He advanced the prestige of the Allied Forces
and strengthened the bonds of friendship and
cooperation among the many nations serving
together in the common defense of democratic
principles. In discharging this grave responsibil-
ity, he displayed indomitable spirit, inspirational
application of military skills, and a sincere con-
cern for the furtherance of the causes of freedom.
As Chief of Staff of the United States Army, he
continually demonstrated the highest order of
leadership, professional competence, astute judg-
ment, and devotion to duty. Under his brilliant
direction, the Army was maintained in a state of
combat readiness, and fulfilled its world-wide
commitments in a manner which contributed
significantly to the advancement of the foreign
policies of the United States. Ever mindful of the
well-being and dignity of the individual soldier,
he constantly worked to improve the welfare of
the men entrusted to his care. His keen profes-
sional ability and great strength of character,
displayed in his every action, have been an in-
spiration to the entire Army. His selfless dedica-
tion to the service of his country represents the
highest form of patriotism, and merits the grati-
tude of not only the American people but of free
peoples everywhere.Following his retirement, Ridgway wrote his mem-
oirs, which were published as Soldier in 1956. He wrote,
“I say in all earnestness and sincerity that throughout
my two years as Chief of Staff I felt I was being called
upon to tear down, rather than build up, the ultimately
decisive element in a properly proportioned fighting
force on which the world could rest its hopes for main-
taining the peace, or, if the catastrophe of war came, for
enforcing its will upon those who broke that peace.” In
retirement, he remained controversial, disparaging the
end of Selective Service and the introduction of women
into the military. Nevertheless, in 1986 President Ron-
ald Reagan bestowed on Ridgway the Presidential Medal
of Freedom, the nation’s highest civil award. The award
citation stated, “Heroes come when they are needed.
Great men step forward when courage seems in short
supply. WWII was such a time, and there was Ridg-
way.” In 1991, he was given the Congressional Gold
Medal, presented by General Colin L. Powell (later sec-
retary of state).
Ridgway died of cardiac arrest at his home in Fox
Chapel, Pennsylvania, on 26 July 1993 at the age of- Because of his service to his nation, he was laid to
rest in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. At his
funeral, Powell—then chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff—said, “The legacy of General Ridgway is univer-
sal, it’s timeless... You see a long, devoted service to the
nation, of duty, of honor, of country. No soldier knows
honor better than this man.”
References: Ridgway, Matthew, Soldier: The Memoirs of
Matthew B. Ridgway, as Told to Harold H. Martin (New
York: Harper & Brothers, 1956); Mitchell, George
Charles, Matthew B. Ridgway: Soldier, Statesman, Scholar,
Citizen (Mechanicsburg, Pa.: Stackpole Books, 2002);
Blair, Clay, Ridgway’s Paratroopers: The American Airborne
in World War II (Garden City, N.Y.: Dial Press, 1985);
Appleman, Roy Edgar, Ridgway Duels for Korea (College
Station: Texas A&M University Press, 1990); Soffer, Jona-
than M., General Matthew B. Ridgway: From Progressiv-
ism to Reaganism, 1895–1983 (Westport, Conn.: Praeger,
1998).Rivoli, duc de See masséna, andré, duc de
riV oli.Roberts, Frederick Sleigh, first earl Roberts of
Kandahar (1832–1914) British general
Frederick Sleigh Roberts was born in Cawnpore, India,
on 30 September 1832, the second son of British gen-
eral Sir Abraham Roberts, who was then serving there.
He returned to England as a boy, receiving his educa-
tion at the prestigious Eton College and the Royal Mili-
tary Training College at Sandhurst. On 12 December
1851, at the age of 19, Roberts joined the army of the
British East India Company as a lieutenant in the Ben-
gal artillery. He was sent to serve with a field battery in
Peshawar (now in Pakistan), where he served under his
father. In 1856, he was appointed deputy quartermas-
ter general, and he served in that capacity during the
Sepoy Rebellion (usually known as the Indian Mutiny,
1857–58). Serving under Sir Colin camPbell, Roberts
saw action at Lucknow (November 1857) and at Cawn-
pore (6 December 1857), which culminated in the de-
feat of the Gwalior fighters near Shinrajpur. The rebels
continued their fight into 1858, and Roberts foughtRobeRtS, FReDeRick Sleigh, FiRSt eARl RobeRtS oF kAnDAhAR