Craft Masonry in Orange and Rockland Counties, New York

China's casualties began to rise, and became very high as they pressed waves of attacks into the coordinated artillery fire. Under
Ridgway's leadership, the Chinese offensive was slowed and finally brought to a halt at the battles of Chipyong-ni and Wonju. He
then led his troops in a counter-offensive in the spring of 1951.
When General Douglas MacArthur was relieved of command by President Harry Truman in April, Ridgway was promoted to full
general, assuming command of all United Nations forces in Korea. As commanding general in Korea, Ridgway gained the nickname
"Old Iron Tits" for his habit of wearing hand grenades attached to his load-bearing equipment at chest level. Photographs however
show he only wore one grenade on one side of his chest; the so-called "grenade" on the other side was in fact a first-aid packet.
Ridgway also assumed from MacArthur the role of military governor of Japan. During his tenure, Ridgway oversaw the restoration of
Japan’s independence and sovereignty on April 28, 1952.
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe
In May 1952, Ridgway replaced General Dwight D. Eisenhower as the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (SACEUR) for the
fledgling North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). While in that position Ridgway made progress in developing a coordinated
command structure, oversaw an expansion of forces and facilities, and improved training and standardization. He upset other
European military leaders by surrounding himself with American staff. His tendency to tell the truth was not always politically wise. In
a 1952 review, General Omar Bradley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, reported to President Harry Truman that "Ridgway had
brought NATO to 'its realistic phase' and a 'generally encouraging picture of how the heterogeneous defense force is being gradually
shaped.'"
Chief of Staff of the United States Army
On August 17, 1953, Ridgway replaced General Collins as the Chief of Staff of the United States Army. After Eisenhower was
elected President, he asked Ridgway for his assessment of US military involvement in Vietnam in conjunction with the French.
Ridgway prepared a comprehensive outline of the massive commitment that would be necessary for success, which dissuaded the
President from intervening. A source of tension was Ridgway's belief that air power and nuclear bombs did not reduce the need for
powerful, mobile ground forces to seize land and control populations. Ridgway was concerned that Eisenhower's proposal to
significantly reduce the size of the Army would leave it unable to counter the growing Soviet military threat, as noted by the 1954
Alfhem affair in Guatemala. These concerns would lead to recurring disagreements during his term as Chief of Staff.
President Eisenhower approved a waiver to the military’s policy of mandatory retirement at age 60 so Ridgway could complete his
two-year term as Chief of Staff. However, disagreements with the administration prevented him from being appointed to a second
term. Ridgway retired from the US Army on June 30, 1955 and was succeeded by his one-time 82nd Airborne Division Chief of
Staff, Maxwell D. Taylor.
Retirement
Ridgway remained very active in retirement both in leadership capacities and as a speaker and author. He relocated to the
Pittsburgh suburb of Fox Chapel, Pennsylvania in 1955 after accepting the Chairmanship of the Board of Trustees of the Mellon
Institute as well as a position on the board of directors of Gulf Oil Corporation among others. The year after his retirement, he
published his autobiography, Soldier: The Memoirs of Matthew B. Ridgway. In 1967, he wrote The Korean War.
In 1960, he retired from his position at the Mellon Institute but continued to serve on multiple corporate boards of directors,
Pittsburgh civic groups and Pentagon strategic study committees.
Ridgway continued to advocate for a strong military to be used judiciously. He gave many speeches, wrote, and participated in
various panels, discussions, and groups. In early 1968, he was invited to a White House luncheon to discuss Indochina. After the
luncheon, Ridgway met privately for two hours with President Lyndon Johnson and Vice-President Hubert Humphrey. When asked
his opinion, Ridgway advised against deeper involvement in Vietnam and against using force to resolve the Pueblo Incident. In an
article in Foreign Affairs, Ridgway stated that political goals should be based on vital national interests and that military goals should
be consistent with and support the political goals, but that neither situation was true in the Vietnam War.
Ridgway advocated maintaining a chemical, biological, and radiological weapons capability, arguing that they could accomplish
national goals better than the weapons currently in use. In 1976, Ridgway was a founding board member of the Committee on the
Present Danger, which urged greater military preparedness to counter a perceived increasing Soviet threat.
On May 5, 1985 Ridgway was a participant in the Ronald Reagan visit to Kolmeshöhe Cemetery near Bitburg, when former
Luftwaffe ace Johannes Steinhoff in an unscheduled act firmly shook his hand in an act of reconciliation between the former foes.
Ridgway died at his suburban Pittsburgh home at age 98 in July 1993 of cardiac arrest, holding permanent rank of General in the
United States Army. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. In a graveside eulogy, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
General Colin Powell said: "No soldier ever performed his duty better than this man. No soldier ever upheld his honor better than
this man. No soldier ever loved his country more than this man did. Every American soldier owes a debt to this great man."
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