GENERAL MATTHEW B. RIDGWAY - TYPED LETTER SIGNED 04/16/1982 - HFSID 278505

MATTHEW BUNKER RIDGWAY
What was the most important decision that Ridgway made in his military career? He tried to answer that question in this typed letter, which he signed in 1982, to John Baron. It's a question he has a little trouble answering in this letter, but eventually he decided that it was to "strive to be the best leader of men in combat in our Army, that I could possibly be".
Typed letter signed: "M. B. Ridgway", 1p, 7¼x10¼, on his personalized stationery.Fox Chapel, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1982 April 16.Addressed to Mr. John Baron. In full: "Dear John, It is difficult to answer your question: What was the most important decision I had to make in my military career. Important to whom, or what? From the point of view of my career, it was undoubt-edly to hew to the line I had first laid out - strive to be the best leader of men in combat in our Army, that I could possibly be. From that flowed all the wonderful op-portunities which I was privileged to receive in high command in peace and in war. I do not have any small photo, or large ones either, as I have just exhausted my stock to meet demands from those in Normandy who were so helpful to us when we literally 'dropped in on them' on the night of 05-06 Jun 1944. You could not make a finer choice that that of a mili-tary career, and if you do, then West Point, VMI, The Citadel & Texas A&M would each prepare you splendidly, and each offer you oppor-tunities in college athletics. Sincerely, M. B. Ridgway General, US Army, Retired.". Ridgway (1895-1993) planned and executed the Army's first major airborne assault in Sicily during World War II. In April 1951, he succeeded General of the Army Douglas MacArthur as Commander of United Nations forces in Korea and of allied occupying forces in Japan. In June 1952, Ridgway replaced General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower as Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe. Ridgway served as Army Chief of Staff from 1953 to 1955. Folded twice and unfolded. Otherwise, fine condition.