Walter Short

Walter Campbell Short (1880-1949) was a Lieutenant General in the United States Army and the U.S. military Commander responsible for defending U.S. military installations in Hawaii at the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December, 1941.

Walter Short in Days of Infamy
Walter Short's poor preparations opened the door for the Japanese invasion of Oahu the day after the Pearl Harbor attack. By February, 1942, it was obvious that U.S. ground forces could not keep fighting, and the U.S. miliary leaders of Hawaii ordered a surrender. Short and Admiral Husband Kimmel formally surrendered to General Tomoyuki Yamashita, Commander Minoru Genda, and Commander Mitsuo Fuchida in Iolani Palace. Both Short and Kimmel naively believed that the Japanese would follow the Geneva Convention. Short and Kimmel were later taken as prisoners of war, and their fates are unknown following the Japanese occupation.

Walter Short in "Joe Steele"
Walter Short was investigated by President Joe Steele's administration after the Pearl Harbor debacle. He and Admiral Husband Kimmel were executed shortly after for their incompetence.