Henry Patrick Birmingham (March 15, 1854 – May 4, 1932) was a surgeon 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

Birmingham was born in

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

. He received his medical degree from the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

in 1876, and on February 18, 1881 he entered the army as an assistant surgeon of the

Medical Corps A medical corps is generally a military branch or officer corps responsible for medical care for serving military personnel. Such officers are typically military physicians. List of medical corps The following organizations are examples of medica ...

.Davis, Henry Blaine. ''Generals in Khaki''. Raleigh, NC: Pentland Press, 1998. P.35

Career

Birmingham's first tours of duty were with the Fourth Cavalry in actions against the

Apaches The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño and ...

in the southwest. He was promoted to assistant surgeon on February 18, 1886.Davis, Henry Blaine. ''Generals in Khaki''. Raleigh, NC: Pentland Press, 1998. P.35 During 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 = (clock ...

, he served in

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

and then in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. On June 4, 1898, he was promoted to major, brigade surgeon of volunteers, and on April 23, 1908 he was promoted to lieutenant colonel, Medical Corps. In 1914, he was the chief surgeon of the Vera Cruz Expedition under 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 ...

. On October 2, 1917, Birmingham was promoted to brigadier general and the same year he received an honorary master's degree from the University of Michigan. During World War I, Birmingham was in charge of the ambulance service of the army and the gas defense service of the medical department. In 1918, he retired as a colonel, then went right back to active duty. In 1930, he retired by operation of law as a brigadier general.

Death and legacy

Birmingham died at age 78 on May 4, 1932. He is buried at

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 ...

. A

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

US Army Hospital called the

Birmingham General Hospital Birmingham General Hospital was a teaching hospital in Birmingham, England, founded in 1779 and closed in the mid-1990s. History Summer Lane In 1765, a committee for a proposed hospital, formed by John Ash and supported by Sir Lister ...

from August 24, 1943 till March 31, 1946 in

Van Nuys, California Van Nuys () is a neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Home to Van Nuys Airport and the Valley Municipal Building, it is the most populous neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley. History In 1909, ...

was named after him. The Hospital serviced troop returning home from the war.militarymuseum.org Birmingham General Hospital
/ref> From 1946 to 1950 the Hospital was named the Birmingham Veterans Administration Hospital. In 1952, the Hospital was sold to the Los Angeles City Schools where it eventually became

Birmingham High School Birmingham Community Charter High School (formerly Birmingham High School) is a charter coeducational high school in the neighborhood/district of Lake Balboa in the San Fernando Valley section of Los Angeles, California, United States. It was fo ...

References

;Bibliography *Davis, Henry Blaine. ''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:Birmingham, Henry 1854 births 1932 deaths United States Army generals Military personnel from Brooklyn American surgeons University of Michigan Medical School alumni