Raymond H. Fleming (July 5, 1889—November 23, 1974) was a United States Army Major General who served as Chief of the National Guard Bureau, commander of the 39th Infantry Division (the "Delta Division"), and Adjutant General of Louisiana.

Early life

Raymond Hartwell Fleming was born in Waxahachie, Texas, on July 5, 1889. He graduated from San Antonio's Trinity University in 1915 and moved to Louisiana.

Pancho Villa Expedition

Fleming joined the Louisiana National Guard in 1916 and served on the Mexican border during the Pancho Villa Expedition, attaining the rank of

Sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...

World War I

In 1917 Fleming received 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 ...

. Assigned to the

141st Field Artillery Regiment The 141st Field Artillery Regiment (Washington Artillery) is a United States field artillery regiment. History The 141st Field Artillery is an historic American military unit that is currently part of the Louisiana Army National Guard headqu ...

, he served in France throughout World War I, advancing to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

as commander of

Battery Battery most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source *Automotive battery, a device to provide power t ...

D. His unit was mustered out in 1919, and he returned to Louisiana.

Post World War I

After the war Fleming continued his membership in the Louisiana National Guard and took part in its reorganization. He commanded Batteries A and D of the 141st Field Artillery Regiment as a captain, and continued to advance through the ranks in command and staff positions of increasing responsibility. He graduated from the United States Army Command and General Staff College in 1925 and the United States Army War College in 1928. Fleming also continued his academic studies by undertaking post-graduate work in economics and labor relations at Tulane University.

Adjutant General of Louisiana

In 1928 Fleming was appointed Adjutant General of the Louisiana National Guard with the rank of brigadier general. He continued to serve in this position until 1948. Seen as an ally of the political organization run by

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

Huey Long and Governor

O.K. Allen Oscar Kelly Allen Sr. (August 8, 1882 – January 28, 1936), also known as O. K. Allen, was the 42nd Governor of Louisiana from 1932 to 1936. Allen succeeded Alvin Olin King, who served briefly in the state's highest office after Huey Long ...

, in 1934 Fleming deployed National Guardsmen to the offices of election officials in New Orleans when Allen declared martial law during a disputed election between the Long-Allen group and a group headed by Mayor

T. Semmes Walmsley Thomas Semmes Walmsley (June 10, 1889 – June 19, 1942) was the mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana from July 1929 to June 1936. He is best known for his intense rivalry, reconciliation, and then resumption of hostilities with Governor Huey Pierc ...

. In response, Walmsley deployed hundreds of New Orleans police officers. Fleming was charged with

contempt of court Contempt of court, often referred to simply as "contempt", is the crime of being disobedient to or disrespectful toward a court of law and its officers in the form of behavior that opposes or defies the authority, justice, and dignity of the cour ...

for refusing a judge's order to dismiss the troops. The dispute was resolved when the National Guard vacated the election offices (while remaining in New Orleans) and the police stood down, and the election proceeded as planned. When Long was assassinated in 1935, Fleming commanded the honor guard for his funeral. From 1940 to 1946 Fleming also commanded the 55th Cavalry Brigade, a unit of the

23rd Cavalry Division Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (disambiguation) * Third Avenue (disambiguation) * High ...

. From 1940 to 1947 Fleming also concurrently served during World War II as the federal Director of Selective Service for Louisiana.

Post World War II

In 1946 Fleming was named commander of the 39th Infantry Division, an assignment he carried out while still serving as Adjutant General. He was promoted to major general in 1947.

National Guard Bureau

Fleming was appointed Chief of the

Army Division A division is a large military unit or Formation (military), formation, usually consisting of between 6,000 and 25,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades; in turn, several divisions typically mak ...

at the

National Guard Bureau The National Guard Bureau is the federal instrument responsible for the administration of the National Guard established by the United States Congress as a joint bureau of the Department of the Army and the Department of the Air Force. It was cre ...

in 1947. He was the first individual to hold this post, which was created as a result of the founding of the

Air National Guard The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the ter ...

. The Chief of the Army Division and Chief of the Air Division each reported to the Chief of the National Guard Bureau. In 1948 also took on an additional assignment as an Assistant to

Lewis B. Hershey Lewis Blaine Hershey (September 12, 1893May 20, 1977) was a United States Army general who served as the second Director of the Selective Service System, the means by which the United States administers its military conscription. Early life H ...

, the federal Director of Selective Service. In 1950 Fleming was named acting Chief of the National Guard Bureau, succeeding

Kenneth F. Cramer Kenneth F. Cramer (October 3, 1894 – February 20, 1954) was an American politician and United States Army major general who served as Chief of the National Guard Bureau. Early life and education Kenneth Frank Cramer was born in Gloversville, N ...

. In 1951 Fleming's nomination was confirmed, and he served as NGB Chief until reaching the federal military's mandatory retirement age in 1953. In 1951 he was succeeded as commander of the 39th Infantry Division by Joseph A. Redding.

Return as Adjutant General

In 1952 Fleming was reappointed as Louisiana's Adjutant General, serving until 1956. He resumed the Adjutant General's post again in 1960, serving until his 1964 retirement.

Awards and decorations

Fleming's awards included the

Distinguished Service Medal (U.S. Army) The Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a military decoration of the United States Army that is presented to soldiers who have distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious service to the government in a duty of great responsibility. Th ...

and

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 ...

Retirement and death

In retirement Fleming resided in New Orleans. He died there on November 23, 1974, and was buried in Waxahachie's Hillcrest Burial Park Cemetery.

Legacy

The headquarters building at

Jackson Barracks Jackson Barracks is the headquarters of the Louisiana National Guard. It is located in the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans, Louisiana. The base was established in 1834 and was originally known as New Orleans Barracks. On July 7, 1866, it was renam ...

was named Fleming Hall. The building was damaged during

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...

, but has since been rehabilitated. It is now used for ceremonies, conferences and other meetings.Gibbs Construction
Modernization of Fleming Hall, Jackson Barracks
2010

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fleming, Raymond H. 1889 births 1974 deaths Trinity University (Texas) alumni People from Waxahachie, Texas Military personnel from New Orleans United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni United States Army War College alumni United States Army personnel of World War I United States Army generals National Guard (United States) generals Chiefs of the National Guard Bureau Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) Recipients of the Legion of Merit United States Army generals of World War II Military personnel from Texas