Edward P. King

Edward P. King was a senior United States Army officer best known for his command during the opening stages of the Pacific War. As commander of the Luzon Force on the Bataan Peninsula, he made the difficult decision to surrender American and Philippine Army forces to the Imperial Japanese Army in April 1942, an event that led to the infamous Bataan Death March. His military career spanned both World War I and World War II, and his actions on Bataan remain a significant and somber chapter in American military history.

Early life and education

Edward Postell King Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and later attended the University of Georgia before receiving an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point. He graduated in 1908 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Field Artillery. His early education and training at these prestigious institutions provided the foundation for a career that would be tested in two global conflicts.

Military career

King's early service included postings in the United States and the Philippines. During World War I, he served with the American Expeditionary Forces in France, where he was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry. Between the wars, he held various staff and command positions, including as an instructor at the United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth. By the late 1930s, he had risen to the rank of brigadier general and was serving as the commander of the Fort Bragg artillery training center in North Carolina.

Surrender at Bataan

Following the Japanese invasion of the Philippines in December 1941, King was appointed by General Jonathan M. Wainwright to command the Luzon Force, the main defensive unit on the Bataan Peninsula. After months of fierce combat, severe shortages of food, medicine, and ammunition, and with his forces facing annihilation, King made the independent and controversial decision to surrender on April 9, 1942, against the wishes of Douglas MacArthur and Wainwright. This surrender of approximately 76,000 American and Filipino troops led directly to the brutal Bataan Death March and years of harsh captivity for King and his men in camps like Cabanatuan.

Later life and death

King endured over three years as a prisoner of war, held at various locations including Manila, Taiwan, and finally Manchuria, where he was liberated by Soviet forces in August 1945. After the war, he served briefly as commandant of the United States Army Infantry School at Fort Benning before retiring in 1946 with the rank of major general. He spent his retirement in Georgia and died of a heart attack in Brunswick, Georgia in 1958. He was interred with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.

Legacy and honors

General King's legacy is defined by his agonizing decision at Bataan, a choice made to save his starving and beleaguered troops from certain destruction. For his leadership and valor, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Army Distinguished Service Medal, and the Legion of Merit. His story is a central part of the history of the Philippines campaign (1941–1942) and is commemorated at sites like the Bataan Death March Memorial in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The United States Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in Augusta, Georgia, is named in his honor.

Category:United States Army generals Category:American prisoners of war in World War II Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States) Category:1884 births Category:1958 deaths