Once upon a time, generals and even emperors directly participated in battles, leading cavalry charges and such. In more modern times, high-level military commanders, and especially national leaders, find themselves far and away removed from combat, leading from behind friendly lines or miles away on another continent.
What are some examples of very high-ranking officers directly participating in combat, whether out of necessity or on purpose, in more contemporary conflicts (primarily from US or other major belligerent nation)? I have heard of this occurring a few times among "high-level" brass in WWII but don't remember the specifics.
Thanks
Lieutenant General Lesley McNair was killed in the July 1944 Operation Cobra. He was poised to lead the follow-on ground assault after an area bombardment by artillery and heavy bombers. The heavy bombers were used to create the breakthrough needed after the Normandy invasion. The bombing was successful, as the Panzer Lehr division was crippled by the attack. However, the bombs "crept" from their initial aiming point towards the US lines. There had been a request to bomb parallel to the front line, but technical limitations required a perpendicular approach. The result of "bomb creep" and the perpendicular approach meant that the last part of the bombing hit American lines. Since McNair was close to the front to try to conduct the assault, he was in the line of fire and was killed--as were over a hundred other Americans. McNair was the highest ranking American officer killed in the European theater in WWII. (And no, I don't know who was the Pacific equivalent, sorry!)
So, that's an example of "high level" brass being killed on the front lines in WWII.