Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

Paul Wilkins Kendall (July 17, 1898 – October 3, 1983) was a senior

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 ...

officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...

who served 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 ...

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 ...

and

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

Early life and military career

Paul Wilkins Kendall (1898–1983) at West Point in 1918

Kendall was born on July 17, 1898, in

Baldwin City, Kansas Baldwin City is a city in Douglas County, Kansas, United States, about south of Lawrence. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 4,826. The city is home to Baker University, the state's oldest four-year university. History ...

, and raised in

Sheridan, Wyoming Sheridan is a town in the U.S. state of Wyoming and the county seat of Sheridan County. The town is located halfway between Yellowstone Park and Mount Rushmore by U.S. Route 14 and 16. It is the principal town of the Sheridan, Wyoming, Micropol ...

. In 1916, during

(although the

American entry into World War I American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry ...

did not occur until April 1917), he obtained an appointment to 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 ...

(USMA) at

West Point, New York West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States. Located on the Hudson River in New York, West Point was identified by General George Washington as the most important strategic position in America during the Ame ...

, from which he graduated in November 1918, receiving his commission 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 ...

into the Infantry Branch of the

. By the time he graduated, the war had come to an end with the signing of the

Armistice An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the La ...

Siberian Campaign

Kendall attended the Infantry School of Arms at

Fort Benning Fort Benning is a United States Army post near Columbus, Georgia, adjacent to the Alabama–Georgia border. Fort Benning supports more than 120,000 active-duty military, family members, reserve component soldiers, retirees and civilian employees ...

, Georgia, from late 1918 to early 1919. After completing his training, he was assigned to the

27th Infantry Regiment The 27th Infantry Regiment, nicknamed the "Wolfhounds", is a regiment of the United States Army established in 1901, that served in the Philippine–American War, in the Siberian Intervention after World War I, and as part of the 25th Infant ...

during the Siberian Campaign. Kendall participated in an action on January 10, 1920, for which he received 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) *Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom) *Distinguished Service Cross (U ...

Post-Siberian Campaign

Kendall carried out a variety of assignments in the 1920s and '30s, including a posting to

Fort Logan Fort Logan was a military installation located eight miles southwest of Denver, Colorado. It was established in October 1887, when the first soldiers camped on the land, and lasted until 1946, when it was closed following the end of World War I ...

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

with the 38th Infantry Regiment in 1923 and served as an Instructor in the Department of English and History at the

from 1925 to 1930 and later at

Northwestern Military and Naval Academy Northwestern Military Academy (founded 1888) was a high school in Linn, Wisconsin which was founded by Harlan Page Davidson. Originally located in Highland Park, Illinois, the school was relocated to the town of Linn, Wisconsin on the south shore o ...

. Kendall also performed duty in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

and 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 ...

. In 1936, Kendall graduated from the Command & General Staff College. In the early 1940s, he served in a staff assignment at the Office of the Chief of Staff in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

World War II

At the start of

, Kendall was assigned as Chief of Staff of the 85th Infantry Division. He then served as Assistant Division Commander of the 84th Infantry Division, receiving a promotion 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 ...

. From September 1944 to July 1945, Kendall was commander of the "Blue Devils" of the 88th Infantry Division and 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 a ...

. The division's second World War II commander, he led it during its assault through

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

, including the capture of

Vicenza Vicenza ( , ; ) is a city in northeastern Italy. It is in the Veneto region at the northern base of the ''Monte Berico'', where it straddles the Bacchiglione River. Vicenza is approximately west of Venice and east of Milan. Vicenza is a th ...

and

Verona Verona ( , ; vec, Verona or ) is a city on the Adige River in Veneto, Northern Italy, Italy, with 258,031 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region. It is the largest city Comune, municipality in the region and the ...

. During the war, Kendall received the

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 ...

for heroism on three occasions, two in 1944 and one in 1945.

Post-World War II

From June 1946 to May 1948, Kendall was commander of the 2nd Infantry Division. In 1951, Kendall was assigned to occupation duty in Austria as commander of the American Zone. He was in that position until 1952, then he returned to the United States for a short assignment as commander of

VI Corps 6 Corps, 6th Corps, Sixth Corps, or VI Corps may refer to: France * VI Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry formation of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars * VI Corps (Grande Armée), a formation of the Imperial French army du ...

Camp Atterbury Camp Atterbury-Muscatatuck is a federally-owned military post, licensed to and operated by the Indiana National Guard, located in south-central Indiana, west of Edinburgh, Indiana and U.S. Route 31. The camp's mission is to provide full logis ...

, Indiana.

Korean War

In June 1952, Kendall became commander of

I Corps I Corps, 1st Corps, or First Corps may refer to: France * 1st Army Corps (France) * I Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * I Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French A ...

, receiving promotion to

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

. He led the corps as it manned a defensive line until the end of 1952. In January 1953, the corps took part in an offensive with troops of the 1st Republic of Korea (ROK) Division, attacking the enemy at Big Nori. Beginning in March, the North Koreans and Chinese continually attacked I Corps positions, and I Corps began a phased withdrawal that resulted in numerous enemy casualties. Kendall turned command of I Corps over to

Bruce C. Clarke Bruce Cooper Clarke (April 29, 1901 – March 17, 1988) was a United States Army general. He was a career officer who served in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. He was the commander of Continental Army Command from 1958 to 1960, C ...

in April 1953.

Post-Korean War

After leaving I Corps, Kendall was assigned as Deputy Commanding General, US Army Forces Far East, in

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 ...

. In 1954, Kendall was assigned as commander of Allied Land Forces Southeastern Europe in Izmir, Turkey, where he served until his 1955 retirement.

Personal life

General Kendall was married to Ruth Child Pistole (November 10, 1900 – January 29, 1985). They had two daughters, Jean and Elizabeth. Jean was the wife of

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...

officer Neal D. Baumgardner and Elizabeth was the wife of

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

officer Raymond O. Miller.

Retirement and death

Kendall retired to

Palo Alto, California Palo Alto (; Spanish language, Spanish for "tall stick") is a charter city in the northwestern corner of Santa Clara County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area, named after a Sequoia sempervirens, coastal redwood tree kno ...

, where he died on October 3, 1983. He was buried at

West Point Cemetery West Point Cemetery is a historic cemetery in the eastern United States, on the grounds of the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York. It overlooks the Hudson River, and served as a burial ground for Revolutionary War soldiers and early ...

Citation for Distinguished Service Cross

The official U.S. Army citation for Kendall's Distinguished Service Cross reads: :General Orders: War Department, General Orders No. 35 (1920) :Action Date: January 10, 1920 :Name: Paul Wilkins Kendall :Service: Army :Rank: Second Lieutenant :Regiment: 27th Infantry :Division: American Expeditionary Forces (Siberia) :Citation: ''The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Second Lieutenant (Infantry) Paul W. Kendall, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism while serving with 27th Infantry, 33d Division, A.E.F. (Siberia), in action at Posolskaya, Siberia, 10 January 1920. Lieutenant Kendall was in command of a detachment of his company when attacked by an armored train at 1 a.m. The detachment under his leadership and inspired by his example attacked and disabled the armored train and caused its surrender.''

Ribbon bar

Here is his ribbon bar:

References

External links

* Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the U.S Military Academy, by George Washington Cullum, 1920, Volume VI B, page 2052 * Russian Sideshow: America's Undeclared War, 1918–1920, by Robert L. Willett, 2003 * U.S. Army Recruiting News, published by the U.S. Army Adjutant General, 1923 * Annual Report of the Superintendent, United States Military Academy, 1925, page 27 * Official Army List and Directory, published by the U.S. Army Adjutant General, 1931 * Official Army List and Directory, published by the U.S. Army Adjutant General, 1941 * Draftee Division: the 88th Infantry Division in World War II, by John Sloan Brown, 1986
Blue Devils, the 88th Infantry Division and Mt. Mestas Research Web Site

United States Army Center of Military History The United States Army Center of Military History (CMH) is a directorate within the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command. The Institute of Heraldry remains within the Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Arm ...

* The Korean War: a Historical Dictionary, by Paul M. Edwards, 2003 page 297 * Newspaper article
Gen. Kendall Sent to Frankfort
New York Times, March 9, 1948
Official Army List and Directory
published by the U.S. Army Adjutant General, Volume 1, 1949 * Newspaper article

Chicago Tribune, June 30, 1952 * ttps://archive.org/stream/officialarmyregi19541unit/officialarmyregi19541unit_djvu.txt Official Army List and Directory published by the U.S. Army Adjutant General, Volume 1, 1954 * Newspaper article
Kendall Commands
Hartford Courant, January 9, 1954 * Newspaper article

Hartford Courant, September 19, 1952 * Newspaper article, ttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dHIuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GYAFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1076,521132&dq=paul+kendall+army&hl=en Allied Land Forces Commander Named Modesto Bee, July 5, 1955 * Military News in San Francisco Daily Newspapers, by Robert Walter Gibson, 1956, page 28 * Register of graduates and former cadets of the United States Military Academy, published by U.S.M.A. Alumni Association, 1971, page 354 * Military Times, Hall of Heroes
Distinguished Service Cross Citation, Paul W. Kendall
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