A 1931 graduate of the
United States Military Academy at West Point, his classmates who also became general officers included
John P. Daley. While at West Point, Bonesteel received from his classmates the lifelong nickname of "Tick." After graduation, he was a
Rhodes Scholar at the
University of Oxford. After carrying out a series of command and staff assignments, he served in the United States and Europe during
World War II in a number of senior positions. With the surrender of
Japan imminent, Bonesteel, General George A. Lincoln, and Colonel
Dean Rusk of the Strategy Policy Committee at
the Pentagon were tasked with drawing up
General Order No. 1 to define the areas of responsibility for American,
Soviet and
Chinese forces. On 10 August 1945, with Soviet forces already moving through
Manchuria into northern
Korea, Bonesteel proposed the
38th parallel as the
Division of Korea. The draft General Order was cabled to the Soviets on 15 August and accepted by them the following day. In the postwar era, Bonesteel served as special assistant to the
Secretary of State. In November 1958, in an official capacity, he visited
Saigon,
South Vietnam. He also served as commanding general of the
24th Infantry Division (1961–1962), and commanding general of the
VII Corps (1962–1963). Bonesteel served as the Commander of
U.S. Forces Korea (and Commander-in-Chief,
U.N. Command Korea; Commanding General,
Eighth U.S. Army) from 1966 to 1969. During this period he defended against
North Korean infiltration during the
Korean DMZ Conflict (1966–1969) and dealt with tensions arising from the January 1968
Pueblo incident. ==Later life, death and funeral==