Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

Hanson Edward Ely (November 23, 1867 – April 28, 1958) was a

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

officer in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He served in several conflicts, including the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (cloc ...

and

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 ...

, and he received the Army Distinguished Service Medal and numerous other awards for his role in them.

Military career

Ely was born in

Independence, Iowa Independence is a city in, and the county seat of, Buchanan County, Iowa, United States. The population was 6,064 in the 2020 census, an increase from 6,014 in 2000. History Independence was founded in 1847 near the center of present-day Buch ...

, on November 23, 1867. He graduated 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 ...

in 1891. His fellow classmates included Andrew Hero Jr., James Francis McIndoe, John W. Heavey,

John Jewsbury Bradley John Jewsbury Bradley (April 20, 1869 – May 21, 1948) was a United States Army officer and a Brigadier general who commanded the Eighth Infantry Division during World War I.Davis, Henry Blaine. ''Generals in Khaki''. Raleigh, NC: Pentland Pres ...

and Edwin B. Winans, all future general officers. He was commissioned into the 22nd Infantry Regiment. After serving in

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...

North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minnesota to the east, So ...

, and

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...

, Ely became a Professor of Military Science and Tactics at the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 col ...

, serving in this position from 1897 to 1898. During the

, Ely reported to his regiment at Camp Wikoff and then served in the Philippines from 1899 to 1901. In addition to commanding General

Frederick Funston Frederick Funston (November 9, 1865 – February 19, 1917), also known as Fighting Fred Funston, was a general in the United States Army, best known for his roles in the Spanish–American War and the Philippine–American War. He received ...

's mounted scouts, Ely served as a regimental and district adjutant in

Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...

. He received his first Silver Star due to his efforts in the Philippines. Ely graduated from the Infantry and Cavalry School in July 1905 and the Staff College in July 1906. He attended the German Army Maneuvers in 1906, and he again served in the Philippines from 1907 to 1912. Ely twice commanded Company K of the 26th Infantry. Ely served with Funston on the

United States occupation of Veracruz The United States occupation of Veracruz (April 21 to November 23, 1914) began with the Battle of Veracruz and lasted for seven months. The incident came in the midst of poor diplomatic relations between Mexico and the United States, and was r ...

in 1914. He graduated from a course at the

United States Army War College The United States Army War College (USAWC) is a U.S. Army educational institution in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, on the 500-acre (2 km2) campus of the historic Carlisle Barracks. It provides graduate-level instruction to senior military offic ...

in May 1916. 111-SC-44590 - NARA - 55247947-cropped

From July 20 to August 24, 1917 Ely served as the Provost-marshal of the

American Expeditionary Forces The American Expeditionary Forces (A. E. F.) was a formation of the United States Army on the Western Front of World War I. The A. E. F. was established on July 5, 1917, in France under the command of General John J. Pershing. It fought along ...

(AEF) of

. He commanded the 28th Infantry Regiment until his promotion to the rank of

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 ...

in 1918, when he assumed command of the 3rd Brigade. On October 1, 1918, he was promoted to

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

, even though his permanent rank was only lieutenant colonel. Starting on November 18, 1918, a week after the

Armistice with Germany The Armistice of 11 November 1918 was the armistice signed at Le Francport near Compiègne that ended fighting on land, sea, and air in World War I between the Entente and their last remaining opponent, Germany. Previous armistices ...

, Ely assumed command of the 2nd Division and then the

5th Division In military terms, 5th Division may refer to: Infantry divisions * 5th Division (Australia) *5th Division (People's Republic of China) * 5th Division (Colombia) *Finnish 5th Division (Continuation War) * 5th Light Cavalry Division (France) *5th Mo ...

shortly afterwards. For his actions in the war, he received another Silver Star as well as the

Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries. *Distinguished Service Cross (Australia) The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is a military decoration awarded to ...

and the Army Distinguished Service Medal. He also received the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

and five Croix de Guerres from the French. After returning to the U.S., Ely reverted to his permanent rank of lieutenant colonel on July 19, 1919. He was promoted to colonel on February 16, 1920 and graduated from a second course at the Army War College in July 1920. Promoted to brigadier general, Ely commanded the 3rd Brigade again from September 1920 to March 1921. He then served as the

Commandant of the United States Army Command and General Staff College The Commandant of the United States Army Command and General Staff College is the highest-ranking official at the United States Army's Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, installation. The position is similar to the West Point Superintendent and is roughly ...

from August 1921 to 1923. After his permanent promotion to major general in 1923, Ely became the commandant of the Army War College, a position he served in until 1927. His last assignment was at Second Corps Area on

Governors Island Governors Island is a island in New York Harbor, within the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is located approximately south of Manhattan Island, and is separated from Brooklyn to the east by the Buttermilk Channel. The National Park ...

in New York. In 1925, he published a report that was highly critical of black soldiers in World War I and recommended the army continue to keep them in segregated units. Ely retired on November 10, 1931, after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 64. He died on April 28, 1958, in

Atlantic Beach, Florida Atlantic Beach is a city in Duval County, Florida, United States and part of the Jacksonville Beaches communities. When the majority of communities in Duval County consolidated with Jacksonville in 1968, Atlantic Beach, along with Jacksonville B ...

. Ely is buried in

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

References

Bibliography

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External links

, - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Ely, Hanson Edward 1867 births 1958 deaths People from Independence, Iowa United States Military Academy alumni Military personnel from Iowa United States Army Infantry Branch personnel University of Iowa faculty American military personnel of the Spanish–American War Recipients of the Silver Star United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni United States Army War College alumni United States Army generals of World War I Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States) Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) Officiers of the Légion d'honneur Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France) United States Army generals Commandants of the United States Army Command and General Staff College Burials at Arlington National Cemetery