William Wilson "Buffalo Bill" Quinn (November 1, 1907 – September 11, 2000) was a United States Army officer, who served in intelligence during World War II. Born in Crisfield, Somerset, Maryland and a 1933 graduate of West Point, Quinn retired as a lieutenant general on March 1, 1966 as the commanding general of the Seventh United States Army. He died in Washington, DC at Walter Reed Army Hospital at 92 years old.

Education

File:William Wilson Quinn USMA class of 1933.png]]

Quinn graduated from Crisfield High School with the class of 1925 and then from United States Military Academy class of 1933, and in 1938 attended United States Army Infantry School. In 1942 he graduated from Command and General Staff College. In August 1947 he graduated from the National War College.

Commands held

From 1933–1935 at Fort McKinley Quinn was the commanding officer of Company L, 5th Infantry Regiment. 1935–1936 General Quinn was assigned to Company D and then from 1936–1938 assigned to the Headquarters Company of the 31st Infantry Regiment. In 1940 he was the Command of Headquarters Company of the 4th Infantry Division, and the Commanding Officers of Company D, 8th Infantry Division. In July 1942 he became the Chief of Staff of the G-2, IV Army Corps.

In 1949 Quinn was the Commanding Officer of the 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment. In April 1949 he became Chief of the Training Sub-section, I Corps. In January 1950 he became the Assistant Chief of Staff of the G-3, I Corps from February to March. In January 1951, Quinn was the Commanding Officer of the 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division in Korea. In 1952 Quinn became the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Pentagon and Deputy Chief of Staff for Planning Coordination of the Office of Chief of Staff, and then eventually became the Chief of Staff of the Pentagon. In 1953 Quinn was transferred to Greece and to be the Head of the Army Section, Joint Military Aid Group to Greece.

In January 1957 he was the Commanding Officer of the 4th Infantry Division of the Strategic Army Corps at Fort Lewis. In July 1958 he became the Deputy Chief of Staff for the G-2 Intelligence of the United States Army. From 1959–1961, Quinn served as the Army's Chief of Information, and in 1959 he became the Chief of Public Information of the Department of the Army. In 1961 Quinn became the Deputy Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency and promoted to lieutenant general.

From 1964–1966, Quinn was the Commanding General of the Seventh United States Army, commonly referred to as 7th Army, in Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany.

On March 1, 1966 Quinn retired and became Honorary Colonel of the 17th Infantry, nicknamed "The Buffalos".

Following his retirement from the Army, he served as chief of operations of the Central Intelligence Agency.{{cite web|title=Mike Goodson: Up to the Challenge|url=http://www.gadsdentimes.com/article/20110313/NEWS/110319996|publisher=The Gadsden Times|access-date=2012-12-24|archive-date=2014-01-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116130408/http://www.gadsdentimes.com/article/20110313/NEWS/110319996|url-status=dead}}Quinn, William Wilson (Interviewee) and Crawford, Fred Roberts (Interviewer). [https://witness.digitalscholarship.emory.edu/items/show/82 Lieutenant General William W. Quinn] ([https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwitness.digitalscholarship.emory.edu%2Ffiles%2Foriginal%2F3f0766a03073729852077cb62b00dcf8.pdf&embedded=true transcript] of a videotape recording) [https://witness.digitalscholarship.emory.edu/files/original/3f0766a03073729852077cb62b00dcf8.pdf pdf] - Witness to the Holocaust (the liberation of Dachau concentration camp) Emory Center for Digital Scholarship, Emory University, using Omeka.{{Cite web |title=This week in DIA history: Lt. Gen. William Quinn, DIA's first deputy director |url=https://www.dia.mil/News-Features/Articles/Article-View/Article/1875134/this-week-in-dia-history-lt-gen-william-quinn-dias-first-deputy-director/ |access-date=2025-03-04 |website=Defense Intelligence Agency |language=en-US}}

World War II

Quinn participated in Operation Dragoon and on January 1, 1945 he was part of Operation Northwind.

On 29 April 1945, Quinn, Acting Chief of Staff of the G-2, IV Army Corps received word that Dachau had been liberated and the camp was under the control of the "International Prisoners Committee", and early the next morning he entered Dachau, through the main gate, with his officers in the 7th Army, a representative from the Office of Strategic Services and a group from his counter-intelligence corps division which was operating under his jurisdiction as G-2 of the 7th Army. He then commissioned each of those three divisions to separately prepare reports: "one was to take the camp; the other was to take

the townspeople; the other was to take the organization and what happened and then to interrogate the internees", published as the Dachau report.{{Cite web |title=Lieutenant General William W. Quinn, Seventh Army Commander, Salutes During the Honor Ceremony |url=https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/photograph-records/2014-481 |access-date=2025-03-04 |website= Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum}}{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.dvarchive.com/929-7586/Colonel-William-Wilson-Quinn-speaks-about-the-invasion-of-Southern-France-and-the-Seventh-United-States-Army-in-World-War-2%C2%A0.html |title=Colonel William Wilson Quinn speaks about the invasion of Southern France and the Seventh United States Army in World War 2 |language=en |access-date=2025-03-04 |via=DVarchive}}

"When I read the three reports, I decided it was too big and I didn't have the time to put it all together so I decided to let each one of them tell their own story in their own way and I would do an introduction...The composition was the work of Major Al House, who just died not too long ago. He designed the cover, his concept of the SS. He did the artwork in the "townspeople" area of the German with the pipe and those drawings. The artwork was also done by John Denny and the copy preparation by Charles Denny. The photographs were the 163rd Signal Photo Company and the printing done by the 649th Engineer Compo. Battalion. This was done in the 7th Army, with government funds, so it’s a free document and there is no copyright to it and anybody can reproduce it at their will...I published this in early June, or maybe late May...I issued this to the troops...the press got copies of it, because it was in the Press Room...I sent copies also to the other G-2's who had the same kind of thing in Auschwitz" - William Wilson Quinn

"'the atrocities […] were just too horrible to describe."{{Cite web|date=1985-04-22|title=Dachau liberator recalls death camp horror|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1985/04/22/Dachau-liberator-recalls-death-camp-horror/1631482994000/|access-date=2021-06-09|website=UPI|language=en}}

Korea

Quinn was in Korea from 1951 to 1952 and in August 1951 Quinn was wounded in Korea. While in Korea he was awarded the Silver Star, Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star with the "V" Device. He was also in the Battle of Inchon. While he was in Korea he was the commanding Officer of the 17th Infantry Regiment which was part of the 7th Infantry Division (the 17th Infantry was, and still is, nicknamed "the Buffalos").{{Cite web |title=William Quinn |url=https://valor.militarytimes.com/recipient/recipient-100353/ |access-date=2025-03-04 |website=Hall of Valor: Medal of Honor, Silver Star, U.S. Military Awards |publisher=Militarytimes.com |language=en-US}}

Occupations

He was Vice President of the Aerospace Group program at Martin Marietta Corporation until 1972; and then afterwards he established Quinn Associates, a consulting firm.

In 1991, General Quinn published his 486-page book, Buffalo Bill Remembers: Truth and Courage, detailing his time as a soldier during World War II and the Korean Conflict.{{Cite book |last=Quinn |first=William W. |url=https://bookscouter.com/book/9780923568238-buffalo-bill-remembers-truth-and-courage |title=Buffalo Bill Remembers: Truth and Courage |date=Dec 31, 1990 |publisher=Wilderness Adventure Books |isbn=0923568239}}

Awards and decorations

100px Combat Infantryman Badge

100px Glider Badge

100px Army Staff Identification Badge

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Distinguished_Service_Medal_ribbon.svg|width=100}}

|Army Distinguished Service Medal

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Silver_Star_ribbon.svg|width=100}}

|Silver Star

{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|ribbon=Legion_of_Merit_ribbon.svg|width=100}}

|Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster

{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|other_device=v|ribbon=Bronze_Star_ribbon.svg|width=100}}

|Bronze Star with V Device and oak leaf cluster

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Purple Heart ribbon.svg|width=100}}

|Purple Heart

{{ribbon devices|number=2|type=oak|ribbon=Air_Medal_ribbon.svg|width=100}}

|Air Medal with 2 oak leaf clusters

{{ribbon devices|number=2|type=oak|ribbon=Army_Commendation_Medal_ribbon.svg|width=100}}

|Army Commendation Medal with 2 oak leaf clusters

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=American Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=100}}

|American Defense Medal

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=American_Campaign_Medal_ribbon.svg|width=100}}

|American Campaign Medal

{{ribbon devices|number=5|type=service-star|other_device=arrowhead|ribbon=European-African-Middle_Eastern_Campaign_ribbon.svg|width=100}}

|European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with arrowhead and 5 campaign stars

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=World_War_II_Victory_Medal_ribbon.svg|width=100}}

|World War II Victory Medal

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Army_of_Occupation_ribbon.svg|width=100}}

|Army of Occupation Medal

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=National_Defense_Service_Medal_ribbon.svg|width=100}}

|National Defense Service Medal (Korea)

{{ribbon devices|number=5|type=service-star|other_device=arrowhead|ribbon=Korean_Service_Medal_-_Ribbon.svg|width=100}}

|Korean Service Medal with arrowhead and 5 campaign stars

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Vietnam Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=100}}

|Vietnam Service Medal

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Legion_Honneur_Officier_ribbon.svg|width=100}}

|Order of the Legion of Honor, class of Officer (France)

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=RUS Order of Saint George 3rd class ribbon 2000.svg|width=100}}

|Order of St. George (Third Class) (Russia)

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Croix_de_guerre_1939-1945_with_palm_(France)_-_ribbon_bar.png|width=100}}

|Croix de Guerre (France)

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Vietnamese Gallantry Cross, with palm.svg|width=100}}

|Gallantry Cross with palm (Republic of Vietnam)

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Korean_Presidential_Unit_Citation.png|width=100}}

|Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=United Nations Service Medal Korea ribbon.svg|width=100}}

|United Nations Korea Medal

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Vietnam Campaign Medal ribbon with 60- clasp.svg|width=100}}

|Vietnam Campaign Medal

Personal

File:ANCExplorer William Wilson Quinn grave.jpg]]

Quinn was married to Sara Bette (née Williams),{{cite news |title=Bette Williams Quinn, 86 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2004/09/27/bette-williams-quinn-86/39aaeb4f-5207-4b34-8c8a-d029b4540686/ |access-date=10 May 2025 |work=The Washington Post |date=27 September 2004}} who is buried next to him at Arlington National Cemetery. Together they had three children: Donna, William W. Jr., and Sally Quinn.{{cite news |title=William W. Quinn, 92, General and Former Intelligence Officer |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/12/us/william-w-quinn-92-general-and-former-intelligence-officer.html |access-date=10 May 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101011153429/http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/12/us/william-w-quinn-92-general-and-former-intelligence-officer.html |archive-date=October 11, 2010 |work=The New York Times |date=12 September 2000}}{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=J. Y. |title=Gen. William Quinn, Intelligence Leader, Decorated Officer, Dies |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2000/09/12/gen-william-quinn-intelligence-leader-decorated-officer-dies/f42ec17a-6aa2-4e9d-a81f-0070cfd4bd85/ |access-date=10 May 2025 |work=The Washington Post |date=12 September 2000}}

He died in Washington, DC at Walter Reed Army Hospital at 92 years old.

References

External links

[https://army.togetherweserved.com/army/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=BattleMemoryExt&ID=192516 Remembered: William Wilson Quinn] - TogetherWeServed
{{cite web |last1=Quinn |first1=William Wilson |author1-link=William Wilson Quinn |title=TV 220 – Invasion of Southern France |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9y5p5LqGFiQ |website=The Big Picture |publisher=Army University Press Films |quote=U.S. 7th Army’s August 1944 invasion of Southern France; William Wilson Quinn with an interview of war correspondents Doug Larson and Sgt. Francis Porter}}
[https://ancexplorer.army.mil/publicwmv/#/arlington-national/search/results/2/CgVRdWlubhIHV2lsbGlhbQ--/ William Wilson Quinn] - Arlington National Cemetery
[https://web.archive.org/web/20160303162852/http://www.lewis-mcchord.army.mil/DPTMS/museum/images/commanders/MG%20WILLIAM%20W.%20QUINN-%2021%20JAN%201956-%202%20JAN%201958.jpg Quinn portrait] from Joint Base Lewis–McChord

{{s-ttl|title=Director of the Strategic Services Unit|years=1946–1947}}

Category:1907 births

Category:2000 deaths

Category:Military personnel from Maryland

Category:Burials at Arlington National Cemetery

Category:Martin Marietta people

Category:Military intelligence

Category:People from Crisfield, Maryland

Category:Recipients of the Air Medal

Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army)

Category:Recipients of the Legion of Merit

Category:Recipients of the Silver Star

Category:United States Army generals

Category:United States Army personnel of World War II

Category:United States Military Academy alumni