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{{Short description|US Army general (1886–1961)}}
{{Good article}}{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}{{Use American English|date=December 2024}}

{{Infobox military person
| name          = Robert L. Eichelberger
| image         = Robert Eichelberger (2).jpg
| image_size    = 
| alt           = 
| caption       = Eichelberger as Lieutenant General, 1943
| nickname      = 
| birth_date    = {{birth date|1886|3|9|df=y}}
| birth_place   = [[Urbana, Ohio]], U.S.
| death_date    = {{death date and age|1961|9|26|1886|3|9|df=y}}
| death_place   = [[Asheville, North Carolina]], U.S.
| placeofburial = 
| allegiance    = United States
| branch        = [[United States Army]]
| serviceyears  = 1909–1948
| rank          = [[General (United States)|General]]
| servicenumber = 0–2624
| unit          = 
| commands      = [[Eighth United States Army|Eighth Army]]<br/>[[I Corps (United States)|I Corps]]<br/>[[77th Sustainment Brigade|77th Infantry Division]]<br/>[[30th Infantry Regiment (United States)|30th Infantry]]
| battles       = {{tree list}}
* [[Border War (1910–1919)|Border War]]
* [[World War I]]
* [[Russian Civil War]]
** [[Siberian Intervention]]
* [[World War II]]
** [[New Guinea campaign]]
*** [[Battle of Buna–Gona]]
*** [[Battle of Hollandia]] 
*** [[Landing at Aitape|Battle of Aitape]]
*** [[Battle of Biak]]
** [[Philippines campaign (1944&ndash;1945)|Philippines campaign]]
*** [[Battle of Leyte]]
*** [[Battle of Luzon]]
*** [[Battle of Visayas]]
*** [[Invasion of Palawan]]
*** [[Battle of Mindanao]]
** [[Occupation of Japan]]
{{tree list/end}}
| awards        = [[Distinguished Service Cross (United States)|Distinguished Service Cross]] (2)<br/>[[Army Distinguished Service Medal]] (4)<br/>[[Navy Distinguished Service Medal]]<br/>[[Silver Star]] (3)<br/>[[Legion of Merit]]<br/>[[Bronze Star Medal]]<br/>[[Air Medal]]<br/>[[Imperial Order of Meiji]] (Japan)<br/>[[Order of the Sacred Treasure]] (Japan)<br/>[[Order of the Rising Sun]] (Japan)<br/>[[Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (Australia)<br/> [[Legion of Honour|Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor]] (France)<br/>[[Order of the Crown (Belgium)|Grand Officer Order of Crown]] (Belgium)<br/>[[Croix de guerre (Belgium)|Croix de Guerre]] (Belgium)<br/>[[Order of Orange-Nassau|Grand Officer Order Orange-Nassau]] (Netherlands)<br/>Order of Abdon Calderón (Ecuador)<br/>[[Distinguished Service Star]] (Philippines)<br/>[[Philippine Liberation Medal|Liberation Medal]] (Philippines)<br/>[[Philippine Legion of Honor|Legion of Honor]] (Philippines)<br/>[[Military Order of Italy]]
| relations     = 
| laterwork     = 
}}
'''Robert Lawrence Eichelberger''' (9 March 1886&nbsp;– 26 September 1961) was a [[general officer]] in the [[United States Army]] who commanded the [[Eighth United States Army]] in the [[South West Pacific theatre of World War II|Southwest Pacific Area]] during [[World War II]].

A 1909 graduate of the [[United States Military Academy]] at West Point, he saw service in [[Panama]] and on the [[Border War (1910–1919)|Mexican border]] before joining the [[American Expeditionary Force Siberia]] in 1918. He was awarded the [[Distinguished Service Cross (United States)|Distinguished Service Cross]] for repeated acts of bravery in Siberia. After the war, he transferred to the [[United States Army Adjutant General's Corps|Adjutant General's Corps]]. He attended the [[Command and General Staff College]] and the [[United States Army War College|Army War College]], and was Secretary of the War Department General Staff, working for the [[Chief of Staff of the United States Army]], [[General (United States)|General]] [[Douglas MacArthur]].

In 1940, Eichelberger became the [[Superintendent of the United States Military Academy]] at West Point. He instituted a number of reforms, cutting back activities such as [[horseback riding]] and [[close order drill]], and substituting modern combat training, in which cadets participated in military exercises alongside [[Army National Guard|National Guard]] units. He acquired [[Stewart Field]] as a training facility, which gave cadets a chance to qualify as pilots while still at West Point. He became commander of the [[77th Infantry Division (United States)|77th Infantry Division]] in March 1942, and [[I Corps (United States)|I Corps]] in June.

In August 1942, Eichelberger was abruptly sent to the Southwest Pacific Area, where he led American and Australian troops in the bloody [[Battle of Buna–Gona]]. In 1944, he had notable victories at [[Operation Reckless|Hollandia]] and the [[Battle of Biak]]. As Commanding General of the newly formed Eighth Army, Eichelberger led the invasion of the Southern Philippines, clearing the islands of [[Mindoro]], [[Marinduque]], [[Panay]], [[Negros Island|Negros]], [[Cebu Island|Cebu]], and [[Bohol]]. By July 1945, his forces had defeated the Japanese on [[Mindanao]]. In August 1945, Eichelberger's Eighth Army began a three-year stint as part of the [[Occupation of Japan]]. He retired from the Army at the end of 1948.

==Early life==
Robert Lawrence Eichelberger was born at [[Urbana, Ohio]] on 9 March 1886, the youngest of five children of George Maley Eichelberger, a farmer and lawyer, and Emma Ring Eichelberger.{{sfn|Shortal|1987|p=1}} He grew up on the {{convert|235|acre|adj=on}} family farm that had been established by his grandfather.{{sfn|Chwialkowski|1993|pp=1–2}}{{sfn|Eichelberger|1972|p=4}} He graduated from [[Urbana High School (Ohio)|Urbana High School]] in 1903,{{sfn|Eichelberger|1950|p=x}} and entered [[Ohio State University]]<!--Wikipedians do not use "The" as part of Ohio State's name; it is considered a marketing gimmick, and routinely deleted.-->, where he joined [[Phi Gamma Delta]] [[fraternity]].{{sfn|Chwialkowski|1993|p=3}}

In 1904, Eichelberger persuaded his father's former law partner, [[William R. Warnock]], now the [[Member of Congress|congressman]] for [[Ohio's 8th congressional district]], to appoint him to the [[United States Military Academy]] at West Point.{{sfn|Chwialkowski|1993|p=5}} He entered West Point in June 1905. His class of 1909 was a distinguished one. Some 28 of them ultimately wore the stars of general officers, including  [[Jacob L. Devers]], [[John C. H. Lee]], [[Edwin F. Harding]], [[George S. Patton]] and [[William H. Simpson]]. Eichelberger was a poor student, as he had been at high school and Ohio State, but did become a cadet lieutenant, and graduated 68th in his class of 103.{{sfn|Shortal|1987|p=3}}

Eichelberger was commissioned as a [[second lieutenant]] in the [[25th Infantry Regiment (United States)|25th Infantry]] on 11 June 1909, but was transferred to the [[10th Infantry Regiment (United States)|10th Infantry]] at [[Fort Benjamin Harrison]], Indiana, on 22 July.{{sfn|Cullum|1920|pp=1446–1447}} In March 1911, the 10th Infantry was despatched to [[San Antonio, Texas]], where it became part of the [[Maneuver Division (United States)|Maneuver Division]], which was formed to undertake offensive operations during the [[Border War (1910–1918)|Border War]] with Mexico. Then, in September, it was sent to the [[Panama Canal Zone]]. It was in Panama that Eichelberger met Emmaline (Em) Gudger, the daughter of [[List of United States political families (G)#The Gudgers and Langleys|Hezekiah A. Gudger]], the Chief Justice of the Panama Canal Zone Supreme Court. After a brief courtship, they were married on 3 April 1913.{{sfn|Eichelberger|1972|pp=5–6}}

On returning to the United States in March 1915, Eichelberger was posted to the [[22nd Infantry Regiment (United States)|22nd Infantry]] at [[Fort Porter]], New York. It too was sent to the Mexican border, and was based at [[Douglas, Arizona]], where Eichelberger was promoted to [[first lieutenant]] on 1 July 1916. In September, he became Professor of Military Science and Tactics at [[Kemper Military School]] in [[Boonville, Missouri]].{{sfn|Cullum|1920|pp=1446–1447}}

==World War I and Russian Civil War==
[[File:111-SC-9637 - War Plans Branch, War Plans Division, gen. staff, Army War College, Washington, D.C. - NARA - 55179604 (cropped) (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|Officers of the War Plans Branch, War Plans Division, General Staff, standing outside the entrance of the [[United States Army War College|Army War College]] at [[Washington, D.C.]], May 1918. Captain Robert L. Eichelberger is standing in the back row, third from the left, between Lieutenant Colonel [[Daniel Isom Sultan|Daniel I. Sultan]] (left) and Captain C. C. Stokeley (right)]]

Following the [[American entry into World War I]] in April 1917, Eichelberger was promoted to [[captain (land)|captain]] on 15 May. In June he was posted to the [[20th Infantry Regiment (United States)|20th Infantry]] at [[Fort Douglas, Utah]], and commanded a battalion until September, when he was transferred to the newly formed [[43rd Infantry Regiment (United States)|43rd Infantry]] at [[Robinson Maneuver Training Center|Camp Pike, Arkansas]]. He was Senior Infantry Instructor at the 3rd Officers' Training Camp at Camp Pike until February 1918, when he was assigned to the [[United States Department of War|War Department]] General Staff in Washington, D.C., where he became an assistant to [[Brigadier general (United States)|Brigadier General]] [[William S. Graves]], and was promoted to [[Major (United States)|major]] on 3 June 1918.{{Sfn|Cullum|1920|pp=1446–1447}}{{sfn|Shortal|1987|pp=9–10}}

In July 1918, Graves was appointed commander of the [[8th Infantry Division (United States)|8th Division]], which was then based at [[Palo Alto, California]], and scheduled to be sent to France in 30 days. Graves took Eichelberger with him, initially as his Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3 (Operations).{{sfn|Shortal|1987|p=11}} While he was en route to California, Eichelberger learned from Graves that the 8th Division's destination had changed, and it was now bound for [[Siberia]] instead. [[President of the United States|President]] [[Woodrow Wilson]] had agreed to support the [[Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War]], and Graves would command the [[American Expeditionary Force Siberia]] (AEFS).{{sfn|Chwialkowski|1993|p=15}} The AEFS departed San Francisco on 15 August, with Eichelberger as its Assistant Chief of Staff, G-2 (Intelligence).{{Sfn|Cullum|1920|pp=1446–1447}}

Graves was instructed that his mission was political rather than military, and accordingly he was to "maintain strict neutrality". Eichelberger found himself thrust into a complex political, diplomatic, and military environment. Soon after arriving, he was appointed to the ten-nation Inter-Allied Military Council, which was responsible for [[Allies of World War I|Allied]] strategy. Eichelberger became convinced that America's objectives in Siberia were not necessarily the same as those of her French and British allies, but it was far from clear what they actually were, especially when the [[United States Department of State|State Department]] and the War Department did not always agree. American policy called for protecting the [[Trans-Siberian Railway]], but this was under the control of [[Admiral]] [[Alexander Kolchak]]'s [[White Army]] forces, whom Eichelberger considered to be "murderers" and "cutthroats".{{sfn|Chwialkowski|1993|pp=16–18}}

Eichelberger was awarded the [[Distinguished Service Cross (United States)|Distinguished Service Cross]] for repeated acts of bravery while assigned to the Expeditionary Force. His citation read:

{{blockquote|For extraordinary heroism in action 28 June – 3 July 1919, while serving as assistant chief of staff, G-2, American Expeditionary Forces, Siberia. On 2 July 1919, after the capture, by American troops of Novitskaya, an American platoon detailed to clear hostile patrols from a commanding ridge was halted by enemy enfilading fire, seriously wounding the members of the patrol. Colonel Eichelberger, without regard to his own safety and armed with a rifle, voluntarily covered the withdrawal of the platoon. On 28 June, at the imminent danger of his own life, he entered the partisan lines and effected the release of one American officer and three enlisted men in exchange for a Russian prisoner. On 3 July an American column being fired upon when debouching from a mountain pass, Colonel Eichelberger voluntarily assisted in establishing the firing line, prevented confusion, and, by his total disregard for his own safety, raised the morale of the American forces to a high pitch.{{sfn|Cullum|1930|pp=849–850}}}}

[[File:American troops in Vladivostok 1918 HD-SN-99-02013.JPEG|thumb|right|American troops in Vladivostok parading before the building occupied by the staff of the Czecho-Slovaks]]

For his services in Siberia, Eichelberger was awarded the [[Distinguished Service Medal (U.S. Army)|Army Distinguished Service Medal]], and was promoted to [[Lieutenant colonel (United States)|lieutenant colonel]] on 28 March 1919. Graves prevented him from receiving the British [[Distinguished Service Order]] and the French [[Legion of Honor]], as had other members of the Inter-Allied Military Council.{{sfn|Chwialkowski|1993|p=22}} Eichelberger did, however, receive the Japanese [[Imperial Order of Meiji]], [[Order of the Sacred Treasure]], and [[Order of the Rising Sun]].<ref name="Time">{{cite news |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,776066-1,00.html |title=Uncle Bob |newspaper=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=10 September 1945 |access-date=29 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022195249/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,776066-1,00.html |archive-date=22 October 2012 }}</ref> Siberia gave Eichelberger a chance to observe the Japanese Army at first hand, and he was impressed by what he saw of their training and discipline. He concluded that, if properly led, they would be more than a match for American troops.{{sfn|Shortal|1987|p=15}} The AEFS was withdrawn in April 1920.{{Sfn|Cullum|1920|pp=1446–1447}}

==Between the wars==
Instead of returning to the United States following his service in Siberia, Eichelberger became Assistant Chief of Staff, G-2 (Intelligence), of the [[Philippine Department]] on 4 May 1920. Like many officers in the aftermath of World War I, he was reduced in rank to his permanent rank of captain on 30 June 1920, but was immediately promoted to major again the next day.{{sfn|Cullum|1930|pp=849–850}} Em had joined him in Vladivostok in March 1920, and the two first travelled to Japan before moving on to the Philippines.{{sfn|Eichelberger|1972|p=11}} In March 1921, Eichelberger became head of the Intelligence Mission to China. He established intelligence offices in [[Peking]] and [[Tianjin|Tientsin]], and met the [[President of the Republic of China]], [[Sun Yat-sen]]. He finally returned to the United States in May 1921, where he was assigned to the Far Eastern Section of the G-2 (Intelligence) Division of the War Department General Staff.{{sfn|Chwialkowski|1993|pp=30–31}}

A major disappointment for Eichelberger was his failure to make the General Staff Eligibility List (GSEL).{{sfn|Chwialkowski|1993|pp=30–31}} Under the [[National Defense Act of 1920]], only officers on this list could be promoted to brigadier general.{{sfn|Schifferle|2010|pp=138–139}} Concluding that his prospects for promotion in the infantry were poor, at the urging of the [[Adjutant General]], [[Major General (United States)|Major General]] [[Robert C. Davis]], he transferred to the [[United States Army Adjutant General's Corps|Adjutant General's Corps]] on 14 July 1925. He continued to work with the War Department General Staff, but now in the Adjutant General's Office. In April 1925, he was posted to [[Fort Hayes]], Ohio, as Assistant Adjutant General, 5th [[Corps Area]].{{sfn|Chwialkowski|1993|pp=30–31}}{{sfn|Cullum|1930|pp=849–850}}

Davis had offered to nominate Eichelberger for a place at the [[Command and General Staff College]] at [[Fort Leavenworth]].{{sfn|Chwialkowski|1993|pp=32–33}} Eichelberger joined 247 other officers there in July 1924. Since the students were seated alphabetically, he sat next to the officer who topped the class, Major [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]]. Other students in the class included [[Joseph Stilwell]], [[Leonard Gerow]], and [[Joseph T. McNarney]]. Eichelberger graduated as a Distinguished Graduate, one of the top quarter of the class,{{sfn|Shortal|1987|pp=18–19}} and stayed on at the college as its Adjutant General. In 1929, he became a student at the [[United States Army War College|Army War College]].{{sfn|Chwialkowski|1993|pp=32–33}} On graduation, he was posted back to the Adjutant General's Office in Washington, D.C.{{sfn|Cullum|1940|p=221}}

In 1931, Eichelberger was sent to West Point as its adjutant. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel on 1 August 1934.{{sfn|Cullum|1940|p=221}} In April 1935, he became Secretary of the War Department General Staff, working for the [[Chief of Staff of the United States Army]], [[General (United States)|General]] [[Douglas MacArthur]].{{sfn|Chwialkowski|1993|pp=34–36}} Eichelberger transferred back to the infantry in July 1937, although he remained Secretary of the War Department General Staff until October 1938, in the rank of [[Colonel (United States)|colonel]] from 1 August.{{sfn|Cullum|1940|p=221}}

The new Chief of Staff, General [[Malin Craig]] offered Eichelberger command of the [[29th Infantry Regiment (United States)|29th Infantry]], the demonstration regiment based at [[Fort Benning]], Georgia. Eichelberger turned this down, as he had been away from the infantry for many years, and some infantry officers might be jealous. Instead, he accepted command of the [[30th Infantry Regiment (United States)|30th Infantry]], a less prestigious unit stationed at the [[Presidio of San Francisco]], but there were still officers who resented someone attaining command of a regiment at the age of 52. Before departing, he took a brief course at the Infantry School at Fort Benning to reacquaint himself with the infantry. As part of the [[3rd Infantry Division (United States)|3rd Infantry Division]], the 30th Infantry took part in a series of major training exercises over the next two years.{{sfn|Chwialkowski|1993|pp=43–44}}

==World War II==

===Training in the United States===
Eichelberger was promoted to brigadier general in October 1940, and the next month received orders to become deputy division commander of the [[7th Infantry Division (United States)|7th Infantry Division]] under Stilwell. At the last minute, these orders were changed. Major General [[Edwin "Pa" Watson]] interceded with President [[Franklin Roosevelt]] to have Eichelberger appointed the [[Superintendent of the United States Military Academy]] at West Point. Before taking up the position, Eichelberger met with Craig's successor as Chief of Staff, General [[George C. Marshall]], who warned him that the courses at the Command and General Staff College and Army War College had been drastically shortened in order to meet the needs of the expanding Army, and that West Point would suffer a similar fate unless Eichelberger could make the course more relevant to the Army's immediate needs.{{sfn|Chwialkowski|1993|pp=45–46}}

As superintendent, Eichelberger attempted "to bring West Point into the twentieth century"
.{{sfn|Chwialkowski|1993|p=47}} He cut back activities such as [[horseback riding]] and [[close order drill]], and substituted modern combat training, in which cadets participated in military exercises alongside [[Army National Guard|National Guard]] units. He acquired [[Stewart Air National Guard Base|Stewart Field]] as a training facility, and required cadets to undergo basic flight training. This gave cadets a chance to qualify as pilots while still at West Point.{{sfn|Chwialkowski|1993|p=47}} Yet he also concerned himself with the dismal state of the [[Army Black Knights football|West Point football team]]. Through Pa Watson, he was able to persuade the [[Surgeon General of the United States Army]] to waive weight restrictions to allow heavier players to be recruited, and hired [[Earl Blaik]] to coach the team.{{sfn|Eichelberger|1950|pp=xix–xx}}

Over time, Marshall came to believe that Eichelberger's talents were wasted at West Point, but he was opposed by Pa Watson, who wanted Eichelberger to remain at the academy. When Marshall told Watson that Eichelberger's chances for promotion to major general were being adversely affected by being denied the chance to command a [[Division (military)|division]], Watson added Eichelberger's name to the top of a promotion list and had the President sign it. In this manner, Eichelberger was promoted to major general in July 1941.{{sfn|Chwialkowski|1993|p=47}}

After the [[United States declaration of war upon Japan]] in December 1941, Eichelberger applied for a transfer to an active command. He was given the choice of three new divisions, and chose the [[77th Infantry Division (United States)|77th Infantry Division]], which was activated at [[Fort Jackson (South Carolina)|Fort Jackson]], South Carolina, in March 1942. The other two divisions were given to Major Generals [[Omar Bradley]] and [[Henry Terrell, Jr.]] The three generals and their staffs attended a training course at Fort Leavenworth. For his chief of staff, Eichelberger chose [[Clovis Byers]],{{sfn|Eichelberger|1950|p=xxii}} an officer who had also attended Ohio State and West Point, and had been a fellow member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity.<ref name="dod">Department of Defense Office of Public Information, Press Branch, "Major General Clovis E. Byers, USA", Byers papers, Hoover Institution</ref>

Eichelberger's period in command of the 77th Infantry Division was brief, for on 18 June 1942 he became commander of [[I Corps (United States)|I Corps]], with Byers as his chief of staff.{{sfn|Eichelberger|1950|pp=xxii–xxiv}} He was awarded the [[Legion of Merit]] for his service with the 77th Infantry Division.{{sfn|Cullum|1950|p=135}} I Corps consisted of the [[8th Infantry Division (United States)|8th]], [[30th Infantry Division (United States)|30th]], and 77th Infantry Divisions. Eichelberger was given the initial task of arranging a demonstration for dignitaries including [[Winston Churchill]], Marshall, [[Henry Stimson]], Sir [[John Dill]], and Sir [[Alan Brooke]].{{sfn|Shortal|1987|pp=29–30}} The demonstration was judged a success, although the trained eyes of Brooke and [[Lesley McNair]] noted flaws. Within days, two of the division commanders were relieved of their commands. Eichelberger was nominated to command American forces in [[Operation Torch]], and he was ordered to conduct training in [[amphibious warfare]] with the [[3rd Infantry Division (United States)|3rd]], [[9th Infantry Division (United States)|9th]], and 30th Infantry Divisions in [[Chesapeake Bay]] in cooperation with [[Rear Admiral (United States)|Rear Admiral]] [[Kent Hewitt]].{{sfn|Chwialkowski|1993|pp=50–52}}

===Battle of Buna-Gona===
On 9 August 1942, his orders were abruptly changed. MacArthur, now Supreme Commander of the [[South West Pacific Area (command)|Southwest Pacific Area]], had requested that a corps headquarters be sent to his command. Major General [[Robert C. Richardson, Jr.]], had originally been detailed for the assignment,{{sfn|Chwialkowski|1993|pp=52–53}} but as Marshall informed MacArthur, "Richardson's intense feelings regarding service under Australian command made his assignment appear unwise."{{sfn|Chwialkowski|1993|p=53}} Eichelberger's I Corps headquarters was ready for overseas service and had training in amphibious warfare, and Eichelberger had experience working with MacArthur, so Marshall selected him for the job instead.{{sfn|Eichelberger|1972|p=13}} Eichelberger was not happy with the assignment, especially when he found out about Richardson, and "knew General MacArthur well enough to know that he was going to be difficult to get along with".{{sfn|Chwialkowski|1993|p=53}}

Eichelberger departed for Australia on 20 August with 22 members of his staff in a [[Consolidated B-24 Liberator|B-24 Liberator]].{{sfn|Eichelberger|1950|p=4}}{{sfn|Chwialkowski|1993|p=53}} I Corps controlled the two American divisions in Australia: Major General [[Forrest Harding]]'s [[32nd Infantry Division (United States)|32nd Infantry Division]], based at [[Camp Cable]] near Brisbane; and Major General [[Horace H. Fuller|Horace Fuller]]'s [[41st Infantry Division (United States)|41st Infantry Division]] at [[Rockhampton, Queensland]],{{sfn|Eichelberger|1950|pp=6–8}}{{sfn|Shortal|1987|p=37}} where Eichelberger, who was promoted to [[Lieutenant General (United States)|lieutenant general]] on 21 October,{{sfn|Cullum|1950|p=135}} decided to establish his I Corps headquarters inside the [[Criterion Hotel, Rockhampton|Criterion Hotel]].{{sfn|Eichelberger|1950|pp=6–8}} His I Corps came under the command of [[Lieutenant General (Australia)|Lieutenant General]] Sir [[John Lavarack]]'s [[First Army (Australia)|Australian First Army]]. On meeting Australian commanders, Eichelberger noted that many of them "had already been in combat with the British in North Africa, and, though they were usually too polite to say so, considered the Americans to be—at best—inexperienced theorists."{{sfn|Eichelberger|1950|p=7}} He was disturbed at the level of training received by the two American divisions. Instead of training for [[jungle warfare]], they were following the same syllabus used in the United States. He warned MacArthur and MacArthur's chief of staff, Major General [[Richard K. Sutherland]], that the divisions could not be expected to meet veteran Japanese troops on equal terms.{{sfn|Eichelberger|1950|pp=8–11}} He decided in September that the 32nd Infantry Division should proceed to New Guinea first, as Camp Cable was inferior to the 41st Infantry Division's camp at Rockhampton.{{sfn|Milner|1957|p=91–92}}

Eichelberger's fears were realized when the overconfident 32nd Infantry Division suffered a serious reverse in the [[Battle of Buna-Gona]]. Harding was confident that he could capture Buna "without too much difficulty",{{sfn|Chwialkowski|1993|p=58}} but poor staff work, inaccurate intelligence, inadequate training and, above all, Japanese resistance, frustrated the American efforts. The Americans found themselves confronted by a network of well-sited and expertly prepared Japanese positions, accessible only through a swamp. The Americans' failure damaged their relationship with the Australians and threatened to derail MacArthur's entire campaign.{{sfn|Shortal|1987|p=43}} Eichelberger and a small party from I Corps headquarters were hurriedly flown up to Port Moresby in a pair of [[Douglas C-47 Skytrain|C-47 Dakotas]] on 30 November.{{sfn|Milner|1957|p=203}} MacArthur ordered Eichelberger to assume control of the battle at Buna. According to Byers and Eichelberger, MacArthur told him "in a grim voice":

{{blockquote|"I'm putting you in command at Buna. Relieve Harding. I am sending you in, Bob, and I want you to remove all officers who won't fight. Relieve [[regiment]]al and [[battalion]] commanders; if necessary, put sergeants in charge of battalions and corporals in charge of [[company (military)|companies]]—anyone who will fight. Time is of the essence; the Japanese may land reinforcements any night."

General MacArthur strode down the breezy veranda again. He said he had reports that American soldiers were throwing away their weapons and running from the enemy. Then he stopped short and spoke with emphasis. He wanted no misunderstandings about my assignment.

"Bob," he said, "I want you to take Buna, or not come back alive." He paused a moment, and then, without looking at Byers, pointed a finger. "And that goes for your chief of staff, too."{{sfn|Eichelberger|1950|p=21}} }}

The next day, Eichelberger's party was flown to [[Girua Airport|Dobodura]], where he assumed command of US troops in the Buna area.{{sfn|Milner|1957|p=205}} He relieved Harding, and replaced him with the division's artillery commander, Brigadier General [[Albert W. Waldron]].{{sfn|Eichelberger|1950|p=21}} He relieved other officers too, appointing a 26-year-old captain to command a battalion.{{sfn|Shortal|1987|p=57}} Some of the 32nd Infantry Division's officers privately denounced Eichelberger as ruthless and "Prussian".<ref name="Time"/> He set an example by moving among the troops on the front lines, sharing their hardships and danger. Despite the risk, he purposefully wore his three silver stars while at the front, even though he knew Japanese snipers targeted officers, because he wanted his troops to know their commander was present. After the snipers seriously wounded Waldron in the shoulder,{{sfn|Eichelberger|1950|pp=26–29}} Eichelberger appointed Byers to command the 32nd Infantry Division, but he too was wounded on 16 December. This left Eichelberger as the only American general in the forward area, and he assumed personal command of the division.{{sfn|Shortal|1987|p=57}} He was not the most senior general present though; he served under the command of Australian Lieutenant General [[Edmund Herring]], whom he referred to in letters to Em as "my grand colleague".{{sfn|Eichelberger|1972|p=54}}

[[File:Blamey and Eichelberger.jpg|thumb|left|[[Thomas Blamey|Sir Thomas Blamey]] and Robert L. Eichelberger.|alt=Two men in uniforms, without ties. One wears a garrison cap while the other wears a slouch hat.]]
After the fall of Buna, Eichelberger was placed in command of the Allied force assembled to reduce the remaining Japanese positions around Sanananda, with Australian [[Major General (Australia)|Major General]] [[Frank Berryman]] as his chief of staff. The battle continued until 22 January 1943. The price of victory at Buna was high. The 32nd Division lost 707 dead and 1,680 wounded; another 8,286 were hospitalized with tropical diseases, principally [[malaria]].{{sfn|Eichelberger|1950|pp=58–62}} Its men referred to their division cemetery as "Eichelberger Square".<ref name="Time"/> On 24 January, Eichelberger flew back to Port Moresby where he was warmly welcomed by Herring. The next day he flew back to Rockhampton.{{sfn|Eichelberger|1972|pp=64–65}} For the battle, Eichelberger received the [[Distinguished Service Cross (United States)|Distinguished Service Cross]] along with ten other generals, all of whom received the same citation. Some, like Herring, had served at the front; others, like Sutherland, had not. Eichelberger was also created an honorary [[Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire]].{{sfn|Shortal|1987|pp=59–60}} Byers recommended Eichelberger for the [[Medal of Honor]] but the nomination was disapproved by MacArthur. Another officer on Eichelberger's staff, Colonel [[Gordon Byrom Rogers|Gordon B. Rogers]] then submitted the recommendation directly to the War Department. MacArthur informed the War Department that "Among many outside the immediate staff of this officer, there was criticism of his conduct of operations which while not detracting from his personal gallantry led to grave considerations at one time of his relief from command."{{sfn|Chwialkowski|1993|pp=74–75}}

===New Guinea Campaign===
In February 1943, Lieutenant General [[Walter Krueger]]'s [[Sixth United States Army]] headquarters arrived in Australia. Since Sixth Army would do all the planning, and there was as yet little scope for corps-sized operations, Eichelberger found himself with a training role, preparing the [[24th Infantry Division (United States)|24th Infantry Division]], which had arrived from [[Hawaii]], and the 32nd and 41st Infantry Divisions, which had returned from Papua, for future missions.{{sfn|Chwialkowski|1993|pp=80–82}} The War Department asked in May 1943 if Eichelberger could be released to command the [[First United States Army]], but MacArthur would not release him. Later, it asked if he could be released to command the [[Ninth United States Army]], but this was also refused, and this job went to Eichelberger's West Point classmate William H. Simpson.{{sfn|Eichelberger|1972|pp=68–69}} Instead, he was given responsibility for [[Eleanor Roosevelt]]'s visit to Australia in September 1943. She visited Sydney Melbourne and Rockhampton, and had dinner with the [[Governor General of Australia]], [[Alexander Hore-Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie|Lord Gowrie]], and the [[Prime Minister of Australia]], [[John Curtin]], in Canberra.{{sfn|Eichelberger|1950|pp=78–85}}

[[File:Robert Eichelberger (3).jpg|thumb|left|Eichelberger in May 1944.]]
In January 1944, Eichelberger was informed that he would be in charge of the next operation, a landing at [[Hansa Bay]] with the 24th and 41st Infantry Divisions. However, in March this was cancelled in favor of [[Operation Reckless]], a landing by the same force at [[Jayapura|Hollandia]]. The operation meant leapfrogging the Japanese defenses at Hansa Bay, but was risky because it was outside the range of land-based air cover. Cover was instead provided by [[aircraft carrier]]s of the [[United States Pacific Fleet]], but this meant that the operation had to adhere to a strict timetable.{{sfn|Eichelberger|1950|pp=100–102}} Hoping to avoid a repeat of Buna, Eichelberger meticulously planned the operation, and implemented a thorough training program that emphasized physical fitness, individual initiative, small unit tactics, and amphibious warfare. The operation went well, mainly because surprise was achieved and few Japanese were present in the area.{{sfn|Shortal|1987|pp=75–83}} However, poor topographical intelligence led to an inability to clear some beaches due to their being backed by swamps. Supplies piled up on the beaches, with fuel and ammunition being stored together in some instances. On 23 April a single Japanese plane ignited a fuel dump, which caused a fire that resulted in 124 casualties and the loss of 60 per cent of the ammunition stockpile. An appalled Krueger felt that Eichelberger had been let down by his staff, and offered to transfer Byers to an assistant division commander's post, but Eichelberger turned down the offer.{{sfn|Chwialkowski|1993|pp=97–98}}

In June 1944, Eichelberger was summoned to Sixth Army headquarters by Krueger. The [[Battle of Biak]], where the 41st Infantry Division had landed in May, was going badly, and the airfields that MacArthur had promised would be available to support the [[Battle of Saipan]] were not in American hands. Eichelberger found that the Japanese, who were present in larger numbers than originally reported, were ensconced in caves overlooking the airfield sites. While the Americans were better trained and equipped than at Buna, so too were the Japanese, who employed their new tactics of avoiding costly counterattacks and exacting the maximum toll for ground gained.{{sfn|Shortal|1987|pp=84–85}}{{sfn|Eichelberger|1950|pp=138–139}} After seeing the situation for himself, Eichelberger concluded that Fuller's 41st Infantry Division had not done too badly.{{sfn|Eichelberger|1950|p=144}} Nonetheless, as at Buna, Eichelberger relieved a number of officers that he felt were not performing as the battle ground on. His orders were to supersede Fuller as task force commander rather than relieve him as division commander,{{sfn|Chwialkowski|1993|pp=80–82}} but Fuller requested his own relief, and Krueger obliged him. On Eichelberger's recommendation, Fuller was replaced by Brigadier General [[Jens A. Doe]].{{sfn|Eichelberger|1950|p=156}} Krueger was unimpressed with Eichelberger's performance on Biak, concluding that Eichelberger's tactics were unimaginative, and no better than Fuller's, and may have delayed rather than expedited the capture of the island. On the other hand, MacArthur thought sufficiently highly of Eichelberger's performance to award him the [[Silver Star]].{{sfn|Chwialkowski|1993|pp=102–103}}

===Philippines Campaign===
While still on Biak, Eichelberger learned that MacArthur had selected him to command the newly formed [[Eighth United States Army]],{{sfn|Eichelberger|1972|p=155}} which arrived at Hollandia in August 1944.{{sfn|Chwialkowski|1993|p=104}} Eichelberger took two officers with him from I Corps: Byers and Colonel [[Frank S. Bowen]], his G-3.{{sfn|Eichelberger|1972|p=160}} The Eighth Army assumed control of operations on [[Leyte Island]] from Sixth Army on 26 December, the day after MacArthur and Krueger announced that organized resistance there had ended.{{sfn|Chwialkowski|1993|pp=113–114}}  The troops there included Eichelberger's old command, the 77th Infantry Division.{{sfn|Eichelberger|1972|p=176}} In two months, Sixth Army had killed over 55,000 Japanese soldiers on Leyte, and estimated that only 5,000 remained alive on the island. By 8 May 1945, the Eighth Army had killed over 24,000 more.{{sfn|Shortal|1987|p=101}}

In January, the Eighth Army entered combat on [[Luzon]], landing Major General [[Charles P. Hall]]'s [[XI Corps (United States)|XI Corps]] on 29 January near [[San Antonio, Zambales|San Antonio]] and Major General [[Joseph M. Swing]]'s [[11th Airborne Division (United States)|11th Airborne Division]] at [[Nasugbu, Batangas]] two days later. Combining with Sixth Army, the Eighth Army enveloped [[Manila]] in a great [[pincer movement]]. Eichelberger assumed personal command of the operation, which involved an advance on Manila by the lightly equipped 11th Airborne Division. The audacious advance made rapid progress until it was halted by well-prepared positions on the outskirts of Manila. MacArthur awarded Eichelberger another Silver Star.{{sfn|Shortal|1987|pp=107–113}}

Eighth Army's final operation of the war was that of clearing out the southern Philippines, including the major island of [[Mindanao]], an effort that occupied the soldiers of the Eighth Army for the rest of the war. In six weeks, the Eighth Army conducted 14 major and 24 minor amphibious operations, clearing  [[Mindoro]], [[Marinduque]], [[Panay]], [[Negros Island|Negros]], [[Cebu Island|Cebu]], and [[Bohol]].{{sfn|Eichelberger|1972|p=200}} In August 1945, Eichelberger's Eighth Army became part of the [[Occupation of Japan]].{{sfn|Eichelberger|1972|p=268}} In the one instance when the Japanese formed a self-help vigilante guard to protect women from rape by off-duty GIs, the Eighth Army ordered armoured vehicles in battle array into the streets and arrested the leaders, and the leaders received long prison terms.<ref name=jfkhsm3148>{{cite journal | title=U.S. Courts-Martial in Occupation Japan: Rape, Race, and Censorship |first=Terese |last=Svoboda |journal=The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus |volume=7 |issue=1 |date=23 May 2009 |url=http://www.japanfocus.org/-terese-svoboda/3148 |access-date=22 June 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130601062432/http://www.japanfocus.org/-terese-svoboda/3148 |archive-date=1 June 2013 }}</ref>{{sfn|Takemae|2002|p=67}} The only source for this account is Eichelberger's diary, which does not mention any sex crimes but does mention the beatings of several GIs.{{sfn|Walsh|2024|p=208}}

He was awarded an [[oak leaf cluster]] to his Distinguished Service Medal for his services as commander of I Corps, a second for his command of Eighth Army in the Philippines, and a third for the occupation of Japan. He also received the [[Navy Distinguished Service Medal]], two oak leaf clusters to his Silver Star Medal,<ref name="medals">{{cite web |url=http://militarytimes.com/citations-medals-awards/recipient.php?recipientid=15892 |title=Valor Awards for Robert L. Eichelberger |access-date=24 October 2012 |publisher=Military Times |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120612160505/http://militarytimes.com/citations-medals-awards/recipient.php?recipientid=15892 |archive-date=12 June 2012 }}</ref> the [[Bronze Star Medal]], and the [[Air Medal]].{{sfn|Ancell|Miller|1996|p=96}} He also received a number of foreign awards, including Grand Officer of the [[Order of Orange Nassau]] with swords from the Netherlands, Grand Officer of the [[Legion of Honour]]  from France, [[Order of the Crown (Belgium)|Grand Officer of the Order of the Crown]] and the [[Croix de guerre (Belgium)|Croix de Guerre with palm]] from Belgium, the [[Order of Abdon Calderón]] from Ecuador, the [[Distinguished Service Star]], [[Philippine Liberation Medal|Liberation Medal]], and [[Philippine Legion of Honor|Legion of Honor]] from the Philippines, and Grand Officer of the [[Military Order of Italy]].<ref name="papers"/>

==Retirement and death==
After nearly 40 years of service, Eichelberger retired with the rank of lieutenant general on 31 December 1948.{{sfn|Cullum|1950|p=135}} In 1950, he moved to [[Asheville, North Carolina]], where he lived with his wife Em for the rest of his life. He suffered from a number of health problems, including [[hypertension]] and [[diabetes]], and had his [[gall bladder]] removed. His name appeared in a series of articles for the ''[[Saturday Evening Post]]'' on his campaigns in the Southwest Pacific, actually written by [[ghostwriter]] Milton MacKaye. They subsequently expanded the articles into a book, ''Our Jungle Road to Tokyo,'' which one reviewer described as "a straightforward and modest account of the campaigns of the Army ground forces from the Buna operation to the Philippines and victory."<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Roberts |first1=Henry L. |magazine=[[Foreign Affairs]] |title=Our Jungle Road to Tokyo |url=https://www.foreignaffairs.com/reviews/capsule-review/1951-01-01/our-jungle-road-tokyo |access-date=26 June 2020 |date=1 January 1951}}</ref> The book sold reasonably well, and [[Harry Truman]] and [[Omar Bradley]] requested autographed copies. In 1951 he traveled to Hollywood, where he served as technical consultant on ''[[Francis Goes to West Point]]'' (1952) and ''The Day the Band Played'' (1952), but he was not altogether happy with the results. He turned his hand to writing articles about the Far East for ''[[Newsweek]]'', but gave this away in 1954. He then worked on the lecture circuit, giving speeches about his experiences, but gave this up too in 1955. He campaigned for [[Richard Nixon]] in 1960.{{sfn|Chwialkowski|1993|pp=177–180}}

The [[United States Congress]], in recognition of his service, promoted Eichelberger, along with a number of other officers who had commanded armies or similar higher formations, to general in 1954.<ref name="Public Law 83-508">Public Law 83-508, 19 July 1954. ''U. S. Army generals, appointments''. An act to authorize the President to appoint to the grade of general in the Army of the United States those officers who, in grade of lieutenant general, during World War II commanded the Army Ground Forces, commanded an Army, commanded Army forces which included a field army and supporting units, or commanded United States forces in China and served as chief of staff to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek in the China Theater of Operations, and for other purposes.</ref> He was distressed that Harding and Fuller were still hurt and angry with him over being relieved of their commands, something he felt was really MacArthur's fault.{{sfn|Chwialkowski|1993|pp=180–181}} In turn, Eichelberger never forgave Krueger or Sutherland for real or imagined slights. When Sutherland tried to talk, Eichelberger refused to speak to him.{{sfn|Chwialkowski|1993|pp=187–188}} Eventually, Eichelberger decided to write a tell-all book that "would destroy the MacArthur myth forever".{{sfn|Chwialkowski|1993|p=188}} For this purpose, he gave his papers to [[Duke University]].<ref name="papers">{{cite web |url=http://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/findingaids/eichel.pdf |title=Robert L. Eichelberger Papers, 1728–1998 (bulk 1942–1949) |publisher=[[Duke University]] |access-date=24 October 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121014232305/http://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/findingaids/eichel.pdf |archive-date=14 October 2012 }}</ref> [[Jay Luuvas]], a historian at [[Allegheny College]], published his letters in 1972 as ''Dear Miss Em: General Eichelberger's War in the Pacific 1942–1945''.{{sfn|Chwialkowski|1993|pp=189–190}} However, Eichelberger maintained his warm wartime relationship with Herring. Herring and his wife [[Mary Herring|Mary]] stayed with the Eichelbergers in Asheville in 1953, and they exchanged regular letters.{{sfn|Sayers|1980|p=327}} Eichelberger underwent exploratory [[prostate]] surgery in Asheville on 25 September 1961. Complications set in and he died from pneumonia the following day.{{sfn|Chwialkowski|1993|p=189}} He was buried with full military honors in [[Arlington National Cemetery]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/rleichelberger.htm |title=R.L. Eichelberger |publisher=[[Arlington National Cemetery]] |access-date=29 July 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120716181153/http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/rleichelberger.htm |archive-date=16 July 2012 }}</ref>

==Military decorations and medals==

===United States awards===
{|
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|ribbon=Distinguished Service Cross ribbon.svg|width=60}}
|[[Distinguished Service Cross (United States)|Distinguished Service Cross]] with [[oak leaf cluster]]
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=3|type=oak|ribbon=U.S. Army Distinguished Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}
|[[Distinguished Service Medal (U.S. Army)|Army Distinguished Service Medal]] with three oak leaf clusters
|-
|[[File:Navy Distinguished Service ribbon.svg|60px]]
|[[Navy Distinguished Service Medal]]
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=2|type=oak|ribbon=Silver Star BAR.svg|width=60}}
|[[Silver Star]] with two oak leaf clusters 
|-
|[[File:Legion of Merit ribbon.svg|60px]]
|[[Legion of Merit]]
|-
|[[File:Bronze Star ribbon.svg|60px]]
|[[Bronze Star Medal]]
|-
|[[File:Air Medal ribbon.svg|60px]]
|[[Air Medal]]
|-
|[[File:Mexican Border Service Medal ribbon.svg|60px]]
|[[Mexican Border Service Medal]]
|-
|[[File:World War I Victory Medal ribbon.svg|60px]]
|[[World War I Victory Medal (United States)|Victory Medal]]
|-
|[[File:American Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|60px]]
|[[American Defense Service Medal]]
|-
|[[File:Asiatic-Pacific Campaign ribbon.svg|60px]]
|[[Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal]]
|-
|[[File:World War II Victory Medal ribbon.svg|60px]]
|[[World War II Victory Medal]]
|-
|[[File:Army of Occupation ribbon.svg|60px]]
|[[Army of Occupation Medal]]
|}
<small>Source: Inventory of the Robert L. Eichelberger Papers, 1728–1998  <ref name="papers"/></small>

===Foreign awards===
{|
|-
|[[File:Order of the British Empire (Military) Ribbon.png|60px]]
|Knight Commander of the [[Order of the British Empire]], Australia
|-
|[[File:Dso-ribbon.svg|60px]]
|Companion of the [[Distinguished Service Order]], United Kingdom
|-
|[[File:Order of Orange-Nassau ribbon - Grand Officer.svg|60px]]
|Grand Officer of the [[Order of Orange Nassau]] with swords, Netherlands
|-
|[[File:Legion Honneur GO ribbon.svg|60px]]
|Grand Officer of the [[Legion of Honor]], France
|-
|[[File:JPN Kyokujitsu-sho blank BAR.svg|60px]]
|[[Order of the Rising Sun]], Japan
|-
|[[File:JPN Zuiho-sho (WW2) blank BAR.svg|60px]]
|[[Order of the Sacred Treasure]], Japan
|-
|[[File:BEL Kroonorde Grootofficier BAR.svg|60px]]
|Grand Officer [[Order of the Crown (Belgium)|Order of the Crown]], Belgium
|-
|[[File:BEL Croix de Guerre WW1 ribbon.svg|60px]]
|Grand Officer [[Croix de guerre (Belgium)|Croix de Guerre]] with palm, Belgium
|-
|[[File:Order of Abdón Calderón 1st Class (Ecuador) - ribbon bar.png|60px]]
|First Class [[Order of Abdon Calderón]], Ecuador
|-
|[[File:PHL Distinguished Service Star BAR.svg|60px]]
|[[Distinguished Service Star]], Philippines
|-
|[[File:Phliber rib.svg|60px]]
|[[Philippine Liberation Medal|Liberation Medal]], Philippines
|-
|[[File:PHL Legion of Honor - Legionnaire BAR.png|60px]]
|[[Legion of Honor (Philippines)|Legion of Honor]], Philippines
|-
|[[File:Grande ufficiale BAR.svg|60px]]
|Grand Officer of the [[Military Order of Italy]], Italy
|}
<small>Source: Inventory of the Robert L. Eichelberger Papers, 1728–1998 <ref name="papers"/></small>

==Dates of rank==
{| class="wikitable"
! Insignia !! Rank !! Component !! Date || Reference
|-
|<!--No pin insignia in 1909--> No pin insignia in 1909
|[[US Second Lieutenant|Second Lieutenant]] || [[Regular Army (United States)|Regular Army]]  || 11 June 1909
|{{sfn|Cullum|1920|pp=1446–1447}}
|-
|[[File:US-O2 insignia.svg|13px|center]]
| &nbsp;[[US First Lieutenant|First Lieutenant]] || Regular Army || 1 July 1916
|{{sfn|Cullum|1920|pp=1446–1447}}
|-
|[[File:US-O3 insignia.svg|33px|center]]
| &nbsp;[[Captain (U.S. Army)|Captain]] || Regular Army || 15 May 1917
|{{sfn|Cullum|1920|pp=1446–1447}}
|-
|[[File:US-O4 insignia.svg|40px|center]]
| &nbsp;[[Major (United States)|Major]] || (temporary) || 3 June 1918
|{{sfn|Cullum|1920|pp=1446–1447}}
|-
|[[File:US-O5 insignia.svg|40px|center]]
| &nbsp;[[Lieutenant colonel (United States)|Lieutenant Colonel]]  || (temporary) || 28 March 1919
|{{sfn|Chwialkowski|1993|p=22}}
|-
|[[File:US-O3 insignia.svg|33px|center]]
| &nbsp;Reverted to permanent rank of [[Captain (U.S. Army)|Captain]] || Regular Army || 30 June 1920
|{{sfn|Cullum|1930|pp=849–850}}
|-
|[[File:US-O4 insignia.svg|40px|center]]
| &nbsp;[[Major (United States)|Major]] || Regular Army  || 1 July 1920
|{{sfn|Cullum|1930|pp=849–850}}
|-
|[[File:US-O5 insignia.svg|40px|center]]
| &nbsp;[[Lieutenant colonel (United States)|Lieutenant Colonel]] || Regular Army || 1 August 1934
|{{sfn|Cullum|1940|p=221}}
|-
|[[File:US-O6 insignia.svg|60px|center]]
| &nbsp;[[Colonel (United States)|Colonel]] || Regular Army || 1 August 1938
|{{sfn|Cullum|1940|p=221}}
|-
|[[File:US-O7 insignia.svg|33px|center]]
| &nbsp;[[Brigadier general (United States)|Brigadier General]] || [[Army of the United States]] || 1 October 1940
|{{sfn|Cullum|1950|p=135}}
|-
|[[File:US-O8 insignia.svg|66px|center]]
| &nbsp;[[Major general (United States)|Major General]] || Army of the United States || 10 July 1941
|{{sfn|Cullum|1950|p=135}}
|-
|[[File:US-O9 insignia.svg|100px|center]]
| &nbsp;[[Lieutenant general (United States)|Lieutenant General]] || Army of the United States || 21 October 1942
|{{sfn|Cullum|1950|p=135}}
|-
|[[File:US-O7 insignia.svg|33px|center]]
| &nbsp;[[Brigadier general (United States)|Brigadier General]] || Regular Army || 1 September 1943
|{{sfn|Cullum|1950|p=135}}
|-
|[[File:US-O8 insignia.svg|66px|center]]
| &nbsp;[[Major general (United States)|Major General]] || Regular Army || 4 October 1944
|{{sfn|Cullum|1950|p=135}}
|-
|[[File:US-O9 insignia.svg|100px|center]]
| &nbsp;[[Lieutenant general (United States)|Lieutenant General]] || Regular Army, Retired || 31 December 1948
|{{sfn|Cullum|1950|p=135}}
|-
|[[File:US-O10 insignia.svg|133px|center]]
| &nbsp;[[General (United States)|General]] || Army of the United States, Retired || 19 July 1954
|<ref name="Public Law 83-508" />
|}

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite book |last1 = Ancell |first1 = R. Manning  |last2 = Miller |first2 = Christine |title = The Biographical Dictionary of World War II Generals and Flag Officers: The US Armed Forces |place = [[Westport, Connecticut]] |publisher = [[Greenwood Press]] |year = 1996 |isbn = 0-313-29546-8 }}
*{{cite book |last=Chwialkowski |first=Paul |title=In Caesar's Shadow: The Life of General Robert Eichelberger |place=Westport, Connecticut |publisher=Greenwood Press |year=1993  |isbn=0-313-28605-1 |oclc=243774061}}
*{{cite book  |title = Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the US Military Academy at West Point New York Since Its Establishment in 1802: Supplement Volume VI 1910–1920  |last = Cullum  |first = George W.  |author-link = George Washington Cullum  |publisher = R. R. Donnelly and Sons, The Lakeside Press  |location = Chicago  |year = 1920  |url = http://digital-library.usma.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p16919coll3/id/17964/rec/7  |access-date = 6 October 2015  }}
*{{cite book  |title = Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the US Military Academy at West Point New York Since Its Establishment in 1802: Supplement Volume VII 1920–1930  |last = Cullum  |first = George W.  |author-link = George Washington Cullum  |publisher = R. R. Donnelly and Sons, The Lakeside Press  |location = Chicago  |year = 1930  |url = http://digital-library.usma.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p16919coll3/id/24660/rec/8  |access-date = 6 October 2015  }}
*{{cite book  |title = Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the US Military Academy at West Point New York Since Its Establishment in 1802: Supplement Volume VIII 1930–1940  |last = Cullum  |first = George W.  |author-link = George Washington Cullum  |publisher = R. R. Donnelly and Sons, The Lakeside Press  |location = Chicago  |year = 1940  |url = http://digital-library.usma.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p16919coll3/id/19424/rec/9  |access-date = 6 October 2015  }}
*{{cite book  |title = Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the US Military Academy at West Point New York Since Its Establishment in 1802: Supplement Volume IX 1940–1950  |last = Cullum  |first = George W.  |author-link = George Washington Cullum  |publisher = R. R. Donnelly and Sons, The Lakeside Press  |location = Chicago  |year = 1950  |url = http://digital-library.usma.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p16919coll3/id/22314/rec/10  |access-date = 6 October 2015  }}
*{{cite book |last=Eichelberger |first=Robert L. |year=1950 |title=Our Jungle Road to Tokyo |location=New York |publisher=Viking Press |oclc=1262852}}
*{{cite book |last=Eichelberger |first=Robert L. |year=1972 |editor-last=Luvaas |editor-first=Jay |title=Dear Miss Em: General Eichelberger's War in the Pacific, 1942–1945 |location=Westport, Connecticut |publisher=Greenwood Press |isbn=0837162785 |oclc=415330 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/dearmissemgenera00eich }}
*{{cite book |last = Milner |first = Samuel |title = Victory in Papua |year = 1957 |publisher = Office of the Chief of Military History, Department of the Army |location = Washington, DC |series = United States Army in World War II: The War in the Pacific |url = http://www.history.army.mil/html/books/005/5-4/CMH_Pub_5-4.pdf |access-date = 6 March 2012 |archive-date = 6 May 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170506135616/http://www.history.army.mil//html/books/005/5-4/CMH_Pub_5-4.pdf |url-status = dead }}
*{{cite book |last = Sayers |first = Stuart |title = Ned Herring: A Life of Lieutenant-General the Honorable Sir Edmund Herring KCMG, KBE, MC, ED. K St J, MA, DCL |publisher=Hyland House |year = 1980 |location = Melbourne |isbn= 0-908090-25-0 |oclc=8670811 }}
*{{cite book |last=Schifferle |first=Peter J. |year=2010 |title=America's School for War: Fort Leavenworth, Officer Education, and Victory in World War II |location=Lawrence, Kansas |publisher=University Press of Kansas |isbn= 978-0700617142 |oclc=461324087 }}
*{{cite book |last=Shortal |first=J. F. |year=1987 |title=Forged by Fire: General Robert L. Eichelberger and the Pacific War |location=Columbia, South Carolina |publisher=University of South Carolina Press |isbn=0872495213 |oclc=16356063}}
* {{cite book |last = Takemae |first = Eiji  |others = trans. Robert Ricketts, Sebastian Swann |title= Inside GHQ: The Allied Occupation of Japan and its Legacy |publisher = Continuum International |year= 2002 |location=New York  |isbn= 978-0-82641-521-9 }}
* {{cite book |last = Walsh |first = Brian |title = The "Rape" of Japan: The Myth of Mass Sexual Violence During the Allied Occupation |publisher = Naval Institute Press |date = June 2024 |isbn = 978-1682479308}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{cite web |url=http://www.library.duke.edu/rubenstein/findingaids/eichel/ |title=Robert L. Eichelberger Papers, 1728–1998 (bulk 1942–1949) |publisher=Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library, Duke University |access-date=29 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120527125900/http://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/findingaids/eichel/ |archive-date=27 May 2012 }}
*{{cite web |url=http://www.library.duke.edu/digitalcollections/esr/robert-l-eichelberger/ |title=Images from the Robert L. Eichelberger Collection&nbsp;– Duke University Libraries Digital Collections&nbsp;– 417 images from Eichelberger's service in Soviet Russia, 1918–1920 |publisher=Duke University |access-date=29 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121014232337/http://library.duke.edu/digitalcollections/esr/robert-l-eichelberger/ |archive-date=14 October 2012 }}
*[https://generals.dk/general/Eichelberger/Robert_Lawrence/USA.html Generals of World War II]
*[https://www.unithistories.com/officers/US_Army_officers_E01.html#Eichelberger_RL United States Army Officers 1939–1945]

{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Jay Leland Benedict|Jay L. Benedict]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Superintendent of the United States Military Academy]]|years=1940–1942}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Francis Bowditch Wilby|Francis B. Wilby]]}}
|-
{{s-new|command}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[77th Sustainment Brigade|Commanding General 77th Infantry Division]]|years=March–June 1942}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Roscoe B. Woodruff]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Charles F. Thompson]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[I Corps (United States)|Commanding General I Corps]]|years=1942–1944}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Innis P. Swift]]}}
|-
{{s-new|command}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Eighth United States Army|Commanding General Eighth Army]]|years=1944–1948}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Walton Walker]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{United States Military Academy superintendents}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eichelberger, Robert}}
[[Category:1886 births]]
[[Category:1961 deaths]]
[[Category:Ohio State University alumni]]
[[Category:People from Urbana, Ohio]]
[[Category:United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni]]
[[Category:United States Army War College alumni]]
[[Category:United States Military Academy alumni]]
[[Category:Superintendents of the United States Military Academy]]
[[Category:United States Army personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:United States Army generals of World War II]]
[[Category:United States Army generals]]
[[Category:Burials at Arlington National Cemetery]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States)]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army)]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Silver Star]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Legion of Merit]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Air Medal]]
[[Category:United States Army Infantry Branch personnel]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Service Star]]
[[Category:Honorary Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Grand Officers of the Legion of Honour]]
[[Category:American recipients of the Croix de guerre (Belgium)]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of the Crown (Belgium)]]
[[Category:Grand Officers of the Order of Orange-Nassau]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of the Sacred Treasure]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Philippine Legion of Honor]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal]]
[[Category:American military personnel of the Russian Civil War]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Ohio]]