John L. DeWitt
John L. DeWitt | |
|---|---|
DeWitt in 1940 | |
| Born | 9 January 1880 Fort Sidney, Nebraska, United States |
| Died | 20 June 1962 (aged 82) Washington, D.C., United States |
| Place of burial | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Service years | 1898–1947 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands | Quartermaster General Commandant, Army War College Fourth United States Army Western Defense Command Army and Navy Staff College |
| Known for | Internment of Japanese Americans |
| Conflicts | Spanish–American War Philippine–American War World War I World War II |
| Awards | Army Distinguished Service Medal (3) Navy Distinguished Service Medal |
John Lesesne DeWitt (9 January 1880 – 20 June 1962) was a four-star general in the United States Army. He was best known for overseeing the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese Empire on 7 December 1941, DeWitt believed that Japanese nationals and Japanese Americans in the West Coast of the United States were conspiring to sabotage the American war effort, and he recommended they be removed from coastal areas. President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, giving authority to restrict military sensitive locations. DeWitt used the authority granted to him to issue military proclamations to place most of the West Coast off limits to Japanese Americans, incarcerating 110,000 Japanese men, women, and children in concentration camps, most of whom were American citizens.