Born on August 23, 1883, at Fort Walla Walla, Washington, Jonathan Mayhew Wainwright was a United States Army General and Commander of the Allied Forces in the Philippines during WWII. Wainwright graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1906. In 1908, he was sent to the Philippines and fought on the island of Jolo during the Moro Rebellion. Upon the United States’ entrance into WWII, Wainwright was stationed in France and named the Assistant Chief of Staff of the 82nd infantry division. After the war, he served at multiple bases in the United States. In 1940, Wainwright was stationed at Fort Stotsenburg on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. In December 1941, the Japanese landed ground forces in the Philippines, confronting Wainwright’s troops. In March 1942, he was named the Commander of the Allied Forces in the Philippines. The following month, Bataan fell to the Japanese and the remainder of Wainwright’s troops retreated to Corregidor. After continued attacks, in May 1942 he surrendered to the Japanese to avoid further loss of life. For the next three years, Wainwright was held as a prisoner of war until his rescue in August 1945 at a prison camp in Manchuria. At the end of WWII, Wainwright was promoted to the rank of four-star general. In January 1946, he was named the Commander of the Fourth Army at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Wainwright retired from the army in August 1947 at the age of 64. Jonathan M. Wainwright died on September 2, 1953, at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. For his service to the United States, he received numerous honors including the Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, and the Army Distinguished Service Medal. Wainwright is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. (2023)