Almerin C. O'Hara (November 10, 1910 – July 5, 1987) was a career officer in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

. A longtime member of the

New York Army National Guard The New York Army National Guard is a component of the New York National Guard and the Army National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the United States Army's available combat forces and approximate ...

, he attained the rank of major general and served as commander of the 27th Armored Division and as

Adjutant General of New York The Adjutant General of New York is the highest-ranking military official in the New York National Guard as the state adjutant general. The adjutant general is part of the state government's executive branch, and serves as head of the New Yo ...

. O'Hara was a veteran of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, and his military awards and decorations included the

Army Distinguished Service Medal 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. ...

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 a ...

Bronze Star Medal The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious a ...

with

oak leaf cluster An oak leaf cluster is a ribbon device to denote preceding decorations and awards consisting of a miniature bronze or silver twig of four oak leaves with three acorns on the stem. It is authorized by the United States Armed Forces for a spec ...

, and

Combat Infantryman Badge The Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) is a United States Army military decoration. The badge is awarded to infantrymen and Special Forces (United States Army), Special Forces soldiers in the rank of Colonel (United States), colonel and below, wh ...

. A native of

Hudson, New York Hudson is a Administrative divisions of New York#City, city in and the county seat of Columbia County, New York, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, it had a population of 5,894. On the east side of the Hudson River, f ...

, O'Hara was raised and educated in Hudson and enlisted in the National Guard in 1934. He soon received his commission as a second lieutenant of Infantry, and served until 1940, when his unit was federalized for army service during

. O'Hara advanced through the ranks to lieutenant colonel during the war as commander of 2nd Battalion, 106th Infantry Regiment and took part in several battles in the Pacific theater. After the war, he pursued a civilian career with the Universal Match Corporation while continuing to serve in the National Guard. O'Hara served as assistant division commander of the 27th Armored Division from 1954 to 1957, and received promotion to brigadier general. In 1957, he was promoted to major general and assigned to command the division. In 1959, O'Hara was appointed

, and he served until retiring from the military in 1971. From 1971 to 1975, O'Hara was commissioner of the New York State Office of General Services and director of the New York State Emergency Fuel Office. In retirement, O'Hara resided in

Boynton Beach, Florida Boynton Beach is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It is situated about north of Miami. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded a population of 80,380. Boynton Beach is located in the Mi ...

, and he was later a resident of a nursing home in Norway, Maine. He died in Norway on July 5, 1987, and was buried at Cedar Park Cemetery in Hudson.

Early life

Almerin Cartwright O'Hara was born in

on November 10, 1910, a son of Michael Joseph O'Hara (1883–1928) and Anna Drew (Cartwright) O'Hara (1886–1973). O'Hara was named for his maternal grandfather Almerin W. Cartwright (1855–1919), a prominent store owner and postmaster of

Roxbury, New York Roxbury is a town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic characte ...

. O'Hara was raised and educated in Hudson; following the 1928 death of his father, he worked as a soda dispenser at McKinstry's Drug Store in Hudson. In the mid-to-late 1930s, O'Hara worked as an insurance agent. O'Hara later pursued a civilian career with the Universal Match Company of

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...

; as a manager and executive, he had responsibility at different times for departments including sales and production. O'Hara was a director of the First National Bank of Hudson and a member of the Buffalo Chamber of Commerce. In addition, he was a member of the Buffalo Niagara Sales & Marketing Executives. O'Hara was also a member of the

Sons of the American Revolution The Sons of the American Revolution (SAR), formally the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (NSSAR), is a federally chartered patriotic organization. The National Society, a nonprofit corporation headquartered in Louisvi ...

by right of descent from Samuel Wright of

Sharon, Connecticut Sharon is a New England town, town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States, in the northwest corner of the state. At the time of the United States 2020 Census, 2020 census, the town had a total population ...

. Additionally, O'Hara was a member of the

Freemasons Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

Rotary International Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. The self-declared mission of Rotary, as stated on its website, is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and p ...

American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is an Voluntary association, organization of United States, U.S. war veterans headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It comprises U.S. state, state, Territories of the United States, U.S. terr ...

, and

Veterans of Foreign Wars The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), formally the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, is an Voluntary association, organization of United States Armed Forces, United States war veterans who fought in wars, Military campaign, campaig ...

. In addition, he served as president of Hudson's Columbia County Golf and Country Club.

Start of military career

In March 1934, O'Hara joined the

New York National Guard New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 19 ...

, enlisting as a

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 recorded ...

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is located on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River. Albany is the oldes ...

's Headquarters Company, 10th Infantry Regiment. He was discharged as an enlisted soldier on May 31 so that on June 1 he could accept a commission as a second lieutenant of

Infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

. On April 16, 1935, O'Hara's commission was confirmed in the National Guard of the United States. Prior to the start of

, he served with a 10th Infantry detachment in Hudson. In October 1940, O'Hara entered active duty for

, and the 10th New York Infantry Regiment was federalized as the 106th Infantry Regiment, a unit of the 27th Infantry Division. In 1941, he completed the Communications Course for Infantry officers, and in 1943 he graduated from the

United States Army Command and General Staff College 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 ...

. O'Hara served in the Pacific theater throughout the war, including assignments as commander of the regimental Headquarters Company, regimental Intelligence officer (S-2), and regimental operations officer (S-3). O'Hara later commanded 2nd Battalion, 106th Infantry Regiment, and he took part in the

Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign The Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign was a series of engagements fought from August 1942 to February 1944, in the Pacific War, Pacific theatre of World War II between the United States and Empire of Japan, Japan. They were the first battl ...

, including the battles of

Majuro Majuro (; Marshallese language, Marshallese: ' ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Marshall Islands. It is also a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean. It forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain, Ratak ( ...

Saipan Saipan () is the largest island and capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, an unincorporated Territories of the United States, territory of the United States in the western Pacific Ocean. According to 2020 estimates by the United States Cens ...

Okinawa most commonly refers to: * Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture * Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture * Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself * Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...

Iejima , previously romanized in English as Ie Shima, is an island in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, lying a few kilometers off the Motobu Peninsula on Okinawa Island. The island measures in circumference and covers . As of December 2012 the island had ...

, and

. Following the end of the war, O'Hara took part in the early stages of the

Occupation of Japan Japan was occupied and administered by the Allies of World War II from the surrender of the Empire of Japan on September 2, 1945, at the war's end until the Treaty of San Francisco took effect on April 28, 1952. The occupation, led by the ...

Continued military career

O'Hara had been promoted to lieutenant colonel by the end of the Second World War II, and in September 1945 he was released from active duty. He was then commissioned in the

United States Army Reserve The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a Military reserve force, reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed ...

, where he served until April 1947, when he rejoined the New York National Guard. In 1946, he was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Ass ...

. He served on the staff of the 27th Infantry Division until July 1949, when he was promoted to

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), 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 colon ...

and assigned as the division's chief of staff. In 1950, he graduated from the Infantry Officer Advanced Course, and in April 1954 he was assigned as assistant division commander (ADC). He was promoted to brigadier general in August 1954, and completed the refresher Course for Armor Officers in 1955. O'Hara served as ADC until April 1957, and during his time in this position, O'Hara helped lead the division's conversion from Infantry to the newly designated 27th Armored Division. In April 1957, O'Hara was appointed to command the 27th Armored Division, and in August 1957 he received promotion to major general. In 1958, he graduated from the Armor School's Senior Officer Preventive Maintenance Course. He commanded the division until August 1959. In August 1959, O'Hara was appointed

. In 1966, O'Hara attended the Reserve Components Senior Officer Course at the

United States Army War College The United States Army War College (USAWC) is a U.S. Army staff college in Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, with a Carlisle postal address, on the 500-acre (2 km2) campus of the historic Carlisle Barracks. It provides graduate-level instru ...

. He placed the National Guard on alert in case a response to the 1967 New York City riot was required, but they were not activated. As adjutant general, O'Hara oversaw the participation of New York National Guard members in the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

, including an extended inspection tour of

South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered Diplomatic recognition, international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the ...

, Japan, and

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

. In addition, he carried out assignments at the national level, including member of the Reserve Forces Policy Board. He retired from the military on January 31, 1971, and was succeeded by John C. Baker. In 1969, he received the

National Guard Association of the United States The National Guard Association of the United States was founded in 1878 as a congressional lobbying organization for National Guard issues. A member of the Military Coalition, NGAUS lobbies on behalf of over 400,000 officers and enlisted members ...

(NGAUS) Distinguished Service Medal to recognize his leadership as New York's adjutant general and his contributions to NGAUS policy and program initiatives.

Later civilian career

After retiring as adjutant general, O'Hara was appointed Commissioner of the New York State Office of General Services, succeeding Cortlandt V. R. Schuyler. As commissioner, one of O'Hara's top priorities was overseeing completion of the

Empire State Plaza The Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza (known commonly as the Empire State Plaza, and also as the South Mall or Albany Mall) is a complex of several state government buildings in downtown Albany, New York, Albany, New York. The ...

state office complex. During the

Attica Prison riot The Attica Prison riot took place at the state prison in Attica, New York; it started on September 9, 1971, and ended on September 13 with the highest number of fatalities in the history of United States prison uprisings. Of the 43 men who di ...

in September 1971, Governor

Nelson Rockefeller Nelson Aldrich "Rocky" Rockefeller (July 8, 1908 – January 26, 1979) was the 41st vice president of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford. He was also the 49th governor of New York, serving from 1959 to 197 ...

dispatched O'Hara to the scene as his personal representative. O'Hara was the liaison between Rockefeller, local officials, and the

New York State Police The New York State Police (NYSP) is the state police of the U.S. state of New York; it is part of the New York State Executive Department and employs over 5,000 sworn state troopers and 711 non-sworn members. The New York State Police are re ...

, and the riot and inmate takeover ended after state police and other law enforcement officers used force to retake control of the prison. In July 1973, Rockefeller assigned O'Hara the additional duty of state anti-drug program coordinator. In February 1974, Governor Malcolm Wilson named O'Hara as director of the New York State Emergency Fuel Office, an agency created to coordinate the state response to the

energy crisis An energy crisis or energy shortage is any significant Bottleneck (production), bottleneck in the supply of energy resources to an economy. In literature, it often refers to one of the energy sources used at a certain time and place, in particu ...

that had begun in 1973. He served in this position while continuing to serve as General Services commissioner. O'Hara left office in September 1975, and was succeeded by James C. O'Shea. In 1975, Albany County adopted a county executive position to lead its government. In that year's election for the first county executive, whose term would start on January 1, 1976, O'Hara, then a resident of Albany, won the Republican nomination and faced Democratic nominee James J. Coyne Jr., who was then serving as county clerk, and Liberal nominee Theresa Cooke, county treasurer and a critic of the county and city Democratic machine run by Daniel P. O'Connell. Coyne won the general election, with Cooke finishing second and O'Hara third.

Retirement and death

In retirement, O'Hara resided in

. He later resided at a nursing home in Norway, Maine. O'Hara died in Norway on July 5, 1987. He was buried at Cedar Park Cemetery in Hudson.

Awards

O'Hara's awards and decorations included: *

with

American Defense Service Medal The American Defense Service Medal was a United States service medals of the World Wars, military award of the United States Armed Forces, established by , by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, on June 28, 1941. The medal was intended to recogniz ...

Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal The Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal was a United States military award of the Second World War, which was awarded to any member of the United States Armed Forces who served in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater from 1941 to 1945. The medal was create ...

Effective dates of promotion

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 recorded ...

(National Guard), March 5, 1934 * Second Lieutenant (National Guard), June 1, 1934 * Second Lieutenant (National Guard of the United States), April 16, 1935 *

First Lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a se ...

(National Guard), October 14, 1940 *

(Army), October 15, 1940 *

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

, (Army), March 11, 1942 *

Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

, (Army), March 1, 1943 * Lieutenant Colonel (Army), January 30, 1945 * Lieutenant Colonel (Reserve), September 28, 1945 * Lieutenant Colonel (National Guard), April 21, 1947 *

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), 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 colon ...

(National Guard), July 21, 1949 * Brigadier General (National Guard), December 8, 1954 * Major General (National Guard), November 19, 1957 * Major General (Retired), January 31, 1971

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:O'Hara, Almerin C. 1910 births 1987 deaths People from Hudson, New York Military personnel from Albany, New York People from Boynton Beach, Florida United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni United States Army War College alumni United States Army personnel of World War II National Guard (United States) generals Adjutants General of New York (state) Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) Recipients of the Silver Star