Claire E. Hutchin, Jr.

Claire Elwood Hutchin, Jr. (January 9, 1916 - June 22, 1980) was a highly decorated Lieutenant general in the United States Army. He received two Distinguished Service Crosses during Korean War. He later commanded the 4th Infantry Division and First United States Army.

Youth and early military career
Hutchin was named after his father, a lawyer who saw service in World War I.

Hutchin was appointed to the United States Military Academy in 1934 from Washington state where his father was posted at Vancouver Barracks, Washington. He graduated with the class of 1938. He commissioned a second lieutenant and assigned to the 29th Infantry Regiment at Fort Benning, Georgia until July 1941.

World War II
At the time of the United States entry into World War II, Hutchin was assistant staff officer G1 (administration) for the 4th Infantry Division until attending the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas in early 1942. In April, Hutchin became assistant G2 (intelligence) staff officer for the 7th Infantry Division, then at Fort Ord, California.

In 1943, he was assistant G3 (operations and plans) staff officer for IX Corps. Later that year he received a wartime commission as lieutenant colonel and posting with the Southeast Asia Command joint planning staff. After the war he transferred to the War Department general staff operations division strategy section. In November 1946, Hutchin was assistant executive officer for General George C. Marshall's special presidential mission to China. He returned to China as part of General Albert Coady Wedemeyer's presidential mission in late 1947. By the end of the year, Hutchin was joint secretary then joint planner with the Commander-in-Chief, Pacific (CINCPAC) joint staff.

Korean War
In Korean War, Hutchin was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in commanding the 23rd Infantry Regiment 1st battalion against the Chinese offensive from November 25 to November 30, 1950 around Kujangdong, Korea. Hutchin was engaged in a series of defensive actions, counterattacks and withdrawals against superior enemy forces when his Company C, was overrun and suffered losses of combat leadership and material. Taking personal command, he recovered the disorganized elements of the company, recovered the unit's original position and relieved troops surrounded when the position was overrun.

Later, his battalion was assigned as the rear guard to the 2nd Infantry Division withdraw from Kujangdong and resisted the two enemy battalions with a single rifle company and armored company.

Later career
As a major general, Hutchin commanded the 4th Infantry Division from September 1963 to June 1965.

From July 1967 to August 1969, Lieutenant General Hutchin was deputy commander/chief of staff for U.S. Pacific Command. From 1969 to 1971, LTG Hutchin served as the Commanding General, V Corps, Frankfurt, Germany. Hutchin commanded the First United States Army at Fort Meade, Maryland from 1971 until his retirement in 1973.