John Birch | |
|---|---|
&sq=Envato&lang=en&file=File:John_Birch.jpg) Captain John Birch, U.S. Army Air Forces | |
| Birth name | John Morrison Birch |
| Born | May 28, 1918 Landour, United Provinces, British India (now in Uttarakhand, India) |
| Died | August 25, 1945 (aged 27) Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1942–1945 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Battles / wars | World War II |
| Awards | Army Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit (2) |
John Morrison Birch (May 28, 1918 – August 25, 1945) was a United States Army Air Forces military intelligence captain, OSS field agent in China during World War II, as well as former Baptist minister and missionary. He was killed in a confrontation with Chinese Communist soldiers during an assignment he was ordered on by the OSS, ten days after the war ended.[1][2] Birch was posthumously awarded the Army Distinguished Service Medal.
The John Birch Society (JBS), an American anti-communist organization, was named in his memory by Robert H. W. Welch Jr. in 1958.[1] Welch considered Birch to be a martyr and the first casualty of the Cold War. Birch's parents joined the JBS as honorary life members.
- ^ a b Hefley & Hefley 1980.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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