Isaac David White; Led Major Armored Assaults in 2 Wars

Isaac David White, 89, a retired Army general and highly decorated officer who led major armored assaults in World War II and Korea. His military career paralleled the development of modern armor and armored warfare tactics. In April, 1945, White’s forces played a major role in sealing Germany’s Ruhr Valley pocket, covering 190 miles in 13 days and capturing more than 45,000 prisoners. His troops were the first Allied soldiers to cross the Elbe River on the way to capture Berlin and end the war in Europe. Before Korea, White headed the Cavalry School at Ft. Riley, Kan., and commanded the U.S. Constabulary in Germany for three years before serving as commanding general of the Armored Center at Ft. Knox, Ky. White also created a tank training center at Vilseck, West Germany, which has become a model for armor training around the world. White helped speed the design, manufacture and procurement of new armored weapons for the Korean War, and went to Korea in 1952 to command troops through three mountain campaigns. He was awarded an Oak Leaf Cluster to the Distinguished Service Medal and the Korean Order of Military Merit Taeguk for those initiatives. White held 13 U.S. and 16 foreign decorations, including the Distinguished Service Medal. In Hanover, N.H., on Monday.