Simpson, William Hood, GEN

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”. 

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