Rufus S. Bratton facts for kids
Colonel Rufus Sumter Bratton (born September 5, 1892 – died March 19, 1958) was an important officer in the United States Army. He worked in military intelligence, which means he helped gather and understand secret information. In December 1941, when the United States joined World War II, Colonel Bratton was in charge of the section that focused on the Far East, especially Japan.
Quick facts for kids
Rufus Sumter Bratton
|
|
|---|---|
| Born | September 5, 1892 York, South Carolina |
| Died | March 19, 1958 (aged 65) Honolulu, Hawaii |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service/ |
 United States Army |
| Years of service | 1914—1952 |
| Rank |  Colonel |
| Battles/wars | World War I World War II |
| Awards | Legion of Merit (2) Bronze Star Medal |
Contents
Early Military Career
Rufus Bratton started his military journey at West Point, a famous army school, and graduated in 1914. His first assignment was in Hawaii, where he served as a lieutenant with the 1st Infantry Regiment. He stayed there until 1917.
After a short time back in the U.S., Bratton returned to West Point in 1919. This time, he was an instructor, teaching new soldiers. Later, he moved to Fort Benning to teach infantrymen, who are soldiers trained to fight on foot.
Learning Japanese in Japan
From 1922 to 1924, Bratton went to Japan to study the Japanese language. This was a special assignment for an army officer. After learning the language, he became an assistant military attaché in Tokyo. An attaché is a military expert who works at an embassy in a foreign country, helping to share information and build relationships.
In 1926, Bratton took command of a battalion (a group of soldiers) in the Philippine Scouts. He then returned to America to attend the General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth in 1929. This school teaches officers how to plan and lead large military operations.
After finishing this course in 1931, he went back to Japan. He attended the Japanese Imperial War College, which was a high-level military school in Japan. The next year, he became the main military attaché at the American Embassy in Japan.
Working in Military Intelligence
In 1937, Colonel Bratton was assigned to the War Department. This is where the U.S. Army's main decisions are made. He joined the Military Intelligence Division, which collects and analyzes secret information. His job was to focus on the Far East, especially Japan.
As the Chief of the Far Eastern Section, Colonel Bratton had access to top-secret information. This included decoded Japanese secret messages, which were known by the code name "Magic." Only a few people were allowed to see these very important messages.
The Day of December 7th
On the morning of December 7, 1941, Colonel Bratton was one of the first officers to see a very important intercepted message. This message was the final part of what was called the "14-Part Message." It showed that Japan was breaking off diplomatic relations with the U.S. At first, Bratton thought it wasn't a huge military surprise.
However, soon after, around 9:00 am, another message arrived. This new message revealed that the Japanese government expected their ambassador to deliver the earlier message by 1:00 pm Eastern Standard Time that afternoon. This deadline made Bratton realize something big was about to happen. He knew a Japanese attack was likely to occur very soon after 1:00 pm.
Warning High-Ranking Officers
Colonel Bratton immediately tried to warn his superiors. His first call was to Army Chief of Staff George C. Marshall. Marshall was out riding his horse, so Bratton left an urgent message. He then called Brigadier General Sherman Miles, who was the Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence. General Miles quickly came to his office.
Soon, General Marshall called back. Bratton explained the urgent situation without giving away the secret message details. He offered to bring a copy to Marshall, but Marshall said he would come to the War Department. It took Marshall about 75 minutes to arrive at his office.
At 11:25 am, Bratton and Miles showed Marshall the important Japanese messages. Other high-ranking officers, like General Leonard T. Gerow, also joined them. Marshall understood that the messages meant Japan would attack an American base in the Pacific around 1:00 pm. He decided that all Army commands in the Pacific, including Hawaii, needed to be warned.
The Warning Message
Colonel Bratton took Marshall's warning message and encoded it. He then sent it to the War Department Message Center. The warning was sent by radio to the Philippines and the Panama Canal Zone. However, bad weather conditions made it impossible to send the message by radio to Hawaii. So, it was sent as a regular telegram instead of an urgent one.
When the warning message finally reached Hawaii, the attack on Pearl Harbor was already happening. The messenger delivering the telegram had to hide in a ditch because of the attack. The naval commander in charge of the Pacific fleet, Admiral Husband E. Kimmel, did not receive the warning until after the attack was over.
After Pearl Harbor
Colonel Bratton continued to work in the Intelligence Division. Later, he was assigned to George S. Patton's Third Army. He served as the Headquarters Commandant for this army throughout the liberation of Europe during World War II.
In Movies
Colonel Rufus Bratton has been shown in movies. In the 1970 film Tora! Tora! Tora!, which is about the attack on Pearl Harbor, he was played by the actor E. G. Marshall. The movie shows him working with other officers to understand the "Magic" messages. It also shows his efforts to warn his superiors about the coming attack, even though he was wrong about the exact timing.
