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 ...

William Remsburg Grove (May 16, 1872 – August 6, 1952) was an American soldier who received the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

. During the

Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War or Filipino–American War ( es, Guerra filipina-estadounidense, tl, Digmaang Pilipino–Amerikano), previously referred to as the Philippine Insurrection or the Tagalog Insurgency by the United States, was an arm ...

, he charged against a group of rebels and assisted his commanding officer (

J. Franklin Bell James Franklin Bell (January 9, 1856 – January 8, 1919) was an officer in the United States Army who served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1906 to 1910. Bell was a major general in the Regular United States Army, commanding ...

) in killing or capturing all of them while armed with only a pistol. For this he was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1902.

Early life

William Grove was born in Montezuma, Iowa, on May 16, 1872. He was the second of ten children born to Silas Wright and Angeline (née Crowell) Gove. Silas Grove fought with Company E, 15th Iowa Infantry during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. In his youth, Grove’s family owned various newspapers in Iowa, Kansas and Colorado. All family members were expected to assist the fledgling newspapers, and Grove began working as a

printer's devil A printer's devil was a young apprentice in a printing establishment who performed a number of tasks, such as mixing tubs of ink and fetching type. Notable writers including Ambrose Bierce, Benjamin Franklin, Walt Whitman, and Mark Twain served ...

at eight years old. In 1892, he enlisted in the

Colorado National Guard The Colorado National Guard consists of the Colorado Army National Guard and Colorado Air National Guard, forming the state of Colorado's component to the United States National Guard. Founded in 1860, the Colorado National Guard falls under t ...

, rising from the rank of

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

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 ...

by May 1, 1898.

Military career

At the outbreak of the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...

, Grove was serving as the assistant adjutant general for Colorado. Colorado's initial contribution of troops to the war came in the form of the

1st Colorado Infantry Regiment The 1st Colorado Infantry Regiment (officially the 1st Regiment of Colorado Volunteers) was a volunteer infantry regiment of the United States Army formed in the Colorado Territory in 1861 and active in the American West in the late 19th century. ...

. Grove's promotion to captain came at this time, and the unit was deployed to 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 June. After the end of hostilities with Spain, the unit was retained to prepare for the Philippine Insurrection expected to follow. During this preparation, Grove was promoted to

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

on September 27, 1898. After the 1st Colorado Infantry were relieved by the 36th U. S. Volunteer Infantry, Grove joined that unit and was subsequently promoted to

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

on July 5, 1899. On December 24, 1899, he was promoted 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 ...

. While in the Philippines, Grove participated in 32 hostile engagements, was wounded once, promoted three times, received five citations for bravery, and was twice recommended for the Medal of Honor. He was also recommended for

brevet Brevet may refer to: Military * Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay * Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college * Aircre ...

promotions and specifically called out by

, future

Chief of Staff of the United States Army The chief of staff of the Army (CSA) is a statutory position in the United States Army held by a general officer. As the highest-ranking officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Army, the chief is the principal military advisor and a ...

, for his heroism. Then Colonel Bell was Grove’s commanding officer, and was the colonel mentioned in Grove’s Medal of Honor citation. Then Major General

Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was C ...

agreed, and personally recommended him for commission in the regular army. Following his return to the United States in March 1901, Grove accepted a regular army commission as a captain and went on to serve various tours as quartermaster and commissary. One of these included his return to the Philippines, where he received high praise from Major General John F. Weston. He was promoted to major in December 1911. In April 1913, he was placed in charge of subsistence (food service) in support of the

1913 Gettysburg reunion The 1913 Gettysburg reunion was a Gettysburg Battlefield encampment of American Civil War veterans for the Battle of Gettysburg's 50th anniversary. The June 29–July 4 gathering of 53,407 veterans (~8,750 Confederate) was the largest ever Civil ...

, again receiving high praise from many, including Major General Leonard Wood and Pennsylvania Governor

John K. Tener John Kinley Tener (July 25, 1863May 19, 1946) was a Northern Irish born American politician and Major League Baseball player and executive. He served as the 25th List of governors of Pennsylvania, Governor of Pennsylvania from 1911 until 1915. ...

. In 1914, he was ordered to the Panama Canal to subsequently serve as the chief quartermaster under then military

Governor of Panama Canal Zone The following is a list of governors of the Panama Canal Zone while it was under U.S. control. Military governors (1904–1914) Military and civil governors (1914–1924) Civil governors (1924–1979) See also *Panama Canal Zone Notes Ex ...

, General

George Washington Goethals George Washington Goethals ( June 29, 1858 – January 21, 1928) was a United States Army General and civil engineer, best known for his administration and supervision of the construction and the opening of the Panama Canal. He was the State E ...

. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in June 1917. At the outbreak of the United States' entry into

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 ...

, Goethals was brought back to active duty to serve as Acting Quartermaster General of the United States Army. Goebels, impressed by Grove's service in Panama, immediately tasked Grove to "take charge of everything connected with feeding the Army." Grove was promoted to colonel on January 12, 1918. Grove then reorganized the subsistence division and made it ready to serve the growing wartime army, both at home and abroad. In June 1918, Grove was sent to France to ensure efficient transfer of supplies to the front lines. In October, Groves was reassigned to Paris to serve as Chief Purchasing Officer under General

Charles G. Dawes Charles Gates Dawes (August 27, 1865 – April 23, 1951) was an American banker, general, diplomat, composer, and Republican politician who was the 30th vice president of the United States from 1925 to 1929 under Calvin Coolidge. He was a co-reci ...

, where he served until December 22, 1918. For his war time service, he was awarded the United States

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 ...

. He was also awarded France’s

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...

(Officier). On April 1, 1924, the War Department conferred on him five Silver Citation Stars for his Philippine Campaign Medal. He was awarded he

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 ...

with four oak leaf clusters and the

Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, w ...

when both decorations were created in 1932.

Postwar

His work supporting the U.S. Army in France impressed future

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Herbert Hoover Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was an American politician who served as the 31st president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 and a member of the Republican Party, holding office during the onset of the Gr ...

, then in charge of the

American Relief Administration American Relief Administration (ARA) was an American relief mission to Europe and later post-revolutionary Russia after World War I. Herbert Hoover, future president of the United States, was the program director. The ARA's immediate predeces ...

, who sent Grove to Poland to oversee the 100 million dollar effort there. His success was noted by both Hoover and Ignacy Jan Paderewski, the first Prime Minister of Poland. The

Republic of Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

awarded him the

Order of Polonia Restituta The Order of Polonia Restituta ( pl, Order Odrodzenia Polski, en, Order of Restored Poland) is a Polish state decoration, state Order (decoration), order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on al ...

in recognition of his service to their country. When he returned from Europe, Grove resigned from the army and entered private business. He spent nine months in

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Chicago with Wilson and Company meat packers and two years in Rockaway, New Jersey with the 4-One Box Machine Makers (now the Stapling Machines Company). In 1922, Herbert Hoover requested he lead the Ukraine section of the Joint Distribution Committee for Relief Work, under the auspices of the

’s effort during the

Russian famine of 1921–22 Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

. In May 1923, Grove returned to work for Wilson and Company, where he remained until 1940. He managed several locations from 1923 to 1930. In 1931, he was elected vice president of the company, serving in their Chicago office. In 1940, Grove retired to

Laurel, Florida Laurel is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sarasota County, Florida, Sarasota County, Florida, United States. The population was 8,171 at the 2010 census. Laurel is part of the North Port, Florida, North Port–Sarasota, Florida, Sarasota ...

. He began research into horticulture and experimented with planting tropical fruit in the area. The final result was his establishing the lychee as a staple crop of the region. He is also credited with the first ever using

plastic wrap Plastic wrap, cling film, Saran wrap, cling wrap, Glad wrap or food wrap is a thin plastic film typically used for sealing food items in containers to keep them fresh over a longer period of time. Plastic wrap, typically sold on rolls in boxes ...

to augment

air layering Layering has evolved as a common means of vegetative propagation of numerous species in natural environments. Layering is also utilized by horticulturists to propagate desirable plants. Natural layering typically occurs when a branch touches ...

of plants, a method he started in 1947 in the course of propagating lychee.

Personal life

On December 7, 1897, Grove married Flora Graham in

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

. They had two sons: William Remsburg Grove, Jr. (1902-1978) and Graham Crowell Grove (1904-1915). William Remsburg Grove, Jr. graduated from 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 ...

in 1923, served in the U.S. Army and retired in Florida as a colonel. On July 25, 1952, Grove suffered a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

and was transported to Venice Memorial Hospital, where he died on August 6, 1952. In accordance with his will, he was cremated and inurned in Manasota Memorial Park, in Bradenton, Florida.

Awards and honors

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Lieutenant Colonel, 36th Infantry, U.S. Volunteers. Place and date: Near Porac, Luzon, Philippine Islands, 9 September 1899. Entered service at: Denver, Colo. Birth: Montezuma, Iowa. Date of issue: 16 July 1902. Citation:

In advance of his regiment, rushed to the assistance of his colonel, charging, pistol in hand, seven insurgents, and compelling surrender of all not killed or wounded.

Distinguished Service Medal

Citation:

For exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services as assistant to the Chief of the Supply Division, Quartermaster General’s Office, a position of great responsibility. He was charged with the procurement of the subsistence supplies of the army in the United States and France, and to him is due the organization of the subsistence division of the Office of the Quartermaster General. In cooperation with the Food Administration, he made arrangements for the procurement of all subsistence supplies required for the Army. He rendered services of much value.

Silver Star citations

For gallantry in action in connection with operations against a hostile force, August 1898, near Fort San Antonio de Abad, Philippine Islands. For gallantry in action against Insurgent forces near
Manila 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 populate ...
, Philippine Islands, February 5, 1899. For gallantry in action against Insurgent forces at
Bacolor Bacolor, officially the Municipality of Bacolor ( pam, Balen ning Bakúlud; tgl, Bayan ng Bacolor), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 48,066 people. Bacolor ...
,
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 ...
, Philippine Islands, August 9, 1899. For gallantry in action against Insurgent forces near Porac, Luzon, Philippine Islands, October 17, 1899. For gallantry in action against Insurgent forces near Porac, Luzon, Philippine Islands, November 3, 1899.

Other military awards

* Spanish Campaign Medal * Philippine Campaign Medal * World War I Victory Medal

Bibliography

Grove also authored books based on his experiences in Poland and in propagating Lychees. * *

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Grove, William Remsburg United States Army officers American military personnel of the Philippine–American War United States Army Medal of Honor recipients Officers of the Legion of Honour Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States) Recipients of the Order of Polonia Restituta People from Montezuma, Iowa 1872 births 1952 deaths Philippine–American War recipients of the Medal of Honor Burials in Florida Military personnel from Iowa United States Army personnel of World War I