View source for Ralph Canine

{{Short description|United States Army general}}
{{more citations needed|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox military person
|name= Ralph J. Canine
|image= Ralph Canine, official military portrait.jpg
|image_size= 
|alt= 
|caption= Ralph Canine
|nickname= 
|birth_date= {{birth date|1895|11|9}}
|birth_place= [[Flora, Indiana]], US
|death_date= {{death date and age|1969|3|8|1895|11|9}}
|death_place= [[Washington, D.C.]], US
|placeofburial= [[Arlington National Cemetery]]
|allegiance= United States
|branch= [[United States Army]]
|serviceyears= 1917–1957
|rank= [[Lieutenant general (United States)|Lieutenant General]]
|servicenumber= 
|unit= 
|commands= [[National Security Agency]]<br/>[[Armed Forces Security Agency]]<br/>[[1st Infantry Division (United States)|1st Infantry Division]]
|battles= [[World War I]]<br/>[[World War II]]
|awards= {{nowrap|[[Army Distinguished Service Medal]] (2)}}<br/>[[Silver Star]]<br/>[[Legion of Merit]]
|relations= 
|laterwork= 
}}
'''Ralph Julian Canine'''  (November 9, 1895 – March 8, 1969) was a [[Lieutenant general (United States)|lieutenant general]] in the [[United States Army]] and the first director of the [[National Security Agency]].

==Early life and education==
Canine was born in 1895 in [[Flora, Indiana]], one of two children of the local superintendent of schools. When he left home, he was intent on being a doctor, and had completed pre-med studies at [[Northwestern University]] when he entered the [[United States Army]] during [[World War I]] and was commissioned a second lieutenant.

==Military career==
[[File:NSA Director Canine.png|thumb|left|Canine (right) becoming the first [[Director of the National Security Agency]] in 1953]]
Canine served in various combat posts in France during World War I, and elected to stay in the army after the armistice was signed in 1918. The interwar period was his education, when he traveled from one army post to another, filling just about any job that was vacant. When [[World War II]] broke out, Canine was well-fitted for responsibility. He became the chief of staff for the XII Corps, which served in General [[George S. Patton]]'s Third Army during its race across France in 1944. In that capacity, he was twice decorated by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics receiving the [[Order of the Patriotic War|Order of the Patriotic War First Class]] and [[Medal "For Courage" (Russia)|Bravery Medal]] when XII Corps linked up with Red Army units.<ref>{{citation |last=Empric |first=Bruce E. |title=Uncommon Allies: U.S. Army Recipients of Soviet Military Decorations in World War II |publisher=Teufelsberg Press |pages=96, 142 |year=2024 |isbn=979-8-3444-6807-5}}</ref> After the war, he was rewarded with command of the [[1st Infantry Division (United States)|1st Infantry Division]].

In 1951 Canine became director of the [[Armed Forces Security Agency]], which was America's first tentative step toward cryptologic unification. He was there long enough (one year) to see what the organization lacked. When President [[Harry S. Truman]] created the [[National Security Agency]] in 1952, Canine continued as its first director. He died unexpectedly of a [[pulmonary embolism]] in March 1969. He was buried in [[Arlington National Cemetery]].<ref>[https://ancexplorer.army.mil/publicwmv/#/arlington-national/search/results/1/CgZjYW5pbmUSBXJhbHBoGgFq/ Burial Detail: Canine, Ralph J] – ANC Explorer</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*[https://www.nsa.gov/about/cryptologic-heritage/historical-figures-publications/hall-of-honor/1999/rcanine.shtml Biography] from the [[National Security Agency]] (public domain)
*[https://www.nsa.gov/news-features/declassified-documents/cryptologic-spectrum/assets/files/ralph_canine.pdf Tribute] from the [[National Security Agency]] (public domain)
*[https://generals.dk/general/Canine/Ralph_Julian/USA.html Generals of World War II]

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{{s-gov}}
{{s-new|office}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Director of the National Security Agency]]|years=1952–1956}}
{{s-aft|after=[[John A. Samford]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{DIRNSA}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Canine, Ralph}}
[[Category:Directors of the National Security Agency]]
[[Category:United States Army personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:1895 births]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Indiana]]
[[Category:1969 deaths]]
[[Category:Deaths from pulmonary embolism]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army)]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Legion of Merit]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Silver Star]]
[[Category:Burials at Arlington National Cemetery]]
[[Category:United States Army generals of World War II]]
[[Category:United States Army generals]]