John Lesesne DeWitt | |
|---|---|
 DeWitt as a lieutenant general | |
| Born | January 9, 1880 Fort Sidney, Nebraska |
| Died | June 20, 1962 (aged 82) Washington, D.C. |
| Place of burial | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/ |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1898–1947 |
| Rank |  General |
| Commands | Quartermaster General Commandant, Army War College Fourth United States Army Western Defense Command Army and Navy Staff College |
| Known for | Internment of Japanese Americans |
| Battles/wars | Spanish–American War Philippine–American War World War I World War II |
| Awards | Army Distinguished Service Medal (3) Navy Distinguished Service Medal |
John Lesesne DeWitt (January 9, 1880 – June 20, 1962) was a four-star general in the United States Army. He was best known for overseeing the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese Empire on December 7, 1941, DeWitt believed that Japanese nationals and Japanese Americans in the West Coast of the United States were conspiring to sabotage the American war effort, and he recommended they be removed from coastal areas. President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, giving authority to restrict military sensitive locations. DeWitt used the authority granted to him to issue military proclamations to place most of the west coast off limits to Japanese Americans, incarcerating 110,000 Japanese men, women, and children in concentration camps, most of whom were American citizens.