Leonard Fish Wing Sr. (November 12, 1893 – December 19, 1945), nicknamed "Red", was a
Vermont
Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...
political figure and a division commander in the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
during
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 ...
.
Early life
Leonard Wing was born in
Ira, Vermont
Ira is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The population was 368 at the 2020 census. It was named for Ira Allen, brother of Ethan Allen, who fought with the Green Mountain Boys of the Revolutionary War.
Geography
According to t ...
on November 12, 1893, the son of David E. and Dora (Fish) Wing. He attended the schools of Ira and
Middletown, and his family moved to Rutland in 1908. He graduated from Rutland High School in 1914, and then attended
Norwich University
Norwich University – The Military College of Vermont is a private senior military college in Northfield, Vermont. It is the oldest private and senior military college in the United States and offers bachelor's and master's degrees on-campus ...
. Afterwards Wing
studied law with the Rutland firm of Lawrence, Lawrence and Stafford, and he attained
admission to the bar
An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...
in 1917.
[The History of the 43rd Infantry Division, 1941–1945, by Joseph E. Zimmer, fourth edition, 2008, pages 173 to 174]
World War I military service
Wing enlisted in the Army for
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 served at
Fort Ethan Allen
Fort Ethan Allen was a United States Army installation in Vermont, named for American Revolutionary War figure Ethan Allen. Established as a cavalry post in 1894 and closed in 1944, today it is the center of a designated national historic distric ...
, Vermont,
Fort Gordon
Fort Gordon, formerly known as Camp Gordon, is a United States Army installation established in October 1941. It is the current home of the United States Army Signal Corps, United States Army Cyber Command, and the Cyber Center of Excellence. It ...
,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
, and
Fort Dix
Fort Dix, the common name for the Army Support Activity (ASA) located at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, is a United States Army post. It is located south-southeast of Trenton, New Jersey. Fort Dix is under the jurisdiction of the Air Force A ...
,
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
. He completed officer training, received a commission and attained the rank of
first lieutenant
First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment.
The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...
. He served as the supply officer for the 2nd Infantry Replacement Regiment until the end of the war, and was discharged at Fort Dix in December, 1918.
Post-World War I
After his discharge Wing returned to
Rutland
Rutland () is a ceremonial county and unitary authority in the East Midlands, England. The county is bounded to the west and north by Leicestershire, to the northeast by Lincolnshire and the southeast by Northamptonshire.
Its greatest len ...
and established a law practice. From 1919 to 1921 he served as Rutland City Attorney, and he was Rutland's City Judge from 1921 to 1925.
Wing was active in
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
party politics, and served on the state Republican Committee, of which he was chairman from 1925 to 1929. He also attended numerous state and national party conventions, including serving as a delegate to the
1940 Republican national convention
The 1940 Republican National Convention was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from June 24 to June 28, 1940. It nominated Wendell Willkie of New York for president and Senator Charles McNary of Oregon for vice president.
The contest for the 19 ...
.
In 1919 Wing joined the Vermont National Guard's
172nd Infantry Regiment as a
second lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank.
Australia
The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...
. He rose through the ranks and in 1933 received promotion to
colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
as the 172nd's commander. That year he earned statewide praise from business owners and condemnation from laborers after leading his regiment to break a strike of
Barre
Barre or Barré may refer to:
* Barre (name) or Barré, a surname and given name
Places United States
* Barre, Massachusetts, a New England town
** Barre (CDP), Massachusetts, the central village in the town
* Barre, New York, a town
* Barre (c ...
granite workers.
In 1933 Wing was named executive assistant to Governor
Stanley C. Wilson, serving until the end of Wilson's term in 1935.
Wing was promoted to
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 1937 as commander of the
86th Infantry Brigade, at the time a subordinate command of the New England based
43rd Infantry Division. He was succeeded as regimental commander by
Reginald W. Buzzell
Reginald W. Buzzell (March 22, 1894 – January 23, 1959) was an American government official and military officer from Vermont. A longtime member of the Vermont Army National Guard, he was a veteran of the Pancho Villa Expedition, World War I an ...
, who had been his executive officer.
In 1939 Wing was elected to the Norwich University Board of Trustees.
World War II
In 1941 the 43rd Division mobilized for service in the
Pacific Theater
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
. In 1942 Wing was named commander of the division's
68th Field Artillery Brigade, and later that year he was appointed the 43rd's Assistant Division Commander. Wing became commander of the division as a
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 a ...
in 1943. He successfully rebuffed attempts to replace him with a Regular Army officer, as was done in most divisions, making him one of three National Guard officers to command a combat division in World War II. The other National Guard officers who commanded combat divisions,
Robert S. Beightler
Robert Sprague Beightler (March 21, 1892 – February 12, 1978) was an American military officer and Ohio political insider, engineer, and business owner. In the military, he reached the rank of major general, and served as military governor of ...
of the
37th Infantry Division and
Raymond S. McLain of the
90th Infantry Division 90th Division may refer to:
;Infantry
* 90th Division (1st Formation)(People's Republic of China), 1949–1950
* 90th Division (2nd Formation)(People's Republic of China), 1950–1952
* 90th Light Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)
* 90th Infantry Divi ...
, received commissions in the Regular Army immediately after the war, which is likely the source of the claim that Wing was the only National Guard officer to command a combat division in World War II.
Wing's success at keeping his command was especially noteworthy because he had been diagnosed with heart disease, and could have asked to be relieved on medical grounds.
The 43rd Division, named "Winged Victory" in honor of its commander, saw action at
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the south-western Pacific, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomon Islands by area, and the seco ...
,
Rendova
Rendova is an island in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific, east of Papua New Guinea.
Geography
Rendova Island is a roughly rectangularly-shaped island, located in the South Pacific in the New Georgia Islands. The ...
,
New Georgia
New Georgia, with an area of , is the largest of the islands in Western Province, Solomon Islands, and the 200th-largest island in the world.
Geography
New Georgia island is located in the New Georgia Group, an archipelago including most of ...
,
New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu
Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea).
It is a simplified version of ...
and
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 ...
. It played a vital role in the capture of the
Ipo Dam
Ipo Dam is a concrete water reservoir gravity dam found in the Philippines. The dam is located about 7.5 kilometres downstream of the Angat Dam within the Angat Watershed Forest Reserve in Norzagaray, Bulacan province. It was a part of the Ang ...
outside
Manila, Philippines
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populated ...
, taking the city's main water source intact and breaking Japanese resistance, an action for which it received the U.S.
Presidential Unit Citation and the
Philippine Presidential Unit Citation
The Philippine Presidential Unit citation BadgeThe AFP Adjutant General, ''Awards and Decorations Handbook'', 1997, OTAG, p. 65. is a unit decoration of the Republic of the Philippines. It has been awarded to certain units of the United States mil ...
.
The 43rd Division served on occupation duty in Japan before being deactivated in October, 1945.
Post-World War II
After returning home at the end of 1945, Wing spent time in the hospital to recuperate from pneumonia and other ailments. He took part in victory parades throughout New England in November and December, and was elected President of the Vermont Bar Association. He was considered a likely candidate for Governor, and if incumbent
Mortimer Proctor
Mortimer Robinson Proctor (May 30, 1889 – April 28, 1968), known as Mortimer R. Proctor, was an American politician from Vermont. He served as the 62nd lieutenant governor of Vermont from 1941 to 1945, and as the 66th governor of Vermont fro ...
adhered to tradition and left office after one term, Wing would likely have won the Republican nomination. In a state where only Republicans held statewide office from the 1850s to the 1960s, Wing would almost certainly have been elected Governor in 1946.
[The Vermont Political Tradition and Those Who Helped Make It, by William T. Doyle, 1992 edition]
Death and political ramifications
Wing's plans to run for Governor were ended when he died of a heart attack at his home in Rutland on December 19, 1945. He was buried in Rutland's
Evergreen Cemetery.
As a result of Wing's death,
Ernest W. Gibson, Jr.
Ernest William Gibson Jr. (March 6, 1901 – November 4, 1969) was an American attorney, politician, and judge. He served briefly as an appointed United States Senator, as the 67th governor of Vermont, and as a federal judge.
Born in Brattleb ...
, an officer on Wing's staff during the war, ran for the Republican nomination, defeated Governor Proctor, and won the 1946 general election.
Awards and honors
General Wing's military awards and decorations included the
Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a high award of a nation.
Examples include:
*Distinguished Service Medal (Australia) (established 1991), awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force for distinguished leadership in action
* Distinguishe ...
,
Silver Star
The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...
,
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...
, and
Bronze Star
The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone.
Wh ...
.
Norwich University awarded Wing honorary Master of Science (1938) and Master of Military Science (1946) degrees.
Personal
Leonard F. Wing was married twice. In 1919 he married Bernice Kidder (1894–1923), with whom he had a son. In 1924 Wing married Margaret Dorothy Clark (or Clarke) (1897–1960), with whom he had a son and a daughter.
[US Census Entry, Leonard F. Wing family, 1930]
Leonard F. Wing, Jr. (1923–2005), also a
Norwich University
Norwich University – The Military College of Vermont is a private senior military college in Northfield, Vermont. It is the oldest private and senior military college in the United States and offers bachelor's and master's degrees on-campus ...
graduate, and World War II veteran who was taken prisoner by the Germans and later escaped. He became a prominent attorney who served as President of the Vermont Bar Association. The younger Leonard Wing served in the Vermont National Guard, attaining 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 ...
as commander of the
86th Armored Brigade in the late 1960s. In 1991 he endowed the Major General Leonard F. Wing Scholarship at Norwich University.
Bruce Clark Wing was born in Rutland on February 5, 1925, and died in Rutland on May 11, 2000.
Patricia Margaret Wing was born in Rutland in 1926.
The Wing family remained prominent in Vermont legal circles, including Leonard Wing, Jr.'s daughter, Joan Loring Wing, (1948–2009), an attorney in Rutland who served as President of the Vermont Bar Association.
Annual Report
, published by Vermont Bar Association, 2008
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wing, Leonard Fish Sr.
1893 births
People from Rutland County, Vermont
Vermont lawyers
Vermont Republicans
National Guard (United States) generals
United States Army generals
United States Army personnel of World War I
United States Army generals of World War II
Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army)
Recipients of the Silver Star
Recipients of the Legion of Merit
1945 deaths
Norwich University alumni
Burials at Evergreen Cemetery (Rutland, Vermont)
Vermont National Guard personnel
20th-century American lawyers