Gonzalo Edward Buxton Jr. (May 13, 1880 – March 15, 1949) was a colonel in the American Expeditionary Force in World War I and the commanding officer of Sergeant Alvin C. York.
While attending Brown University, Buxton enlisted as a second lieutenant with Company C, First Regimental Brigade, Rhode Island Militia.
"[1] After graduating from Harvard Law School, Buxton enlisted in the Third Company, Coast Artillery Corps, Rhode Island National Guard as a first lieutenant, being elected captain of that command in 1908 and serving through 1911.
Buxton saw service as a captain with the 28th Infantry (part of Major-General William H Carter's Maneuver Division) on the Mexican border in 1911 with the Rhode Island National Guard, serving with other regular army units.
Buxton resigned from the National Guard in October, 1916, and was immediately commissioned Major of infantry in the Reserve Corps of the United States Army.
It was here where he first met one of his charges, then Private Alvin Cullum York from the Valley of the Three Forks of the Wolf River in Pall Mall, Tennessee.
During this time York began to communicate and share some of his concerns and doubts about the role of the military and questioned his ability to take the life of another human being.
Company Commander Captain Edward Danforth and Buxton were both impressed with York's honesty and willingness to address his moral dilemma, not to mention the promise he showed in his basic training.
After this discussion, Buxton allowed York a ten-day pass to go home to the mountains of Tennessee in order to sort out his feelings.
"[2] In November 1917, Buxton was promoted to acting lieutenant-colonel of the regiment though he resumed command of his battalion when the 328th left for overseas duty on April 30, 1918.
On February 28, 1919, Buxton was formally promoted to lieutenant-colonel of the 328th Infantry Regiment and returned to the United States (Camp Upton, New York) on May 8, 1919, where he was discharged from active service.
With the cessation of hostilities, Buxton became swept up in the fervor to organize a fraternity composed of all parties, all creeds, and all ranks who served in the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF).
This effort was initially motivated by General Pershing who wanted to, "better the conditions and development of contentment" in the army stationed in France and to address the welfare of enlisted AEF personnel.
On February 16, 1919, he attended a dinner at the Allied Officers' Club, Rue Faubourg St. Honoré in Paris along with nineteen other AEF luminaries.
With headquarters in New York City, they owned many textile plants and brands in New England, to include Dan River and the famous Fruit of the Loom labels, among others.
Buxton's duties took him to Canada, England, Scotland and Ireland in 1942 and later to the European continent and the Mediterranean theaters of operation in order to inspect OSS activities.
Buxton, as the OSS Planning Group and action director of strategic services, was a key figure in all policy as well as operational decisions.
He addressed and approved strategic issues, projects and communications to President Roosevelt and General Eisenhower, directed activities key to the Normandy Invasion and offered a critical post-war assessment of Russian weaknesses.
"[7] Buxton received many acknowledgements for his service in the OSS, of note this including being made an honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire presented to him by King George VI on November 12, 1945.
Buxton and Donovan worked closely with Commander Ian Fleming (later of James Bond fame) and two of Britain's top spymasters, Admiral John Godfrey, the British Director of Naval Intelligence (DNI) and Sir William Stephenson, director of British Security Coordination (BSC) in the western hemisphere.
Buxton's citation declared that he was the "Assistant Director of the OSS" and further that, "Prior to and after Pearl Harbor he always cooperated fully and he showed the greatest sympathy in dealings with British problems.