Ira Thomas Wyche | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Major General Ira T. Wyche (left) and General Dwight D. Eisenhower (right) | |
| Nickname(s) | "Papa" "Doughboy's General" |
| Born | 16 October 1887 Ocracoke Island, North Carolina, United States |
| Died | 8 July 1981 (aged 93) Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States |
| Buried | Fort Bragg Main Post Cemetery, United States |
| Allegiance |  United States Army |
| Service |  United States |
| Years of service | 1907–1948 |
| Rank |  Major General |
| Service number | 0-3112 |
| Unit |  Infantry Branch |
| Commands | Inspector General of the United States Army III Corps VIII Corps 79th Infantry Division 74th Field Artillery Brigade 2nd Battalion, 4th Field Artillery Regiment 1st Battalion, 14th Field Artillery Regiment 2nd Battalion, 1st Field Artillery Regiment |
| Battles / wars | World War I World War II |
| Awards | Army Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star Legion of Merit |
Major General Ira Thomas Wyche (16 October 1887 – 8 July 1981) was a career officer in the United States Army who ultimately became Inspector General of the United States Army. A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, during World War I he served in the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) on the Western Front, and returned to the United States to train artillery students. He spent time teaching and attending various army schools from 1918 to 1942; including the United States Army Command and General Staff College and United States Army War College.
In May 1942, during World War II, he took command of the 79th Infantry Division. He led the division in the Normandy landings, and oversaw many of its battles until May 1945. After World War II ended, Wyche took command of VIII Corps. He would later serve on the Officer Interview Board and command III Corps and 1st Service Command. He served as Inspector General of the Army from January 1947 to September 1948, during which he investigated charges that John C. H. Lee misused enlisted men under his command in occupied Italy. Wyche retired from the army in September 1948, and moved to Pinehurst, North Carolina.