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LTC Bob Thompson
to remember
Simpson, William Hood, GEN USA(Ret).
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Contact Info
Home Town San Antonio, TX
Date of Passing Aug 15, 1980
Location of Interment Arlington National Cemetery (VLM) - Arlington, Virginia
United States Army General. A combat veteran of World Wars I and II, he rose in rank to become commander of the 9th United States Army. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York in 1909 with a 2nd Lieutenant's commission in the Infantry. Among his early pre-World War I assignments include service in the Philippines during the Moro Rebellion and the Mexican Punitive Expedition (also known as the Pancho Villa Expedition). After the United States entered World War I in April 1917, he was promoted to the rank of Captain and was assigned to the 33rd Infantry Division, eventually becoming its Chief of Staff, and saw combat action at the Battle of Saint-Mihiel (September 1918) and Meuse-Argonne Offensive (September to November 1918). After returning to the United States following the end of the war, he served in various staff positions and attended military schools, as a student and instructor from 1919 until 1941, including a four-year tour as Professor of Military Science at Pomona College at Claremont, California. In April 1941 he became the first commander of the largest Infantry Replacement Training Center at Camp Wolters, Texas and served there for five months. He was then appointed commander of the 4th United States Army at Fort Sam Houston, Texas and was promoted to the rank of Major General. In May 1944, as a Lieutenant General, he took his staff to England and organized the 9th United States Army for preparation to invade France the following month at Normandy. His forces captured Brest, France in September 1944 and two months later they broke through the German defense known as the Siegfried Line. The following March he crossed the Rhine River with his 9th Army and it was the first American force to cross the Elbe River in April 1945. In June 1945, following Germany's surrender, he returned to the United States and, following a mission to China, became commander of the 2nd United States Army at Memphis, Tennessee until September 1946 and he retired two months later with 37 years of continuous military service. Among his military and foreign decorations a d awards include the Distinguished Service Medal (with one oak leaf cluster), the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, the Philippine Campaign Medal, the Mexican Service Medal, the World War I Victory Medal (with two battle clasps), the Army of Occupation of Germany Medal, the American Defense Service Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal (with four bronze service stars), the World War II Victory Medal, the French Légion d'honneur (Knight), the French Croix de Guerre, and the Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire. In July 1954 he was promoted to the rank of General on the retired list by a special Act of Congress. He died at the age of 92 and was interred at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia. Later, a cenotaph dedicated to his memory was erected at the Hood Cemetery (where his parents are buried) in Aledo, Texas. He was featured on the February 19, 1945 cover of “Time Magazine” and the March 12, 1945 cover of “Life Magazine”.
The 2nd Division was first constituted on 21 September 1917 in the Regular Army.It was organized on 26 October 1917 at Bourmont, Haute Marne, France.
The 2nd Infantry Division is a formation of the United States Army. Its current primary mission is the pre-emptive defense of South Korea in the event of an invasion from North Korea. There are approximately 17,000 soldiers in the 2nd Infantry Division, with 10,000 of them stationed in South Korea,accounting for about 35% of the United States Forces Korea personnel.
The 2nd Infantry Division is unique in that it is the only U.S. Army division that is made up partially of South Korean soldiers, called KATUSAs (Korean Augmentation to the U.S. Army). This program began in 1950 by agreement with the first South Korean president, Syngman Rhee. Some 27,000 KATUSAs served with the U.S. forces at the end of the Korean War. As of May 2006, approximately 1,100 KATUSA soldiers serve with the 2ID. There were also more than 4,748 Dutch soldiers assigned to the division between 1950 and 1954.
Twice during World War I the division was commanded by US Marine Corps generals, Brigadier GeneralCharles A. Doyen and Major GeneralJohn A. Lejeune (after whom the Marine Corps Camp in North Carolina is named), the only time in U.S. military history when Marine Corps officers commanded an Army division.
He organized and commanded the 5th Marine Regiment in World War I, and in France took command of the 4th Brigade, 2d Division, composed of the 5th and 6th Marine Regiments and the 6th Machine Gun Battalion. from 26 October to 8 November 1917, he served as commanding general, 2nd Division (United States), the first Marine officer to command a U.S. Army division. He returned to the United States, dying of influenza during the height of the global pandemic on 6 October 1918 at Quantico, Virginia.The 4th Brigade went on to win a historic victory in Belleau Wood. Brigadier General Doyen's contribution to these victories was recognized by the posthumous award of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, the first to ever be awarded.
Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina was named in his honor during World War II. Lejeune is often referred to in the present day as being the "greatest of all Leathernecks" and the "Marine's Marine."
Major General John A. Lejeune, U.S. Marine Corps, 13th Commandant of the Marine Corps (1920-1929)
MOH Recipient(s) Private Frank J. Bart U.S. Army, Company C, 9th Infantry, 2nd Division.
being on duty as a company runner, when the advance was held up by machinegun fire voluntarily picked up an automatic rifle, ran out ahead of the line, and silenced a hostile machinegun nest, killing the German gunners. The advance then continued, and when it was again hindered shortly afterward by another machinegun nest this courageous soldier repeated his bold exploit by putting the second machinegun out of action.
PVT Frank J. Bart
MOH Recipient(s) SFC Junior D. Edwards,U.S. Army, Company E, 23d Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division.
SFC Edwards, Company E, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. When his platoon, while assisting in the defense of a strategic hill, was forced out of its position and came under vicious raking fire from an enemy machine gun set up on adjacent high ground, SFC Edwards individually charged the hostile emplacement, throwing grenades as he advanced. The enemy withdrew but returned to deliver devastating fire when he had expended his ammunition. Securing a fresh supply of grenades, he again charged the emplacement, neutralized the weapon and killed the crew, but was forced back by hostile small-arms fire. When the enemy emplaced another machine gun and resumed fire, SFC Edwards again renewed his supply of grenades, rushed a third time through a vicious hail of fire, silenced this second gun and annihilated its crew. In this third daring assault he was mortally wounded but his indomitable courage and successful action enabled his platoon to regain and hold the vital strongpoint. SFC Edwards' consummate valor and gallant self-sacrifice reflect the utmost glory upon himself and are in keeping with the esteemed traditions of the Infantry and military service.
SFC Junior D. Edwards
MOH Recipient (s) Corporal Victor H. Espinoza,U.S. Army, Company A, 23d Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division.
For acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an Acting Rifleman in Company A, 23d Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division during combat operations against an armed enemy in Chorwon, Korea on 1 August 1952. On that day, Corporal Espinoza and his unit were responsible for securing and holding a vital enemy hill. As the friendly unit neared its objective, it was subjected to a devastating volume of enemy fire, slowing its progress. Corporal Espinoza, unhesitatingly and being fully aware of the hazards involved, left his place of comparative safety and made a deliberate one man assault on the enemy with his rifle and grenades, destroying a machinegun and killing its crew. Corporal Espinoza continued across the fire-swept terrain to an exposed vantage point where he attacked an enemy mortar position and two bunkers with grenades and rifle fire, knocking out the enemy mortar position and destroying both bunkers and killing their occupants. Upon reaching the crest, and after running out of rifle ammunition, he called for more grenades. A comrade who was behind him threw some Chinese grenades to him. Immediately upon catching them, he pulled the pins and hurled them into the occupied trenches, killing and wounding more of the enemy with their own weapons. Continuing on through a tunnel, Corporal Espinoza made a daring charge, inflicting at least seven more casualties upon the enemy who were fast retreating into the tunnel. Corporal Espinoza was quickly in pursuit, but the hostile fire from the opening prevented him from overtaking the retreating enemy. As a result, Corporal Espinoza destroyed the tunnel with TNT, called for more grenades from his company, and hurled them at the enemy troops until they were out of reach. Corporal Espinoza's incredible display of valor secured the vital strong point and took a heavy toll on the enemy, resulting in at least fourteen dead and eleven wounded. Corporal Espinoza's extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.
