Civil career

John C. Persons was born on May 9, 1888, in Atlanta, Georgia as the son of William Matthew Persons and Alice Virginia Longshore. Following the high school, Persons moved to Birmingham, Alabama in 1904 and was employed by the Alabama Consolidated Coal and Iron Company as an accountant, before he was admitted to the University of Alabama in summer of 1906. While at the University, he was a member of the Scabbard and Blade, Phi Kappa Sigma and Omicron Delta Kappa and Phi Beta Kappa.^[3][4]

Persons graduated with Bachelor of Laws degree in 1910 and following the admission to the Alabama bar, he began practicing law in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He also served for a year as Treasurer of the University of Alabama and was appointed city attorney of Tuscaloosa in 1915.^[3][4]

World War I

Following the American entry into World War I, Persons enlisted the United States Army and was ordered to the Citizens' Military Training Camp in Plattsburgh, New York for basic training. He was appointed Captain in the Infantry on November 27, 1917, and joined the 47th Infantry Regiment at Camp Syracuse. Persons assumed command of Company "F" and supervised the unit's initial training for upcoming deployment overseas. He was appointed Adjutant of his regiment in February 1918 and embarked for France two months later.^[4]

Persons arrived to Brest, France in mid-May 1918 and after two months of additional training, his regiment was assigned to the VII French Army Corps near Bois du Chitelet. When the Germans launched Major offensive on the Marne River on July 15, 1918, the 47th Infantry was located near the town of Thibaud. The telephone lines to the rear had been destroyed by Germans and regimental commander, Colonel Herman Hall ordered Persons to deliver a message to the Brigade commander, Benjamin A. Poore.^[4]

Accompanied by Corporal and Private, Persons reached the Poore's headquarters under intense machine gun and rifle fire. He noticed that corporal from his party had been hit by enemy fire and was unable to move. Persons returned to the battlefield and with disregard for his own safety, he carried wounded man to a dressing station in a storm of enemy fire from the enemy lines, saving corporal's life. For this act of valor, he was decorated with the Distinguished Service Cross, the second highest decoration of the United States Army.^[5][6][4] The citation for the medal reads:-

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Captain (Infantry) John C. Persons, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 47th Infantry Regiment, 4th Division, A.E.F., at St. Thibault, France, 8 August 1918. While serving as adjutant, 47th Infantry, Captain Persons was instructed by his regimental commander to deliver a message to the brigade commander. The telephone lines to the rear having been destroyed, he proceeded under intense enemy fire through a narrow pass, accompanied by a corporal and private of his regiment. Exposed to constant enemy fire, he had reached a place of safety when he learned that the corporal had been hit by enemy fire. Immediately returning, he carried the corporal to a dressing station in a storm of machine-gun and rifle fire from the enemy lines, thus saving the soldier's life and in utter disregard for his own safety.

He later returned to his regiment and received promotion to Major on September 23, 1918. Following Hall's promotion and succession by Colonel Troy H. Middleton, Persons remained as his Regiment Adjutant and participated in the combats near Cuisy, Septsarges, and Brieulles-sur-Meuse until the Armistice.^[1][4]

Training and Mobilization

The 31st Infantry Division including Persons' 62nd Brigade was inducted into active Federal service on November 25, 1940, and following the transfer of the divisional headquarters to Camp Blanding, Florida, Persons supervised the movement of his units from Birmingham. He was appointed Commanding general of the 31st Division shortly afterwards and promoted to the temporary rank of Major general in the United States Army. Persons was then responsible for the division's transformation from square" infantry division structure into a "triangular" organization, centered on three instead of four infantry regiments.^[3][2][1][4]

After the division's initial train-up period, Persons led it in the Louisiana Maneuvers in August 1941, and continued in the First Army Carolina Maneuvers in October–November 1941. The 31st Division then returned to Camp Blanding, Florida, conducting intensive training until early 1944, when received orders for deployment to the South West Pacific. Partially because Persons complained to his superiors officers, that his division was far better prepared for combat deployment than many less-experienced divisions that were already overseas.^[3][1][4]

New Guinea

Persons discussing the situation over the map with his officers at New Guinea in July 1944.

Persons receives Army Distinguished Service Medal from Chief of Staff, General George C. Marshall for his service with 31st Infantry Division at New Guinea at his retirement ceremony on January 1, 1945.

Persons and his division arrived in Oro Bay, New Guinea on April 24, 1944, and engaged in amphibious training prior to entering combat. In early July, parts of the 31st Division were ordered to Aitape, New Guinea, where it took part in the general offensive launched July 13, including the bloody Battle of Driniumor River.^[1][7][4]

Meanwhile, the remainder of the division relieved the 6th Infantry Division on Wakde, New Guinea, which served as a staging area for a landing near a village of Sarmi on the mainland. Persons assumed duty as commander of Wakde Task Force and launched an offensive against Japanese forces on his perimeter to enlarge his sector. The 31st Division then built bridges, roads, and docks, patrolled the area, and engaged small units of the enemy, trying not to provoke a large scale counterattack by the enemy. Over 1,000 Japanese were killed in these actions.^[1][4]

To prepare for the liberation of the Philippines, General Douglas MacArthur ordered the capture of Morotai Island in the Dutch East Indies to secure a location for airfield, which could be used for the bombing of Japanese positions in the Philippines. Persons led 28,000 men ashore in early morning of September 15, 1944, meeting only light opposition. Despite the extremely difficult conditions on the beaches, he was able to land his troops in few hours and the original Japanese airfield on Morotai was secured before sunset.^[6][1][4]

However, only eight days later, Persons requested to be relieved of command, what was approved and he relinquished command to Major general Clarence A. Martin. Persons stated that he decided for that due to his five-year absence which threatened his position in the Birmingham Bank, but his subordinates believed he was disappointed when he realized that Army will not promote him to Corps command. He left for the United States, arriving to San Francisco, California in early October 1944.^[1][4]

Persons was given a three-month leave of absence, which was to be followed by his transfer to the inactive status. Before that, he was ordered to Washington, D.C., where he received the Army Distinguished Service Medal from the Chief of Staff, George C. Marshall, for his service with the 31st Infantry Division. Persons underwent a routine examinations at the Walter Reed General Hospital, before retired on January 1, 1945.^[8][1][4]