Robert S. Beightler

After graduating from Marysville High School in 1909, he enrolled at The Ohio State University for two years. While there he studied civil engineering, was active in Sigma Alpha Epsilon, trained as a cadet, and was manager of the basketball team. Following the two years at OSU, Beightler left to take employment as an assistant engineer with Union County.[13]

While he was in college, he met his future wife Anna Lawrence Porter, who was a student at Ohio Wesleyan University. Her father was an executive with the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company, and her grandfather was a judge in Union County. They would marry on October 14, 1914, and have three children, two who lived, Robert Jr., and Marjorie.[13] Beightler's best man at this wedding was John W. Bricker, the future Governor of Ohio, U.S. Senator, and 1944 Republican Vice Presidential Nominee.[14]

On August 7, 1911, Beightler had enlisted with the Ohio National Guard. He was part of the 4th Ohio Infantry, which had been re-organized from the 14th Ohio National Guard. Beightler served with Company E, based out of an armory in Marysville.[15] By 1913 Beightler had achieved the rank of first sergeant, and second lieutenant by 1914.[16]

In August 1916, President Woodrow Wilson mobilized 400,000 troops from across the nation, including from the Ohio National Guard, to be sent to the Mexican border to deal with the border crisis and Pancho Villa. The forces were led by John J. Pershing. The young Beightler served in this conflict.[17]

On August 5, 1917, Beightler was commissioned as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army, serving as an adjutant for the 3rd Battalion. The 4th infantry was designated the 166th U.S Infantry Regiment by the U.S. War Department.[18] Beightler was moved to Camp Mills on Long Island in preparation for deployment to France in the European theater of World War I.

Before departing for Europe in October 1917, Anne visited to wish Robert well and inform him that they were expecting their first child. Upon arriving in France, Beightler's regiment undertook basic training operations, including learning the French language. He was involved in the Sedan incident, as well as other combat during his time in France.[19]

Following the war, he returned home to Ohio in 1919. Re-entering civilian life, he worked as an engineer for the state in Columbus over requests by his father to work in Union County as an engineer. His daughter was over a year old after he left the military, and the young family moved to Columbus to be closer to Beightler's employment.[20]

Beightler completed his engineering degree at Ohio State University. He also started a private civil engineering firm with Adolph Stellhorn. He went on to Command and General Staff School in Leavenworth, Kansas, to complete a course on National Guard Officers where he was first in his class. In 1930, he graduated from the Army War College's G-2 course.[21]

In 1932, Beightler returned to active duty, serving with the Army General Staff in Washington D.C. This exposed him to the highest levels of the Army, something rarely afforded to National Guard officers. He spent most of his time working on plans for the Interstate Highway System.[21]

In 1936 he returned to Ohio, working as chief of staff for the 37th Infantry Division, and commander of the 74th Infantry Brigade. Having earned the opportunity, in 1939 his longtime friend John W. Bricker, who had become Governor of Ohio, appointed Beightler to Ohio State Highway Director. In 1940, Bricker appointed Beightler commanding General of the 37th Infantry Division.[21]

37th Infantry Division insignia

Beightler assumed his duties as commanding General of the division in 1940, and immediately began exhaustive training and preparation of the soldiers. His philosophy was simple, the better trained the soldiers are, the fewer casualties there would be. He also had moral reasoning, having been quoted after World War II saying "... I have never been able to completely harden myself to the sacrifice of American lives. I have always felt a deep-seated responsibility to the families of these men, many of whom might be called my neighbors."[22]

The 37th participated in the Louisiana Maneuvers, in which future senior military leaders Dwight Eisenhower, George Patton, Omar Bradley, and Leslie McNair were present. McNair said of Beightler that he was "one of the best" National Guard commanders.[23] A few months later, America was thrown into World War II following the Pearl Harbor attacks.

On September 5, 1945, Beightler accepted articles of surrender from Major General Iguchi, Commanding General, 80th Brigade, Imperial Japanese Army, in Luzon, Philippines.[25]

At the end of the war, Beightler was the only World War II National Guard general to have commanded his division for the length of the war.[1] In addition to being the army's longest serving division commander in 1945, Beightler was appointed to the regular army in 1946 as one of only two National Guard major generals to receive such an appointment at that time.[1] Following the war, Beightler was assigned command of the 5th Service Command at Fort Hayes in Columbus. In 1947, he was appointed President of the Personnel Board of the Secretary of War, moving back to Washington. In 1949, he was assigned to the Far East, taking over the Marianas-Bonins Command on Guam.

In 1950, he was appointed the Deputy Military Governor of Okinawa, as well as the Deputy Governor of the Ryukyus Islands Command.[26] During this period he dedicated most of his time toward rebuilding the infrastructure of the Ryukyus Islands. Following a massive heart attack in 1952, one of nine Beightler would suffer throughout his life, he was flown to Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington D.C. Beightler retired from the military after 42 years of service, in 1953.

In the spring of 1945 the Ohio Republican Party attempted to draft Beightler to run for Governor against Frank Lausche in 1946. His candidacy was urged by Bricker, and Ohio Congressman Clarence J. Brown. This would have provided early key endorsements. Hundreds of insider Republicans wrote to Beightler stating he would have their support, would easily clinch the Republican nomination for Governor, and could defeat Lausche.

However, citing the lack of a completely unified party around his potential candidacy, he did not want to cause a factional split in the party. He also cited the unlikelihood that he could beat Lausche who was a great campaigner, as well as the fact that he agreed with him on almost every issue. His decision was also influenced by the fact he was still engaged in battle in the Pacific theater.

Gen. Douglas MacArthur was encouraged by Beightler in a personal meeting in 1950 to run for U.S. President in 1952

He did write that ending his public career as governor of "the grand old state of Ohio" was an appealing prospect. Beightler miscalculated the political atmosphere, as Lausche would lose by 40,000 votes the following year in a banner year for Republicans.[30]

In 1946, talks circulated again of Beightler running for political office, this time for Congress. However, he said was not interested in a legislative position and called it "a nobody's job."[31]

On November 9, 1950, while stationed in the Pacific, he sent a letter to Robert A. Taft congratulating him on his Senate re-election victory. The letter discussed a personal meeting with Gen. Douglas MacArthur on the subject, in which Beightler had encouraged MacArthur to run in '52, but MacArthur showed no interest. MacArthur shared the same views as Beightler on Eisenhower, and both would go on to endorse Taft in 1952. In Taft's reply on November 24, 1950, he implied to Beightler that Eisenhower was incompetent and likely to be influenced by money and political endorsements.[32]

After leaving the military in 1953, Beightler headed the Ohio Turnpike Commission as executive director. Beightler oversaw the construction and completion of the Ohio Turnpike. He resigned as executive director to become a member of the commission.