George Blakely (July 5, 1870 – November 16, 1965) was an army officer and an American

Brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

active during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Early life

Blakely was born in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. In 1892 he graduated number four of sixty-two from the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

. His younger brother,

Charles School Blakely Charles School Blakely (November 6, 1880 – January 11, 1975) was an American army officer and brigadier general who served during World War I. Early life Blakely was born in Philadelphia on November 6, 1880. In 1904, he graduated 29th of 124 ...

, was also a graduate of the United States Military Academy and later a general.

Career

Upon graduation, he was commissioned in the Second Artillery Brigade and graduated from the Artillery School in 1896. From 1898 to 1901, and again from 1903 to 1908, he was an assistant professor of mathematics at the United States Military Academy. He served in the

Coast Artillery Coastal artillery is the branch of the armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications. From the Middle Ages until World War II, coastal artillery and naval artillery in the form of c ...

but was later detailed to the Inspector General's Department. On August 2, 1917, Blakely was promoted to brigadier general, commanding the 61st Field Artillery Brigade at

Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According ...

. From September 18, 1917, until December 5 of the same year, he temporarily commanded the 36th Infantry Division. From July to October 1918, he commanded the South Atlantic Coast Artillery District. From October 1918 to February 1919, Blakely was sent to France as Commanding General of the 38th Artillery Brigade. After the war, he commanded the North Pacific Coast Artillery District. Blakely retired in 1924 as a colonel. His rank of brigadier general was restored by act of Congress in June 1930.

Death and legacy

George Blakely died at the age of ninety-five on November 16, 1965.Davis, Henry Blaine Jr. ''Generals in Khaki''. Raleigh, NC: Pentland Press, 1998. P. 40

References

Bibliography

*Davis, Henry Blaine Jr. ''Generals in Khaki''. Raleigh, NC: Pentland Press, 1998. *Marquis Who's Who, Inc. ''Who Was Who in American History, the Military''. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who, 1975. {{DEFAULTSORT:Blakely, George 1870 births 1965 deaths United States Army generals of World War I United States Army generals United States Military Academy alumni Military personnel from Pennsylvania United States Military Academy faculty