Theodore Leslie Futch (January 19, 1895 – January 18, 1992) was a

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, ...

officer with 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 appointe ...

. He spent his whole army career in the Field Artillery Branch.

Early life

Theodore Leslie Futch was born on January 19, 1895, in

Monroe, North Carolina Monroe is a city in and the county seat of Union County, North Carolina, United States. The population increased from 32,797 in 2010 to 34,551 in 2020. It is within the rapidly growing Charlotte metropolitan area. Monroe has a council-manager ...

. He attended the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

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 ...

and graduated there on August 30, 1917. He was also commissioned

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 unt ...

Field Artillery Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, short range, long range, and extremely long range target engagement. Until the early 20t ...

on the same date. Many of his West Point classmates later became general officers during World War II. For example:

J. Lawton Collins General Joseph Lawton Collins (May 1, 1896 – September 12, 1987) was a senior United States Army officer. During World War II, he served in both the Pacific and European Theaters of Operations, one of a few senior American commanders to do so. ...

Mark W. Clark Mark Wayne Clark (May 1, 1896 – April 17, 1984) was a United States Army officer who saw service during World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. He was the youngest four-star general in the US Army during World War II. During World War I ...

Daniel Noce Daniel Noce (1894−1976) was a U.S. Army Lieutenant General who served in both world wars. Over his decorated military career he rose to the position of Inspector General of the Army. Following his retirement from the armed forces, he served as ...

, Ernest N. Harmon, Laurence B. Keiser, Milton B. Halsey,

Charles H. Gerhardt Major General Charles Hunter Gerhardt (June 6, 1895 – October 9, 1976) was a senior United States Army officer who fought in both World War I and World War II. During the latter, he commanded the 29th Infantry Division from 1943 until the end ...

, William K. Harrison, Jr.,

Robert W. Hasbrouck Robert W. Hasbrouck (February 2, 1896 - August 19, 1985) was a career officer in the United States Army. He attained the rank of major general and was a recipient of numerous awards and decorations, including the Army Distinguished Service Medal, ...

Bryant Moore Major General Bryant Edward Moore (June 6, 1894 – February 24, 1951) was a United States Army officer who commanded the 8th Infantry Division during and after World War II, and the IX Corps in the Korean War. Biography Early life and military ...

, Harris M. Melasky, William W. Eagles,

Norman Schwarzkopf, Sr. Herbert Norman Schwarzkopf (; August 28, 1895 – November 25, 1958) was the first superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. He is best known for his involvement in the Lindbergh kidnapping case. He was the father of General Norman Schwa ...

, Miles A. Cowles, Henry A. Barber, Jr., Theodore E. Buechler,

John T. Cole John Tupper Cole (July 23, 1895 – April 24, 1975) was a highly decorated officer in the United States Army with the rank of Brigadier General. A graduate of the United States Military Academy and veteran of both World Wars, he is most noted f ...

, Harold A. Nisley, Horace Harding,

Charles S. Kilburn Charles S. Kilburn (January 2, 1895 – December 28, 1978) was a career officer in the United States Army who attained the rank of brigadier general and was most notable for his World War II command of the 11th Armored Division from 1944 to 1945 ...

George H. Weems George Hatton Weems (September 27, 1891 - February 25, 1957) was a highly decorated officer in the United States Army with the rank of Brigadier General. A graduate of the United States Military Academy, he was decorated with Distinguished Serv ...

or William O. Reeder. Futch served in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

and was appointed an aide de camp to Brigadier General Harry G. Bishop, who served as commander of the 3rd Artillery Brigade. He served in this capacity until 1919, when he was transferred back to the States, where he was appointed a professor of military science and tactics at Iowa State College. In 1926, Futch attended the Battery Officer's Course at

United States Army Field Artillery School The United States Army Field Artillery School (USAFAS) trains Field Artillery Soldiers and Marines in tactics, techniques, and procedures for the employment of fire support systems in support of the maneuver commander. The school further deve ...

Fort Sill Fort Sill is a United States Army post north of Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles (136.8 km) southwest of Oklahoma City. It covers almost . The fort was first built during the Indian Wars. It is designated as a National Historic Landmark ...

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...

. Subsequently, served there as an instructor until 1930. While serving as a captain with the

13th Field Artillery Regiment The 13th Field Artillery Regiment is a field artillery regiment of the United States Army first formed in 1916. History The 13th Field Artillery was constituted 1 July 1916 in the Regular Army at Camp Stewart, Texas. Lineage Constituted 1 Ju ...

Oahu, Hawaii Oahu () ( Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over two-thirds of the population of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The island of O’ ...

, he saved a life from drowning of Private First Class Alexander J. Kaye of the Service Battery. For this action, Futch was awarded with the

Soldier's Medal The Soldier's Medal is an individual decoration of the United States Army. It was introduced as Section 11 of the Air Corps Act, passed by the Congress of the United States on July 2, 1926., Appendix 5, p. 126. The Army' Soldier's Medal is equiv ...

. In 1935, Futch graduated from the

Command and General Staff School The United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC or, obsolete, USACGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military ...

Fort Leavenworth Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., and the oldest perma ...

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

. Then he served as a professor of military science and tactics at Alabama Polytechnic Institute until 1939.

World War II

During the year of 1939, Futch was transferred back to Hawaii, where he served with the 11th Field Artillery Brigade. In 1940, Futch was appointed commanding officer of the 3rd Battalion,

18th Field Artillery Regiment The 18th Field Artillery Regiment is a field artillery regiment of the United States Army first formed in 1916. History The '18th Field Artillery was organized 1 June 1917 in the Regular Army. Lineage Distinctive unit insignia *Description A ...

. His next service assignment was back at

, where he was appointed executive officer of the

Field Artillery School The United States Army Field Artillery School (USAFAS) trains Field Artillery Soldiers and Marines in tactics, techniques, and procedures for the employment of fire support systems in support of the maneuver commander. The school further develop ...

. In 1942, he was appointed an assistant commander of the Field Artillery School. In December 1942, Futch was transferred to the XIII Corps under command of Major General

Emil F. Reinhardt Major General Emil Fred Reinhardt (October 27, 1888 – July 24, 1969) was a senior United States Army officer. He is most noted during World War II as commander of the 69th Infantry Division, which became the first American unit to come into co ...

, where he was appointed the corps' artillery commander. He spent his time with the corps in the states, and in November 1943, he was promoted to the rank of

. In 1944, he was transferred to the 35th Infantry Division under the command of Major General

Paul W. Baade Major general (United States), Major General Paul William Baade (April 16, 1889 – October 9, 1959) was a highly decorated United States Army officer. The United States Military Academy (USMA) alumni and veteran of World War I, he is most noted ...

as its artillery commander. Then, he was sent to the

European Theater The European theatre of World War II was one of the two main theatres of combat during World War II. It saw heavy fighting across Europe for almost six years, starting with Germany's invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 and ending with the ...

. With 35th Division, Futch participated in many battles of World War II, including in

Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...

, the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

and

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. Futch stayed with the 35th Division until September 1945, where the Division returned to the states. For his service with the 35th Infantry Division during the war, Futch was awarded with the

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 ...

, four

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 and multiple foreign decorations.

Postwar life

On September 25, 1945, Futch was appointed the commanding general of

Fort Bragg Fort Bragg is a military installation of the United States Army in North Carolina, and is one of the largest military installations in the world by population, with around 54,000 military personnel. The military reservation is located within Cum ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

and stayed in this capacity until the beginning of January 1946. Futch then served as executive officer of the Civilian Components at

Fort McPherson Fort McPherson was a U.S. Army military base located in Atlanta, Georgia, bordering the northern edge of the city of East Point, Georgia. It was the headquarters for the U.S. Army Installation Management Command, Southeast Region; the U.S. Ar ...

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 ...

, before he was transferred to

The Citadel The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, commonly known simply as The Citadel, is a Public college, public United States senior military college, senior military college in Charleston, South Carolina. Established in 1842, it is one ...

, where he was a Professor of Military Science & Tactics until 1950. His last military assignment was as commanding general of the

Fort Indiantown Gap Fort Indiantown Gap, also referred to as "The Gap" or "FIG", is a census-designated place and National Guard Training Center primarily located in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. A portion of the installation is located in eastern Daup ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, where he retired on August 31, 1954. Following his retirement, he served as the commandant of cadets at Lyman Ward Military Academy in

Camp Hill, Alabama Camp Hill is a town in Tallapoosa County, Alabama, United States. It was incorporated in 1895. At the 2010 census the population was 1,014, down from 1,273 in 2000. Camp Hill is the home to Southern Preparatory Academy (formerly known as "Lyman Wa ...

, from 1959 through 1967.

Personal life

Futch married three times: He married his second wife in 1925 to Ida Reid Calhoun, with whom he had a daughter, Ida. They divorced in 1929, but Futch married again in 1931 to Margaret McLean Chase and had a son, David, and two daughters, Ellen and Katherine.

Decorations

Here is Brigadier General Futch's ribbon bar:

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Futch, Theodore Leslie 1895 births 1992 deaths United States Army Field Artillery Branch personnel People from Monroe, North Carolina Military personnel from North Carolina United States Military Academy alumni United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni Burials at Arlington National Cemetery United States Army personnel of World War I Recipients of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Soldier's Medal Recipients of the Legion of Honour Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France) United States Army generals of World War II United States Army generals Auburn University faculty Iowa State University faculty