announces Commemoration of Battle of Balete Pass
format =
work =
pages =
publisher =
language =
accessdate = 2008-08-18
accessyear =
*cite web
last = Lagasca
first = Charlie
authorlink =
coauthors =
date = 2006-05-11
year =
month =
url = http://www.newsflash.org/2004/02/ht/ht006214.htm
title = WW2 Vets to mark fall of 'Balete Pass'
format =
work = Philippine Headline News Online
pages =
publisher = The Philippine Star
language =
accessdate = 2008-08-18
accessyear =
*cite web
last = Miller
first = John Jr.
authorlink =
coauthors =
date =
year = 1949
month =
url = http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/books/wwii/GuadC/GC-fm.htm
title = Guadalcanal: The First Offensive
format =
work = United States Army in World War II
pages =
publisher =
language =
accessdate = 2006-07-04
accessyear =
*cite web
last = Smith
first = Robert Ross
authorlink =
coauthors =
date =
year = 1993
month =
url = http://ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-P-Triumph/index.html
title = Triumph in the Philippines
format =
work = United States Army in World War II
pages =
publisher = Office of the Chief of Military History, Department of the (US) Army
language =
accessdate = 2008-08-18
accessyear =