Jens A. Doe

Jens Anderson Doe was born on 20 June 1891 in Chicago, Illinois to Norwegian immigrant parents. Doe was initially stationed with the 11th Infantry successively at Texas City, Texas, Naco, Arizona, and Douglas, Arizona. ==World War I==

Doe was promoted to first lieutenant on 1 July 1916 and captain on 15 May 1917, a few weeks after the American entry into World War I. From May to August 1917 he was stationed with the 11th Infantry at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. He attended a machine gun training course at Fort Sill before assuming command of the 15th Machine Gun Battalion, part of the newly created 5th Division, in December 1917. In April 1918, he sailed for France. Promoted to the temporary rank of major on 17 June 1918, Doe served as the 5th Division's Machine Gun Officer before assuming command of the 14th Machine Gun Battalion, also of the 5th Division, in July. As such, he participated in the Battle of Saint-Mihiel and the subsequent Meuse–Argonne offensive, the largest battle in the history of the United States Army, where he was wounded, although his gallantry earned him the Silver Star. In November 1918, the same month the Armistice with Germany brought the war to an end, Doe organised and became an instructor at the Army Machine Gun School at Langres. He was an instructor at the II Corps Schools, and a student at the Artillery Center. In June 1919 he joined the 61st Infantry, returning to the United States with it in June 1919. ==Between the wars==

In September 1919 he became an instructor at the Infantry School at Fort Benning. He attended the Field Officers' Course in 1921–1922, after which he was assigned to the 2nd Infantry at Fort Sheridan, Illinois, as a machine gun officer at Fort Custer, and to the USMA at West Point. He was an instructor at the Command and General Staff College and Professor of Military Science and Tactics at the University of California, Berkeley. ==World War II==

, commanding the 7th Australian Division (left), chatting to Colonel Jens A. Doe, commanding the U.S. 163rd Infantry Regiment (center), and other Australian officers at a unit headquarters in the forward area during the advance to Sanananda, January 1943. Doe joined the newly reformed 7th Division at Fort Ord in September 1940 and became both the executive officer (XO) and commanding officer (CO) of the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, part of the 7th Division. He was to hold this post until February 1941. After assuming command of the regiment in March 1941, he was promoted to colonel on 1 July 1941. For these actions he was awarded the Army Distinguished Service Medal. so Doe assumed command of the 41st Infantry Division and was promoted to the temporary rank of major general on 1 August 1944. For his leadership at Biak he was also awarded an oak leaf cluster to his Distinguished Service Medal. In February and March 1945, Doe led 41st Infantry Division at Palawan and Zamboanga, where he earned a second oak leaf cluster to his Silver Star. His citation read: Doe also received the Air Medal for his numerous flights over Japanese held areas. ==Later life==

Doe remained in command of the 41st Infantry Division until it was inactivated in Japan at midnight on 31 December 1945. He returned to the United States for a brief tour of duty at the War Department before assuming command of the 5th Infantry Division, with which he had served in World War I, at Fort Campbell on 9 August 1946. On 29 September 1946 he assumed command of the 3rd Infantry Division and, from July 1947 until February 1949, he took command of the 4th Infantry Division Doe was promoted to the permanent rank of major general on 24 January 1948, backdated to 6 September 1944. He retired from the army in February 1949 and settled in Carmel, California. Doe died there on 25 February 1971, at the age of 79. ==References==