Julius Ochs Adler

Julius O. Adler was born on December 3, 1892, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the son of Harry Clay Adler and Ada Ochs. He graduated from Baylor University School in Chattanooga in 1908 and then entered the Lawrenceville School in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, which he completed in summer 1910. Adler was then admitted to the Princeton University from which he graduated with Bachelor of Arts degree in June 1914. Upon his graduation, he joined the staff of The New York Times.[1]

His first military experience came in 1915, when he entered the Citizens' Military Training Camp, the first businessmen's training camp at Plattsburgh, New York. Adler participated regularly in the summer military trainings at the Governors Island and was commissioned second lieutenant in the Cavalry on April 7, 1917, the day after the American entry into World War I. He was called up to active service shortly thereafter and rose to the rank of captain by the end of August 1917.[2][1]

Adler was transferred to the Infantry Branch and joined the 306th Infantry Regiment at Camp Upton, New York as Commander of "Company H".[3] Following several months of intensive training, he embarked with the regiment as the part of 77th Division for Western Front in April 1918. Adler was promoted to major and assumed command of the battalion, which he led during the Oise-Aisne, Meuse-Argonne, Champagne, and Lorraine campaigns.[1]

On October 14, 1918 during the Meuse–Argonne offensive, Adler accompanied by fellow officer supervised the work of clearing the enemy from Saint-Juvin in the Ardennes department in northern France. They suddenly came upon a party of the enemy numbering 150 Germans. Adler, armed only with his pistol, opened the fire on the enemy and ran toward the party, calling on them to surrender. His bravery and good marksmanship resulted in the capture of 50 Germans, and the remainder fled. For this act of valor, Adler was decorated with Distinguished Service Cross, the second highest decorations of the United States military for valor in combat.[4]

He was also decorated with two Silver Stars citation for bravery and received Purple Heart for wounds received by combat gas. The Allies bestowed him Legion of Honour, French Croix de guerre 1914–1918 with Palm and Italian War Merit Cross. The State of New York decorated him with New York Meritorious Service Medal.[4][1]

Adler returned stateside in April 1919 and reverted to the inactive status on May 10, 1919. He retain his reserve commission in the 306th Infantry Regiment and returned to his job with The New York Times. He become treasurer and vice-president of The New York Times and following the death of his uncle, Adolph Ochs, in April 1935, he was appointed General Manager of The Times. Adler was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1923 and to colonel in 1930 in the Army Reserve. He assumed command of 306th Infantry Regiment in the Army Reserves in December 1924 and held it until his reactivation in October 1940.[1]

Meanwhile in April 1932, Adler was appointed civilian aide to the Secretary of War, Patrick J. Hurley in connection with Citizens' Military Training Camp for Second Corps Area under Major general Dennis E. Nolan. For his contribution as a Princeton graduate to journalism or related fields, Adler became the second recipient of the medal awarded annually by the Daily Princetonian Alumni Association.[1]

Adler participated in the pre-World War II defense program and in May 1940, he was appointed Head of the committee of representatives from New York, New Jersey and Delaware, which was responsible for the direction of the registration of 7,200 youths for the Citizens' Military Training Camps. Adler also urged Secretary of the Navy, Frank Knox, with the adoption of compulsory military training.[1]

Adler was reactivated at his own request in October 1940 and appointed commanding officer of the 113th Infantry Regiment, 44th Division, at Fort Dix, New Jersey. After several months with that regiment, he was promoted to the temporary rank of Brigadier general on July 15, 1941 and assumed duty as Assistant Division Commander, 6th Infantry Division under Major general Franklin C. Sibert.[1][5]

He participated in the desert training in California and embarked with the division to Hawaii in July 1943 for defense of the islands. Adler participated in the coordination of the defense plans of Oahu and received Bronze Star Medal. The Sixth Division then conducted intensive jungle training until January 1944, when it received orders to reinforce allied units on Southwest Pacific. Adler participated in the New Guinea campaign until June 1944, when became ill and was shipped to the United States for treatment.[1][5]

Unfortunately his illness was so serious, Adler was declared unfit for active duty and reverted to an inactive status on November 17, 1944. At least his service with 6th Infantry Division on New Guinea was recognized with Legion of Merit.[2][1][5]

American newspaper editors speak with survivors at a hospital in the newly liberated Buchenwald concentration camp, April 1945. Left to right: Norman Chandler, Los Angeles Times; William I. Nichols (leaning forward, center), This Week magazine; and Julius Ochs Adler, The New York Times.

Adler returned to his job with The New York Times as General manager and also resumed his work as the president and publisher of The Chattanooga Times. Shortly following the surrender of Nazi Germany in May 1945, Adler and several other newspapers executive, visited Concentration camps in Germany at the invitation of General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Another tour of duty came in August and September 1945, when he was invited by Secretary of the Navy, James V. Forrestal to the Pacific Theater of Operations to obtain firsthand observation of the military operations. While in the Pacific, Japan surrendered and Adler filed dispatches to his newspaper aboard the U.S. warships in Tokyo Bay.[1]

Following the activation of 77th Infantry Division as the part of Army Organized Reserve, general Courtney Hodges, commanding general, First United States Army, appointed Adler as 77th Division commanding general. Adler commanded his division during the postwar training period at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey and received promotion to major general on January 24, 1948. He also served as the President of the Senior Army Reserve Commanders Association, 1949–1951 and a Reserve member of the Components Policy Board.[2]

Adler was the president and publisher of The Chattanooga Times, and general manager of The New York Times until his death on October 3, 1955.[6] He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.[7][1]

Adler married to Barbara Stettheimer in 1922. They had two daughters, Barbara A. Katzander and Nancy J. Adler, and a son, Julius Ochs Adler, Jr.[8]

Adler was a Freemason. He was a member of Justice Lodge No 753 of the 6th Manhattan Masonic District in New York City. [9]

Here is Major general Adler's ribbon bar:[4][10]

• History of the Seventy-Seventh Division, August 25th, 1917 – November 11th, 1918 (1919) (ed.)
• History of the 306th Infantry (1935) (ed.)

• List of Jewish Americans in the military

• Julius Ochs Adler papers, Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library.
• Julius Ochs Adler at ArlingtonCemetery.net, an unofficial website
• Generals of World War II
• United States Army Officers 1939−1945