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MAJ Mark E Cooper
to remember
Clarke, Bruce Cooper, GEN USA(Ret).
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Contact Info
Home Town Adams, NY
Last Address Adams, NY
Date of Passing Mar 17, 1988
Location of Interment Arlington National Cemetery (VLM) - Arlington, Virginia
Enlisting in the Regular Army at the age of 17, he served during a part of Word War I as a Private in the Coast Artillery Corps. On 5 January 1920, he joined the New York National Guard, from which he was appointed to the U. S. Military Academy at West Point. At graduation on 12 June 1925, he was granted a degree of Bachelor of Science and commissioned a second lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers. On graduation day, he married Miss Bessie Jean Mitchell of Buffalo.
Lieutenant Clarke's first assignment was to the 29th Engineer Battalion (Topographic) at Fort Humphrey's, Virginia (later named Fort Bevoir). In 1927 he entered Cornell University and was graduated with the degree of Civil Engineer. Following the completion of his graduate schooling, he attended the Company Officers Course at United States Army Engineer School at Fort Humphreys.
In 1930, Lieutenant Clarke was reassigned to Hawaii. He served there in the 3rd Engineers until 1932 when he returned to the mainland and was stationed with the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) unit of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
In Addition to his military and faculty duties, he completed his studies in 1936 for Bachelor of Laws for LaSalle Extension University.
Captain Clarke was reassigned to the Office of the U. S. Army District Engineer in Galveston, Texas, as Chief of the Engineering Division in 1936. In 1939 he attended the United States Army Command and General Staff school at Fort Levenworth, Kan. Upon his graduation in 1940, he was assigned to Fort Know, KY, where he organized and commanded the first U. S. armored engineer organization.
With the organization of the 1st Armored Division, Captain Clarke was charged with organizing and commanding the 16th Engineer Battalion, the 1st Armored Division's Engineers.
SENT TO ENGLAND
In December, 1940, he was sent to England as military observer. Upon his return in the United States, Major Clarke was assigned to organize and command the 24th Engineer Battalion of the 4th Armored Division which was being activated at Pine Camp, New York.
On 24 December 1941, he was promoted to the grade of lieutenant colonel. Three weeks later, he became the Chief of Staff of the 4th Armored Division and was promoted to the grade of colonel on 1 February 1942. He served in this capacity until 1 November 1943, when he assumed command of Combat Command A of the Division.
In December 1943, Colonel Clarke's combat command arrived in England. He commanded Combat Command A through the flight in Normandy and other regions of France.
Colonel Clarke was reassigned to the 7th Armored Division to command Combat Command B in early November 1944. A few days later, he was promoted to the grad of Brigadier General.
On June 20, he was reassigned to the 4th Armored Division as Division Commander. General Clarke was then sent to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations.
After the surrender of Japan, General Clarke was reassigned to Headquarters, Army Ground Forces, in Washington, D.C., as the Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans. In a few months he became the G3 of Army Ground Forces.
In early February 1948, General Clarke was reassigned to Fort Knox, KY, as the Assistant Commandant of the United States Army Armored School. At the end of the school year in 1949, General Clarke was sent to Germany where he commanded the 2nd Brigade of the United States Constabulary.
Early in 1951 he returned to the United States and organized and commanded the reactivated 1st Armored Division. Later in the year he was promoted to the grade of Major General.
SENT TO KOREA
In April 1953, General Clarke was sent to Korea to command I Corps, and on 23 June, he was promoted to Lieutenant General. In the fall, he became the commander general of X Corps to phase it out. He trained the 1st Republic of Korea Army.
He was designated to Commanding General, United States Army, Pacific (USARPAC), Fort Shafter, Hawaii, in the latter part of 1954. He occupied this position until he was reassigned to Europe in 1956, to command the Seventh Army at Stuttgart, Germany. While he was the Pacific Army Commander he represented the President at the annual Coral Sea celebration in Australia.
In mid-1958, he was reassigned to command the United States Continental Army Command (USCONARC) at Fort Monroe, VA, and was promoted to the rank of General.
On 20 October 1960, he became the Commander in Chief, Untied States Army, Europe, and concurrently, the Commander of Central Army Group, a key NATO command.
In 1961, General Clarke was honored by Baylor University at Waco, TX, with the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws. On 7 April 1962, the University of Heidelberg, Germany, conferred on General Clarke a unique honor - - - Honorary Senator of the University of Heidelberg.
In June 1963, Parsons College awarded him the honorary degree of Doctor of International Law.
General Clarke was made 33rd degree Mason by the Scottish Rites.
The legislature of the State of New York, on 26 March 1962, passed a resolution honoring General Clarke on his service to our country over a span of about 44 years. The legislature noted that he is the only private of the National Guard of New York who had risen to the Four Star rank in the U. S. Army.
On 14 April 1962, the Boy Scouts of America awarded General Clarke the Silver Buffalo, the highest award in Scouting.
General Clarke concluded his active service on 30 April 1962, and on 1 May was entered on the list of retired officers in the rank of General.
HIS FAMILY
General and Mrs. Clarke have three sons, an adopted daughter and eleven grand-children. Bruce Cooper Clarke, Jr., the eldest son is a lieutenant, United States Navy Reserve. David Arthur Clarke, the second son, is a 1958 graduate of the United States Military Academy, a major in the Corps of Engineers. Their third son, Captain Gordon Mitchell Clarke, graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1961. Presently, Captain Clarke is also in the Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army.
Their daughter, Elisabeth Jean Clarke, was taken into the Clarke family in 1951 when General Clarke was commanding the 2nd Constabulary Brigade in Germany. She is a graduate of Weshampton College of the University of Richmond, Vireginia, and married to Captain Arthur Ludlow Clark, II, United States Marine Corps.
An Army wife for nearly 37 years, Mrs. Clarke has been active in community and cultural affairs in addition to her busy home life. Before her marriage, she had attended Buffalo State Teachers College. A student of piano, she taught piano for several years.
In summary, perhaps the salient feature of General Clarke's career has been his varied experience in command. In over 17 years as a General officer, General Clarke has served in 14 command assignments. During his service, General Clarke has spent much time in direct contact with troop units and possibly commanded more soldiers of different nations as the field commander than any other U. S. Army Officer.
Campaigns in which General Clarke took part included: Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, Third Korean Winter, Korea Summer-Fall 1953.
DECORATIONS AND AWARDS
Decorations - United States: Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Service Medal with 2 oak-leaf clusters, Silver Star with 2 oak-leaf clusters, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star with 2 oak-leaf clusters with "V" clasp, Air-Medal, Army Commendation Medal.
Decorations - Foreign Government: Legion of Honor, France (Comdr.); Croix de Guerre with Palm, France; Croix de Guerre with Palm, Belgium; Distinguished Service Medal with 2 Silver Stars, Korea; Meritorious Medal, Columbia; Honorary Companion of the Bath, Great Britain; Grand Cross, Order of Merit, Federal Republic of Germany; Grand Officer, Order of the Crown, Belgium, Order of Service Merit, 1st Class, Republic of Korea.
Award - State of New York: Conspicuous Service Cross. Conspicuous Service Medal, Special Resolution of the Legislature of the State of New York, honoring service to the U. S.
Awards - Honorary; Silver Beaver Award, Boy Scouts of America; Silver Buffalo Award, Boy Scouts of America, Tau Beta Pi (Engineering Fraternity).
Miscellaneous - Silver Anvil Award, American Public Relations Association; Minuteman Award, Reserve Officers Association; Minuteman Award, U. S. Treasury Department, Henry Know Award for Patriotism.
Membership in Organizations - Boy Scouts of America: (Transatlantic Council, Past President Member, National Executive Council); Rotary: Adams, NY, honorary member: Masonic Orders: Dallas, TX, Consistory 33rd Degree; West Point Lodge No. 877 (F- AM); Kena Temple, Shrine. American Legion: Adams, NY Post, Military Order of the World Wars. Past President, United States Armor Association and Vice-Chairman of Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge.
He has been listed in Who's Who in America for 22 years.
High School building in Adams, NY named for General Clarke in 1965.
The decorations and awards are on display in the General Bruce C. Clarke room. There are seven flags with standards: his American flag, his Four Star General's flag, the Korean flag, U. S. Army Europe colors, IX and X Corps and 7th Army colors.
Other Comments:
This is to Certify that
The President of the United States of America
Takes Pride in Presenting
THE
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS
to
Bruce Cooper Clarke
The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Bruce Cooper Clarke, Colonel (Armor), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving with Chief of Staff, 4th Armored Division, in action against enemy forces on 25 August 1944. Colonel Clarke's intrepid actions, personal bravery and zealous devotion to duty exemplify the highest traditions of the military forces of the United States and reflect great credit upon himself, the 4th Armored Division, and the United States Army. Headquarters, Third U.S. Army, General Orders No. 71 (1944)
Bruce Cooper Clarke, who was born on a farm in Adams,New York, on April 29, 1901, the son of Matthew John and Isola Veneta (Stevens) Clarke, was a high school "drop-out". He quit Adams High School in 1917 to enlist as a Private in the regular army during World War I.
But this high school "drop-out," ever mindful of the need for education, went back to high school after World War I ended, to continue his studies. He graduated from Masten Park High School, Buffalo, and went on to distinguish himself not only on the battlefield but also in the field of education.
His many friends and former fellow students at Adams High School have followed his brilliant career up through the ranks to West Point Military Academy and on to become one of the nation's great military leaders.
General Clarke may have been a high school "drop-out" but this event only served as a stepping-stone for a life-long career of learning. He not only became a soldier's teacher, but through understanding and experience a "soldier's soldier."
This high school "drop-out" for one and a half years was in charge of the United States Armor School. He started and headed the Non-Commissioned Officers Academy system among U.S. occupation forces in Germany. This system later spread to the entire Army.
As Commander General of Continental Army Command in 1958-1960, General Clarke was head of the entire Army school system which encompassed 250.000 students.
It is little wonder, then, that his friends and those who have followed his very distinguished career, have named the new Adams Center - Adams Central High School (now South Jefferson Central Senior High) building for him.
General Clarke also served as Assistant Professor of Military Science and Tactics at the University of Tennessee. He holds honorary degrees from Baylor University, Parsons College and the University of Heidelberg, Germany, made him an Honorary Senator.
A high school "drop-out", he was graduated from West Point with a B.S. degree; Cornell University with a degree in civil engineering; graduate of LaSalle Extension University with a L.L.B. degree; graduate of the U.S. Army Engineer school; graduate of the Armor school; and a graduate of Chemical Warfare school. General Clarke is an equivalent graduate of the National War college. Presently he is serving as Vice-Chairman of Freedoms Foundation, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.
General Clarke not only set the pace for his generation, but also has provided an inspiration to every boy and girl, including the "drop-outs" of this and future generations.
The 1st Armored Division is the oldest and most prestigious armored division in the United States Army. From its desert tank battles against Field Marshall Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps, beach landing at Anzio to the end of the war in the Italian Alps. Maintaining a forward presence in the cold war in Germany, its stunning victories in the Persian Gulf War to the Global War on terrorism in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. In peace or war, the "Old Ironsides" Division has amassed a proud record of service to America. The current home of the Division is at Fort Bliss, Texas.
Unit Motto:
The unit motto is"Iron Soldier." This is used in greeting a senior NCO or Officer of the Division.
Unit Insignia: The division was nicknamed "Old Ironsides", by its first commander, Major General Bruce R. Magruder, after he saw a picture of the frigate USS Constitution, which is also nicknamed "Old Ironsides". The large "1" at the top represents the numerical designation of the division, and the insignia is used as a basis for most other sub-unit insignias. The cannon represents fire power, the track represents mobility, and the lighting bolt represents speed and shock force.
The three colors, red, yellow, and blue represent the Artillery, Cavalry, and Infantry Branches respectively, which are the colors of the three original combat arms which, when forged into one, created the field of Armor. This "pyramid of power" was devised by the order of then-Lieutenant Col. George S. Patton, Jr. in Bourg, France in early 1918 during Patton's formation and training of the Tank Corps in support of the American Expeditionary Force under General John J. Pershing.
Notable Persons:
Commander:MG Orlando Ward He left that post (and was promoted major general) to become the second commander of the U.S. Army's 1st Armored Division. He supervised the deployment of his division across the Atlantic to North Africa, which was brought piecemeal (with a layover in Northern Ireland) as part of Operation Torch and subsequent operations. The failure of 1st Armored to arrive intact and deploy as a single entity would have important consequences in later action against German forces in Tunisia.
Commander:MG Ernest N. Harmon Major-General Harmon had been in Thala on the Algerian border, witnessing the stubborn resistance of the British Nickforce, which held the vital road leading into the Kasserine Pass against the heavy pressure of the German 10th Panzer Division, which was under Rommel's direct command.When the U.S. 9th Infantry Division's attached artillery arrived in Thala after a four-day, 800-mile march, it seemed like a godsend to Harmon. The 9th's artillery did stay, and with its 48 guns raining a whole year's worth of a (peacetime) allotment of shells, stopped the advancing Germans in their tracks. Unable to retreat under the withering fire, the Afrika Corps finally withdrew after dark. With the defeat at Thala, Rommel decided to end his offensive.
Commander:MG Martin E. Dempsey In June 2003, then Brigadier General Dempsey assumed command of 1st Armored Division. Dempsey's command of the 1st Armored Division lasted until July 2005 and included 13 months in Iraq, from June 2003 to July 2004. While in Iraq, 1st Armored Division, in addition to its own brigades, had operational command over the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, numerous Army National Guard units and a brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division; the command, called "Task Force Iron" in recognition of the Division's nickname, "Old Ironsides", was the largest division-level command in the history of the United States Army.
It was during this time that the U.S. intervention in Iraq changed dramatically as Fallujah fell to Sunni extremists and supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr built their strength and rose up against American forces. Then Major General Dempsey and his command assumed responsibility for the Area of Operations in Baghdad as the insurgency incubated, grew, and exploded. General Dempsey has been described by Thomas Ricks in his book "Fiasco": "In the capital itself, the 1st Armored Division, after Sanchez assumed control of V Corps, was led by Gen. Martin Dempsey, was generally seen as handling a difficult (and inherited) job well, under the global spotlight of Baghdad." General Dempsey is now serving as the current Joint Chiefs of Staff.
MOH Recipient:Pvt Nicholas Minue Nicholas Minue received the Medal of Honor for military service on behalf of the United States of America in World War II. He received this recognition for charging a group of German soldiers that had a machine-gun position near Medjez El Bab, Tunisia. He died during the charge.
MOH Recipient:2LT Thomas Fowler Thomas Weldon Fowler was a former student of the Texas A&M University, a United States Army officer, and a recipient of America's highest military decoration "the Medal of Honor" for his actions leading a combined armor-infantry attack near Carano in the Anzio Beachhead Italy in World War II.
Silver Star Recipient:T5 Henry Guarnere Henry J. Guarnere, an Army Medic, the brother of the famous Sgt William "Wild Bill" Guarnere of Easy Company, 506th P.I.R., 101st Airborne Division, and a recipient of America's third highest military decoration - the Silver Star. As Army Medical Aidman, he rescued a Soldier during heavy counter battery fire in a gun section that was seriously wounded and unable to reach shelter in Tunisia, Africa during World War II. Tech 5 Henry Guarnere was killed in action on 6th January, 1944 while serving with the 47th Armored Medical Battalion in Northern Italy.
Silver Star Recipient:2LT John P Souther awarded the Silver Star for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy while serving with the 1st Armored Division during World War II. He called in division artillery on an exposed position of 500 Germans while under direct fire after his vehicle was knocked out by a German 88mm gun. His actions resulted all of the enemy being killed. He later retired as a LTC in the US Army Reserves and was the President of the 1st Armored Division Association in 1990. He wrote several books on his wartime experiences. He passed away in 2006 in Georgia.
Distinguished Service Cross Recipient:General John Knight Waters , LTC Waters was the son in law of the famous General Patton of II Corps at the time he was taken as a prisoner of war in Tunisia during the battle of of Sidi Bouzid, Feb 1943. He was the commander of the 1st Armored Regiment (light), 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division. 26 March,1945, General Patton set up the controversial Task Force Baum to break him out.The mission was a complete failure.He was later released two weeks later in April 1945 by units of the 14th Armored Division. LTC Waters later retired as a four star general, who served as commander, U.S. Army, Pacific from 1964 to 1966.
