Fellers, Bonner Frank, 1896-1973

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Bonner Frank Fellers (February 7, 1896 – October 7, 1973) was a US Army officer who served during World War II as military attaché, director of psychological warfare, and was a protégé of General Douglas MacArthur. Fellers graduated from West Point in 1918 and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Coast Artillery Corps. Part of his service before World War II was in the Philippines, including a tour of duty from 1936 to 1938 as assistant to Gen. Douglas MacArthur, then military adviser to the Philippine Government.

In September of 1940, as a major, Fellers was sent to Europe as assistant military attaché in Madrid. After he left Madrid, he became notable as the military attaché in Egypt whose extensive transmissions of detailed British tactical information were intercepted by Axis agents. The tactical information was passed to German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel for over six months, which contributed to disastrous British defeats at Gazala and Tobruk in June 1942.

From Oct. 31, 1940, to July 20, 1942, according to the citation accompanying his Distinguished Service Medal, General Fellers “by personal observation of the battlefields, contributed materially to the tactical and technical development of our Armed Forces.” It was during this period that he filed reports on the desert campaigns in Lybia involving Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps and the British. This intelligence work also earned him his star. Ordered home in July 1942, Fellers participated in tank‐warfare training duty and was then ordered to the Pacific, where he became General MacArthur's Joint Planning Section (G‐3) chief. He accompanied General MacArthur when he flew to Tokyo to accept the Japanese surrender on Sept. 2, 1945.

After the war, Fellers played a major role in the occupation of Japan. Among his duties was liaison between HQ and the Imperial Household. Soon after occupation began, he wrote several influential memoranda concerning why it would be advantageous for the occupation, reconstruction of Japan, and long-term US interests to keep the Emperor in place if he was not clearly responsible for war crimes. In 1971, Hirohito conferred on Fellers the Second Order of the Sacred Treasure "in recognition of your long-standing contribution to promoting friendship between Japan and the United States." His role in exonerating Hirohito is the main subject of the 2012 film Emperor.

When Fellers retired in November 1946, he wrote and lectured extensively on national defense and foreign aid. From 1947 to 1952, he was an assistant to the chairman of the Republican National Committee. Fellers died of heart failure in Washington D.C. at the age of 77 years old.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Fellers, Bonner Frank, 1896-1973. Bonner Frank Fellers papers, 1915-1994. Stanford University, Hoover Institution Library
creatorOf Bonner Frank Fellers papers, 1904-1997 Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace
referencedIn Longines Wittnauer Watch Company, Inc. Collection. 1951 - 1955. Motion Picture Films of Television Interviews With Significant Newsmakers of the Early 1950s. 1951 - 1955. LONGINES CHRONOSCOPE [WITH BRIG. GEN. BONNER F. FELLERS] National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Manion, Clarence, 1896-1979. Clarence Manion papers, 1922-1979. Chicago History Museum
creatorOf Andrews, T. Coleman (Thomas Coleman), 1899-1983. Papers, 1931-1965. University of Oregon Libraries
creatorOf Groseclose, Elgin Earl, 1899-1983. Papers, 1912-1983. University of Oregon Libraries
referencedIn Elgin Groseclose papers, 1912-1983 University of Oregon Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives
referencedIn Charles Parsons papers, 1880-1965 Yale University. Department of Manuscripts and Archives
creatorOf Heinsohn, A. G., 1896-. Papers, 1942-1974. University of Oregon Libraries
referencedIn Sears, Louis Martin, 1885-. The Louis Martin Sears Papers, 1911-1960 (inclusive), 1928-1958 (bulk). Purdue University Library
referencedIn Parrish, Noel Francis. Papers, 1894-1987 (bulk 1930-1987). Library of Congress
referencedIn Murphy, Frank, 1890-1949. Papers, 1908-1949 Bentley Historical Library
referencedIn Parsons, Charles, 1889-. Charles Parsons papers, 1880-1965 (inclusive). Yale University Library
referencedIn Noel Francis Parrish Papers, 1894-1987, (bulk 1930-1987) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn Ford, J. mss., 1906-1976 Lilly Library (Indiana University, Bloomington)
referencedIn Parsons, Charles, 1889-. Charles Parsons papers, 1880-1965 (inclusive). Yale University Library
Relation Name
associatedWith Allied Forces. South West Pacific Area. corporateBody
associatedWith Allied Forces. Supreme Headquarters. Psychological Warfare Division. corporateBody
associatedWith Andrews, T. Coleman (Thomas Coleman), 1899-1983. person
associatedWith Citizens Foreign Aid Committee (U.S.) corporateBody
associatedWith Ford, John, 1895-1973 person
associatedWith Goldwater, Barry M. (Barry Morris), 1909-1998 person
associatedWith Groseclose, Elgin Earl, 1899- person
associatedWith Groseclose, Elgin Earl, 1899-1983. person
associatedWith Heinsohn, A. G., 1896- person
associatedWith Longines-Wittnauer corporateBody
associatedWith MacArthur, Douglas, 1880-1964. person
associatedWith Manion, Clarence, 1896-1979. person
associatedWith Murphy, Frank, 1890-1949 person
associatedWith Parrish, Noel Francis. person
associatedWith Parsons, Charles, 1889- person
employeeOf Republican National Committee (U.S.) corporateBody
associatedWith Sears, Louis Martin, 1885- person
associatedWith Taxpayers Committee to End Foreign Aid. corporateBody
memberOf The John Birch Society corporateBody
memberOf United States. Army corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
Washington, D. C. DC US
Madrid 29 ES
Philippine Islands 00 PH
Illinois IL US
Japan 00 JP
Cairo 11 EG
Subject
Conservatism
Economic assistance, American
Japan
Japan
Phillipine Islands
Propaganda, American
Psychological warfare
World War, 1939-1945
World War, 1939-1945
World War, 1939-1945
World War, 1939-1945
World War, 1939-1945
Occupation
Army officers
Brigadier General
Activity

Person

Birth 1896-02-07

Death 1973-10-07

Male

Americans

English

Information

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