
Julian Johnson Ewell (November 5, 1915 – July 27, 2009) was a career
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
officer who served in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the
Korean War
The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
and the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
. He commanded the
9th Infantry Division and
II Field Force in
Vietnam
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
, and attained the rank of
lieutenant general
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...
.
The son of a career Army officer, Ewell graduated from the
New Mexico Military Institute
New Mexico Military Institute (NMMI) is a public military junior college and high school in Roswell, New Mexico. Founded in 1891, NMMI operates under the auspices of the State of New Mexico, under a dedicated Board of Regents that reports t ...
and the
United States Military Academy. Commissioned as a second lieutenant of infantry in 1939, he volunteered for paratrooper training at the start of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. During the war, he commanded 3rd
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...
,
501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, part of the
101st Airborne Division. He took part in a parachute jump into
Normandy
Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy.
Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...
during the D-Day invasion, and continued to take part in combat against the Nazis in Europe. Ewell later commanded the 501st Regiment, which included participation in
Operation Market Garden and the
defense of Bastogne in the
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive or Unternehmen Die Wacht am Rhein, Wacht am Rhein, was the last major German Offensive (military), offensive Military campaign, campaign on the Western Front (World War II), Western ...
. He received the
Distinguished Service Cross for his heroism at Bastogne.
After the war, Ewell continued his Army career, and his command assignments included the
9th Infantry Regiment in
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
during the
Korean War
The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
, Assistant
Commandant of Cadets at
West Point
The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...
, Assistant Division Commander of the
8th Infantry Division, and Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff for the
Combat Developments Command.
During the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
, Ewell commanded the
9th Infantry Division (1968–1969) and
II Field Force (1969–1970). He later served as military advisor to the U.S.-South Vietnamese delegation at the negotiations for the
Paris Peace Accords and Chief of Staff of the
NATO Southern Command. Ewell's Vietnam service generated controversy, especially over concerns that his focus on "
body counts" as a measure of success caused his subordinates to inflate their numbers by counting civilian dead as enemy combatants and by committing
atrocities. Among the most well-known operations he took part in was
Operation Speedy Express, which was estimated by internal Department of Defense documents to have killed as many as 5,000 to 7,000 civilians.
David Hackworth alleges that among those in the 9th Division he had commanded, this earned him the nickname the "Butcher of the Delta". According to
Geoffrey Ward and
Ken Burns in ''The Vietnam War: An Intimate History'', Ewell was apparently proud of this nickname, and saw nothing wrong with what the soldiers under his command had done.
Ewell died in Virginia in 2009, and was buried at
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia.
...
.
Early life and start of career
Julian Johnson Ewell was the son of Jammie Morrison (Offutt) Ewell and
Colonel
Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
George W. Ewell (1879–1972), a career Army officer. He was born in
Stillwater, Oklahoma on November 5, 1915, while his father was serving as a
Reserve Officer Training Corps instructor at Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College (now
Oklahoma State University–Stillwater). He was raised in
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
,
Panama
Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...
,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
and
Washington, D.C., and graduated from
New Mexico Military Institute
New Mexico Military Institute (NMMI) is a public military junior college and high school in Roswell, New Mexico. Founded in 1891, NMMI operates under the auspices of the State of New Mexico, under a dedicated Board of Regents that reports t ...
in 1932. He attended
Duke University
Duke University is a Private university, private research university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity, North Carolina, Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1 ...
before transferring to the
United States Military Academy, from which he graduated in 1939. He received his commission as a
Second Lieutenant of
Infantry
Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...
, and received
paratrooper
A paratrooper or military parachutist is a soldier trained to conduct military operations by parachuting directly into an area of operations, usually as part of a large airborne forces unit. Traditionally paratroopers fight only as light infa ...
training at the start of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
.
Military education
General Ewell was a graduate of the
United States Army Command and General Staff College
The United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC or, obsolete, USACGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military ...
(1946),
United States Army War College (1952) and
National War College (1959).
World War II
Having advanced to
lieutenant colonel during the war, Ewell assumed command of 3rd
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...
,
501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, part of the
101st Airborne Division. In June 1944, Ewell parachuted into
Normandy
Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy.
Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...
and led his men into combat for the first time. Despite being unable to immediately account for a majority of his battalion because so many paratroopers had missed their landing zones, Ewell was still able to regroup and engage the
German defenses.
On September 17, 1944, Ewell's battalion parachuted into
the Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
as part of
Operation Market Garden and Ewell soon moved up to regimental executive officer. With the death of 501st commander Colonel
Howard R. Johnson on October 8, Ewell moved up to regimental command.
That winter, he commanded the 501st when the 101st Airborne Division was rushed into the emergency
defense of Bastogne in the
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive or Unternehmen Die Wacht am Rhein, Wacht am Rhein, was the last major German Offensive (military), offensive Military campaign, campaign on the Western Front (World War II), Western ...
, and received the
Distinguished Service Cross for his heroic actions.
Korean War
Ewell continued his service after World War II. As a
colonel
Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
in the late 1940s he served as executive officer to
General
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry.
In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
Maxwell Taylor during Taylor's command of U.S. forces in
Berlin
Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
. In 1953, he was assigned as commander of the
9th Infantry Regiment in
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
.
Vietnam War
After the Korean War, Ewell attained the rank of
brigadier general, and his assignments included: Assistant
Commandant of Cadets at
West Point
The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...
; Executive Assistant to General Taylor during Taylor's assignment as Military Aide to
President John F. Kennedy and
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Assistant Division Commander of the
8th Infantry Division; Chief of Staff of
V Corps in
West Germany
West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...
; and Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff for
Combat Developments Command.
From 1968 to 1969, Ewell commanded the
9th Infantry Division as a
major general. During his command, the division carried out
Operation Speedy Express, an effort to eliminate
Viet Cong and
North Vietnamese soldiers with overwhelming force.
From 1969 to 1970, Ewell commanded
II Field Force in
Vietnam
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
, receiving promotion to
lieutenant general
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...
.
After relinquishing command of II Field Force, Ewell was military advisor to the U.S.-South Vietnamese delegation at the negotiations for the
Paris Peace Accords.
Post-Vietnam War
From 1972 until his 1973 retirement, Ewell was Chief of Staff of NATO's
Allied Forces Southern Europe in
Naples
Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...
, Italy.
Vietnam War controversy
Critics have charged Ewell with focusing obsessively on "
body counts" during the Vietnam War, causing his subordinates to inflate their numbers in an effort to demonstrate success by counting civilian dead as enemy combatants and committing
atrocities.
David Hackworth, author of ''Steel my Soldiers' Hearts'', was critical of Ewell's performance. Hackworth, who served in the 9th Division during the Vietnam War, wrote that in 1968 and 1969 the division was credited with killing 20,000 enemy, yet recovered only 2,000 weapons, suggesting that the numbers of enemy dead were inflated.
John Paul Vann estimated that of those killed in the Delta were, "at least 30 percent were noncombatants". According to Hackworth, Ewell's focus on body counts earned him the nickname the "Butcher of the Delta" from members of the 9th Division.
A 1972
Inspector General report concluded that there may have been as many as 5,000 to 7,000 civilian deaths during
Speedy Express out of a total of 11,000 enemy combatants reported killed by troops.
In 1974, Ewell and
Ira A. Hunt Jr., a major general who had served as Ewell's Chief of Staff in the 9th Division, authored ''Sharpening the Combat Edge''. In their book, Ewell and Hunt argued that the allegations of obsession with the body count were unfounded, and that their effort to inflict maximum damage had "unbrutalized" the war for civilians in South Vietnam.
Ewell and Hunt's views are countered in
Nick Turse's book,
''Kill Anything That Moves: The Real American War in Vietnam''. Turse argues that Ewell's tactics amounted to war crimes and asserts that a coverup of Speedy Express went to the top of American decision-making in Vietnam. Turse argues that most accounts attempt to minimize the viciousness and unethical behavior shown by some American commanders and soldiers in Vietnam.
Awards
In addition to the
Distinguished Service Cross, General Ewell's awards and decorations included: the
Distinguished Service Medal (4);
Silver Star (3);
Legion of Merit (2);
Bronze Star;
Purple Heart;
Air Medal; and
Combat Infantryman Badge
The Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) is a United States Army military decoration. The badge is awarded to infantrymen and Special Forces (United States Army), Special Forces soldiers in the rank of Colonel (United States), colonel and below, wh ...
. He was also a recipient of several foreign decorations, including the
Legion of Honor (Chevalier) from
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
.
Citation for Distinguished Service Cross
The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Julian J. Ewell (0–21791), Lieutenant Colonel (Infantry), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as Commanding Officer, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, in action against enemy forces on the night of 18–19 December 1944, at Bastogne, Belgium. In the darkness of 18–19 December 1944, Colonel Ewell's regiment was the first unit of the 101st Airborne Division to reach the vicinity of Bastogne, Belgium, then under attack by strong enemy forces. While his regiment assembled, Lieutenant Colonel Ewell went forward alone to Bastogne to obtain first hand enemy information. During the night of 18–19 December 1944, Lieutenant Colonel Ewell made a personal reconnaissance amid intermingled friendly and hostile troops and on 19 December, by his heroic and fearless leadership of his troops, contributed materially to the defeat of enemy efforts to prostrate Bastogne. On 3 January 1945, when an enemy attack threatened to blunt the impetus of the regimental offensive, Lieutenant Colonel Ewell personally lead a counterattack which stopped the enemy and made possible the continued offensive action of his regiment. Throughout the action at Bastogne, the heroic and fearless personal leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Ewell were a source of inspiration to the troops he commanded. His intrepid actions, personal bravery and zealous devotion to duty exemplify the highest traditions of the military forces of the United States and reflect great credit upon himself, the 101st Airborne Division, and the United States Army.
Headquarters,
XVIII Airborne Corps, General Orders No. 19 (March 14, 1945) Hometown:
Washington, D.C.
Ewell's memorabilia
World War II
memorabilia
A souvenir (French language, French for 'a remembrance or memory'), memento, keepsake, or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memory, memories the owner associates with it. A souvenir can be any object that can be collecte ...
from Ewell is on display at the December 44 Museum in
La Gleize, a facility which commemorates the Battle of the Bulge.
Retirement, death and burial
In retirement, General Ewell lived in the Fairfax Retirement Community at
Fort Belvoir
Fort Belvoir ( ) is a United States Army installation and a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. It was developed on the site of the former Belvoir (plantation), Belvoir plantation, seat of the prominent Lord ...
,
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
. He died at
Inova Fairfax Hospital in
Fairfax on July 27, 2009. He was buried at
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia.
...
, Section 59, Grave 3854.
Family
General Ewell was married four times. His first two marriages, to Mary Gillem and Jean Hoffman, resulted in divorces. He was married to his third wife, Beverly Mccammon Moses, for forty years before her death in 1995. In 2005, he married
Patricia Gates Lynch. Ewell had two children and two stepchildren.
[Patricia Sullivan, Washington Post, Julian J. Ewell, 93, Dies]
See also
References
External links
"Julian Ewell" Miller Center, University of Virginia, November 7, 1985
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ewell, Julian
1915 births
2009 deaths
People from Stillwater, Oklahoma
Military personnel from Fairfax, Virginia
New Mexico Military Institute alumni
United States Military Academy alumni
United States Army generals
United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni
United States Army War College alumni
National War College alumni
United States Army personnel of World War II
United States Army personnel of the Korean War
United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War
Burials at Arlington National Cemetery
Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army)
Recipients of the Silver Star
Recipients of the Legion of Merit
Recipients of the Air Medal
Knights of the Legion of Honour
People from Fort Belvoir, Virginia
Phi Delta Theta members