John Birch (missionary)
John Birch | |
|---|---|
Captain John Birch, U.S. Army Air Forces | |
| Birth name | John Morrison Birch |
| Born | May 28, 1918 Landour, United Provinces, British India (now in Uttarakhand, India) |
| Died | August 25, 1945 (aged 27) Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1942–1945 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Battles / wars | World War II |
| Awards | Army Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit (2) |
John Morrison Birch (May 28, 1918 – August 25, 1945) was a United States Army Air Forces military intelligence captain, OSS field agent in China during World War II, as well as former Baptist minister and missionary. He was killed in a confrontation with Chinese Communist soldiers during an assignment he was ordered on by the OSS, ten days after the war ended. Birch was posthumously awarded the Army Distinguished Service Medal.
The John Birch Society (JBS), an American right-wing political advocacy group, was named in his memory by Robert H. W. Welch Jr. in 1958. Welch considered Birch to be a martyr and the first casualty of the Cold War. Birch's parents joined the JBS as honorary life members.