Samuel D. Sturgis III
Sturgis c. 1953
Birth nameSamuel Davis Sturgis III
Born(1897-07-16)July 16, 1897
St. Paul, Minnesota, United States
DiedJuly 5, 1964(1964-07-05) (aged 66)
Washington, D.C., United States
Buried
Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, United States
Allegiance United States
Service/branch United States Army
Years of service1918–1956
Rank Lieutenant General
Service number0-9325
UnitUnited States Army Corps of Engineers
Commands held6th Armored Division
Corps of Engineers
Battles/warsWorld War I
World War II
AwardsArmy Distinguished Service Medal (2)
Silver Star
Legion of Merit
RelationsSamuel D. Sturgis (grandfather)
Samuel D. Sturgis Jr. (father)

Lieutenant General Samuel Davis Sturgis III (July 16, 1897 – July 5, 1964), also known as Samuel D. Sturgis Jr., was a senior officer of the United States Army who served as Chief of Engineers during the Cold War.

Early life

Samuel Davis Sturgis III was born in St. Paul, Minnesota and came from a military family. Both his father, Samuel D. Sturgis Jr.,[1] and grandfather, also named Samuel D. Sturgis, were West Point graduates and major generals.

Career

At West Point in 1918

Sturgis graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1918.[2] As a junior engineer officer, he taught mathematics at the academy for four years. In 1926, he was ordered to the Philippines, where he served as Adjutant of the 14th Engineers. His strategical studies of the islands over a three-year period developed knowledge he used later when he returned to the Philippines in 1944 as Chief Engineer of General Walter Krueger's Sixth U.S. Army. Sturgis commanded a mounted engineer company at Fort Riley, Kansas, in 1929–1933 and encouraged the adoption of heavy mechanical equipment. He was district engineer in 1939–1942 for Vicksburg, Mississippi, where he worked on flood control and a large military construction program. He served as chief engineer of the Sixth Army in 1943–1946.

During World War II, Sturgis' engineer troops built roads, airfields, ports, and bases from New Guinea to the Philippines. After the war, Sturgis was senior engineer for the army air forces in 1946-1948 and was Missouri River Division Engineer in 1949–51. In 1951, he became the Commanding General of the 6th Armored Division and Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. In 1952, he was appointed Commanding General of the Communications Zone supporting the United States Army in Europe. He became Chief of Engineers on March 17, 1953.

Death

He died July 5, 1964, in Washington, D.C. and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia, with his wife Frances Jewett.[3]

Personal life

In 1921, Sturgis married Frances Jewett Murray (1897–1975), the daughter of Brigadier General Peter Murray (1867–1940) and Harriet Tingley Jewett (1871–1932).[1]

Awards

His military decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Silver Star, and the Legion of Merit.[4]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Davis, Henry Blaine Jr. (1998). Generals in Khaki. Pentland Press. p. 351. ISBN 1571970886.
  2. ↑ "Samuel D. Sturgis Jr. Jun 1918". West Point Association of Graduates.
  3. ↑ "Burial Detail: Sturgis, Samuel D. (Section 7, Grave 10093-A-10)". ANC Explorer. Arlington National Cemetery. (Official website).
  4. ↑ "Valor awards for Samuel Davis Sturgis". The Hall of Valor. Sightline Media Group. 2021.

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