Major General William Glenn Livesay

Born 2 March 1895, Benton, Illinois (raised in Purdy, Missouri). Died 6 June 1979, San Antonio, Texas.  Buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, San Antonio, Texas.

1915 – Enlisted in the U.S. Army at Jefferson Barracks, MO.

1915 – 1916 – Clerk, Quartermaster Corps, 19th Infantry, TX.  Rank: Private, promoted to Corporal, promoted to Sergeant.

1916 – Received commission.  Rank: 2nd Lieutenant, promoted to 1st Lieutenant

1916 – 1917 – Attended the First Officers Class, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.  Rank: 1st Lt.

1917 – 30th Infantry, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.  Rank: 1st Lt, promoted to Captain.

1917 – 1919 – WWI, Adjutant, 28th Infantry, 1st Division. He landed with the first U.S. contingent in France.  He served continuously with that division in France and in the occupation of Germany. He participated in the following engagements: Sommerville, Ansuaville, Cantigny, Soissons, Saizerais, St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne and Sedan. His unit served in the Army of Occupation in Germany. He was awarded the Silver Star three times, in the Meuse-Argonne, Soissons, and the Aisne-Marne offensives. He was also awarded the French Croix de Guerre. Rank: Captain

1919 – Married Olga Laverne Brunk (1891-1978) at St. Louis, MO.  She was a secretary under contract for six months with the National War Work Council of the Y.M.C.A. for service to the troops of the American Expeditionary Force in France and Occupied Germany.  She and Capt Livesay met in Montabaur, Germany (northeast of Koblenz).  Mrs. Livesay composed the “Infantry March” (also known as “The Doughboy”) that became the unofficial song for the 91^st Infantry Division (and other Divisions also).  They had no children.

1919 – 1920 – 2nd Infantry, Camp Dodge, Iowa and Camp Sherman, Ohio.  Rank: Captain, promoted to Major

1920 – 1922 – Instructor at the Infantry School, Fort Benning, Columbus, Georgia.  Rank: Major

1922 – 1923 – Attended the advanced class of the Infantry School, Fort Benning, Columbus, Georgia.  Rank: Maj

1923 – 1925 – Assigned to the 17th Infantry, Fort Crook, Nebraska.  Rank: Maj

1925 – 1926 – Attended Command and General Staff School, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.  Rank: Maj

1926 – 1930 –   Instructor, Infantry School, Fort Benning, Columbus, Georgia.  Rank: Maj

1930 – 1932 – Assigned to the 7th Infantry, Vancouver Barracks, Vancouver, Washington.  Rank: Major

1932 – 1933 – Attended the Army War College, Washington D.C.  Rank: Maj

1933 – 1936 – Assigned to the Infantry Board, Fort Benning, Columbus, Georgia. Rank: Maj

1936 – 1940 – Assigned to the Chief of Training, Office of the Chief of Infantry, he served one year in the training section and three years as Chief of the Training Section, Office of the Chief of Infantry, HQ U.S. Army, Washington D.C. Rank: Major, promoted to Lieutenant Colonel.

1940 – 1941 – Assigned as Commander, 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Infantry Demonstration Battalion, and the Field Artillery School.  Rank: Lieutenant Colonel

1941 – Assigned as Assistant Chief of Staff, General Staff Corps, G-3, HQ 2nd Division, Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas.  Rank: Lieutenant Colonel

1941 – 1942 – Commander, Infantry Battalion and Operations Officer, Chief of Staff to the Commanding General, Puerto Rican Department, San Juan, Puerto Rico.  Rank: Lieutenant Colonel

1942 – Assistant Division Commander, 35th Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, Nogales, Arizona.  Rank: Brigadier General

1942 – HQ 4th Army Command, Southern Sector, Pasadena, California.  Rank: Brigadier General

1942 – 1943 – Commander, Puerto Rican Mobile Force, San Juan, Puerto Rico.  Rank: Brigadier General, promoted to Major General.

 1943 – 1945 – Commander, 91st Infantry Division, known first at the “Fir Tree Division” and later known  as the “Powder River Division” at Camp White, Medford , Oregon and Camp Adair, Corvallis, Oregon. Rank: Major General

He went overseas with the 91st Infantry Division in May 1944 under the 5th Army. The first elements of the division entered combat in the Anzio beachhead in Italy. The division fought 160 offensive miles across mountains, rivers and plains playing a leading role in the final destruction of the German armies in Italy. In 271 combat days the division scored several “firsts” -the Arno River, Leghorn and Oisa; it secured Futa Pass, the toughest single position in the Gothic Line, Monticelli and Mt. Adone and many other enemy strongholds. The division spearheaded the drive into Bologna. The 3rd Battalion, 36th Infantry, and the 363rd Infantry Regiment, received the Distinguished Unit Citations for heroic battle achievements at Levergnano and Monticelli respectively. General Livesay returned to the United States with the 91st Division and remained with that organization until its deactivation on December 1, 1945.   He was awarded his fourth Silver Star.

1945 – 1946 – Member of the Military Education Board, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.  Rank: Maj. Gen.

1946 – 1947 – Commander, 7^th Service Command, Fort Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska, until the unit was deactivated.  It was later renamed the 5^th Army Western Sub Area Training Command. He was temporarily assigned to the War Department to inspect Army units in the Pacific, including General MacArthur’s Headquarters in Tokyo, Japan.

1947 – Commanding General, U.S. Army Replacement Training Center, Fort Jackson, South Carolina.  Rank: Maj. Gen.

1947 – 1948 – Chief of the United States Military Assistance and  Advisory Group (MAAG) to Greece and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Group Greece (USAGG) as well as Director of Joint U.S. Military Advisory and Planning Group. He headed the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force Officers in furnishing operational advice to the Greek Armed Forces in their fight with Communist guerillas, Athens, Greece.  Rank: Maj. Gen.

1948 – 1950 – Commanding General, Armored Center and Commandant of the Armored School and Post Commander, Fort Knox, Kentucky.  Rank: Maj. Gen.

1950 – Retired to Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Awards include: Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, Legion of Merit, Mexican Border Service Medal, World War I Victory Medal with clasps for Meuse Argonne, St. Mihiel, Aisne-Marne, Montdidier-Noyon, and Defensive Sector; World War I Army of Occupation Medal, American Defense Medal, American Campaign Medal, European Campaign Medal with 3 stars, World War II Victory Medal, World War I French Croix de Guerre with bronze star, Order of St. Lazarus of Italy, Commander Cross, Order of the Bath of Great Britain, Commander Cross, Medal of Military Merit of Greece, Cased Grand Cross of the Greek Order of the Phoenix, The “Decoration for Service in Gold” of the government of Chile.

His papers and memoirs are kept at the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania.