Murdock A. Campbell
Murdock A. Campbell, Adjutant General of the Vermont National Guard, 1941–1955
BornJanuary 16, 1889 (1889-01-16)
Graniteville, Vermont
DiedAugust 29, 1972 (1972-08-30) (aged 83)
Berlin, Vermont
Buried
Mount Hope Cemetery
Northfield, Vermont
Allegiance Vermont
 United States
Service/branch United States Army
Years of service1917–1955
Rank Major General
Commands held172nd Infantry Regiment
Vermont National Guard
Battles/warsWorld War I
World War II
Korean War
AwardsVermont Distinguished Service Medal
Other workAttorney
Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles

Murdock A. Campbell (January 16, 1889 – August 29, 1972) was a Vermont attorney and military officer who served as Adjutant General of the Vermont National Guard.

Early life

Murdock Alexander Campbell was born in Graniteville, Vermont on January 16, 1889.[1][2] He graduated from Goddard Seminary and worked at a local granite quarry.[3]

Campbell graduated from Albany Business College now (Bryant & Stratton College) and studied at the University of Maine School of Law.[4][5]

World War I

He joined the 57th Pioneer Infantry Regiment and deployed to France for World War I. Enlisting as a private, he rose to sergeant major before receiving his commission in September, 1918. He served in France from September 1918 to June 1919 and was discharged in July 1919.[6]

Post-World War I

Following the war, Campbell resumed studying law.[7] In 1925, he received his LL.B. degree from National University School of Law (now George Washington University Law School).[8] In 1926, he received a Master of Laws (LL.M.) and a Master of Patent Law (M.P.L) from National University.[9]

He practiced law in Northfield in partnership with Frank Plumley and Charles Albert Plumley.[10] A Republican, he served as Assistant Secretary of the Vermont State Senate from 1927 to 1931 and Secretary from 1931 to 1933.[11] During his term as Secretary, his assistant was Ernest W. Gibson, Jr., with whom Campbell also served in the Vermont National Guard.[12][13]

From 1933 to 1941, Campbell was Vermont’s Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles.[14]

Campbell continued his military service after World War I and rose through the ranks to colonel and commander of the 172nd Infantry Regiment, a unit of the 43rd Infantry Division.[15]

Campbell later took a reduction in rank to lieutenant colonel and a position on the division staff, which enabled Leonard F. Wing to receive promotion to colonel and command of the regiment.[16]

World War II

In 1941, Campbell was mobilized with the 172nd Infantry Regiment and sent to Camp Blanding for training in preparation for deployment overseas. In June Campbell was called home and appointed Assistant Adjutant General, aiding longtime incumbent Herbert Thomas Johnson during Johnson’s extended illness.[17][18]

Campbell succeeded Johnson as Adjutant General when Johnson retired in December 1941.[19]

During the war, Campbell was responsible for mobilizing and deploying Vermont National Guard members to overseas theaters for World War II, and for creating and overseeing the Vermont State Guard, a volunteer organization which handled the in-state duties of the Vermont National Guard while Guard members were overseas.

Post-World War II

Following World War II Campbell’s duties were centered on the reorganization of the post-war reorganization of the National Guard and the creation of the Air National Guard.

Campbell was also responsible for overseeing the deployment of Vermont soldiers and airmen mobilized for the Korean War, and for out processing and demobilizing them after the war.

Campbell served as Adjutant General until retiring in 1955. He was succeeded by Francis William Billado, another attorney, member of the Vermont National Guard and longtime acquaintance of Campbell.[20][21]

Death and burial

In retirement, Campbell lived in Berlin, Vermont.

He died at the Berlin Convalescent Home on August 29, 1972. He was buried in Northfield’s Mount Hope Cemetery.[22][23]

Awards

Campbell was the first recipient of the Vermont Distinguished Service Medal.[24]

Additional honors

The Vermont National Guard armory in Berlin, Vermont is named for him.[25]

References

  1. ↑ U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942, entry for Murdock Alexander Campbell, retrieved December 28, 2013
  2. ↑ Vermont, Vital Records, 1720-1908, Birth record for Murdock A. Campbell, retrieved December 28, 2013
  3. ↑ Associated Press, Nashua Telegraph, General Campbell Dies; Led Vt.’s National Guard, August 31, 1972
  4. ↑ University of Maine, Maine Law Review, Volumes 11-13, 1918, page 145
  5. ↑ Vermont Secretary of State, Vermont Legislative Directory, 1929, page 573
  6. ↑ U.S., Adjutant General Military Records, 1631-1976, Vermont Roster, 1917-1919, entry for Murdock Alexander Campbell, retrieved December 28, 2013
  7. ↑ Associated Press, Bridgeport Post, Gen. Campbell Dies in Vermont, August 31, 1972
  8. ↑ Associated Press, Bridgeport Post, Gen. Campbell Dies in Vermont, August 31, 1972
  9. ↑ Moore, Helen L., ed. (1926). The Docket. Washgington, DC: National University Law School. p. 68 – via Internet Archive.
  10. ↑ Vermont Historical Society, Proceedings of the Vermont Historical Society, 1926, page 267
  11. ↑ Bennington Banner, Gen. Murdock A. Campbell, 83, former adjutant general, dies, August 31, 1972
  12. ↑ Vermont General Assembly, Journal of the Vermont State Senate, 1933, page 114
  13. ↑ National Guard Bureau, Official National Guard register, 1922, page 255
  14. ↑ Vermont Agency of Transportation, A Report on Transportation in Vermont, 1974, page 130
  15. ↑ U.S. Military Records: Official National Guard Register entry for Murdock A. Campbell, 1925, retrieved December 28, 2013
  16. ↑ National Survey, Inc., Vermont Year Book, 1930, page 368
  17. ↑ Modern Printing Company (Barre, Vermont), Vermont: Its Government, 1945, page 13
  18. ↑ Hazel McLeod Wills, Bill Wills and Company, 1953, page 47
  19. ↑ Vermont Adjutant General, Annual Report, 1955, page 15
  20. ↑ Associated Press, Bennington Banner, Francis Billado Named Adjutant General of State, February 18, 1955
  21. ↑ National Guard Association of the United States, The National Guardsman, Volume 9, 1955, page 26
  22. ↑ Vermont Death Records, 1909-2008, entry for Murdock A. Campbell, retrieved December 28, 2013
  23. ↑ U.S. Social Security Death Index, 1935-2013, entry for Murdock A. Campbell, retrieved December 28, 2013
  24. ↑ Vermont Adjutant General, Annual Report, 1955, pages 14-15
  25. ↑ Murdock A. Campbell at Find a Grave, retrieved December 29, 2013
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