Peter Conover Hains III (May 11, 1901 – July 3, 1998) was an

American 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, pe ...

Army

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

officer and major general who competed in the

1928 Olympic games 1928 Olympics may refer to: *The 1928 Winter Olympics, which were held in St. Moritz, Switzerland *The 1928 Summer Olympics, which were held in Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most po ...

in the

modern pentathlon The modern pentathlon is an Olympic sport consisting of fencing (one-touch épée), freestyle swimming, equestrian show jumping, pistol shooting, and cross country running. The event is inspired by the traditional pentathlon held during the anci ...

. Hains graduated from West Point in 1924, where he ranked 162nd in his class. Hains' family had a long legacy of military service, with his great grandfather, grandfather, and uncle all serving as high-ranking military officers. Hains' father

Peter Hains Peter Conover Hains Jr. (January 9, 1872 - February 5, 1955) was a United States Army captain convicted of killing his wife's lover. The case became a sensational murder trial in New York City in 1908. He was the son of Major General Peter Conov ...

was involved in an infamous murder scandal in New York City in 1909. General Hains served as commander of the First Armored Regiment in North Africa during the war. He was also armored adviser for the European invasion and then was assigned to the Pacific to help plan an invasion of Japan. ANCExplorer Peter C

After the war, he was assigned to Washington as deputy director of the office of the secretary of defense. General Hains was later deputy commanding general of the Second Army, chief of the military assistance advisory group in Yugoslavia, chief of staff of the Fourth Army and chief of the military advisory group in Thailand. His honors included a

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 ...

, a Distinguished Service Medal, three

Legions 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 ...

, two

Bronze Star Medal 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 ...

s, a Purple Heart and an Army Commendation Medal. He died at Fort Belvoir, Virginia on July 3, 1998, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

References

1901 births 1998 deaths People from Winthrop, Massachusetts United States Military Academy alumni United States Army generals Burials at Arlington National Cemetery Modern pentathletes at the 1928 Summer Olympics Olympic modern pentathletes for the United States American male modern pentathletes Sportspeople from Suffolk County, Massachusetts Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) United States Army personnel of World War II United States Army personnel of the Korean War Military personnel from Massachusetts {{US-modern-pentathlon-bio-stub

See also

References