Joseph Stilwell Joseph Stilwell Joseph Warren Stilwell (March 19, 1883 – October 12, 1946) was a United States Army general who served in the China Burma India Theater during World War II. His caustic personality was reflected in the nickname "Vinegar Joe". Distrust of his Allies and a lack of resources meant Stilwell was continually forced to improvise. He famously differed as to strategy, ground troops versus air power, with his subordinate, Claire Chennault, who had the ear of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek. General George Marshall, the Army Chief of Staff, acknowledged he had given Stilwell "one of the most difficult" assignments of
Richard G. Stilwell Stilwell as his Chief of Staff. As a brigadier general, Stilwell was Commandant of Cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. while General Westmoreland was Superintendent during the early 1960s. Other significant assignments for Stilwell were Deputy Commanding General, III Marine Amphibious Force in Vietnam during 1968, and Deputy Chief of Staff for US Military Operations at the Pentagon under Army Chief of Staff General Westmoreland, 1969–1972. His major awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, and numerous foreign decorations. Stilwell