Courtney Whitney
and Edward Almond in the Korean War.
Maj. Gen. Courtney Whitney (May 20, 1897 - March 21, 1969) was an American lawyer and Army commander during World War II who later served as a senior official during the occupation of Japan. Born in Washington, D.C, Whitney enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1917. He received his law degree from George Washington University in 1927 and left the Army to open a private practice in Manila. In 1940, Whitney returned to active duty. After Japan conquered the Philippines, he became a staff officer under Gen. Douglas MacArthur, and commanded an extensive spy network in the islands from a base in Australia. Whitney returned to Leyte Gulf alongside MacArthur in 1944. After Japan surrendered, Whitney accompanied MacArthur to Atsugi Air Base and became Chief of the Government Section at GHQ. With Lt. Col. Milo Rowell, he drafted the Constitution of Japan and sent it to the Diet for approval. Whitney remained close to MacArthur through the occupation, and served alongside MacArthur during the Korean War. He resigned from the Army after MacArthur was removed from command in 1951. In 1956, Whitney's biography of his commander, MacArthur: His Rendezvous With History, was published. Whitney is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
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