Harold R. Bull
Harold Roe "Pink" Bull was a general in the United States Army and served as Assistant Chief of Staff at Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force from 1943 to 1945.Biography
Bull was born in Springfield, Massachusetts and graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York in 1914. He served as Major and Instructor in the Department of English and History at the United States Military Academy in 1923–1924.World War II
He served as Assistant Chief of Staff at Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force under Dwight D. Eisenhower from October 1943 until SHAEF was dissolved in July 1945. He later served as Deputy Chief of Staff and Chief of Staff of U.S. Forces in Europe until returning to the United States Department of War in September 1946.
As head of the Operations section of SHAEF, Bull had a major role in the planning of military operations in Europe. His office prepared most of the periodic situation reports to the Combined Chiefs of Staff and the SHAEF Operational Directives which were issued by Eisenhower's headquarters. Bull's office included the SHAEF meteorological staff which compiled weather reports for use in planning military operations. A favorable weather report by Bull's staff helped General Eisenhower decide to launch the invasion of Normandy on the morning of June 6, 1944. From September 20 to September 29, 1944, Bull was commanding general of the 4th Infantry Division.
Bull was promoted to Lieutenant General in 1949. He retired from the army in 1952 and died in Washington, D.C. in 1976.Decorations
