Walter Bedell-Smith was born in United States in 1895. He joined the United States Army and on the outbreak of the Second World War was appointed Secretary of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff and American Secretary of the Anglo-American Combined Chiefs of Staff.

In September 1942 he was sent to Britain where he became Chief of Staff to General Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Bedell-Smith remained with Eisenhower, who called him the "perfect soldier-diplomat", until the end of war. His tasks included arranging the surrender of the German forces in April 1945.

Walter Bedell-Smith died in 1961.