West Point classes before the Great War was the main source of officers guiding the U.S. Army.  The huge mobilization meant an equal increase in the officer corps which West Point could not begin to cover.  But the officers with West Point in their background – much as was the case during the American Civil War – did account for most of the upper leadership positions within the Army and the AEF.  Also, like the Civil War, there was a certain animosity between West Pointers and those without the pedigree in World War One, too.  I, however, want to focus on the West Pointers here.  This is a brief rundown of several who helped the American efforts during the Great War.

There were sixty Distinguished Service Crosses – the second-highest American military award – awarded to West Point graduates over the course of World War I with one posthumous Medal of Honor winner – Lieutenant Colonel Emory Pike (1901).  Thirty-three graduates over fifteen classes died in action with the class of August 1917 losing the most – ten.  The highest-ranking graduates killed were Colonels Bertram Clayton – 1886, William Davis – 1892 and Hamilton Smith – 1893. Brigadier General James McIndoe – 1891 – died in France and is buried in Aisne-Marne ABMC Cemetery. He did not die in action, however, but was one of the many to die from Spanish flu.

“The Class(es) the Stars Fell On”

Most all of the West Point classes in the late 19th and early 20th centuries provided officers who took part in the actions of the Great War. Some classes are better known than others. The class of 1915 is known as “The Class the Stars Fell On”, a moniker earned after 59 of the 164 graduates – 36% – reached the general officer rank by the end of World War II – two five-star, two four-star, seven three-star, twenty-four two-star and twenty-four one-star.  Of the class, 102 members – 62% – served overseas in World War I – Dwight Eisenhower and Omar Bradley, both future Generals of the Army (five-star) were two who did not though not for lack of trying.  Of those who made it overseas, 56 – 34% – saw combat.

The previous class sharing the same nickname was the class of 1886.  They were the largest graduating class from West Point until the Army expanded in 1903 – with 77 graduates.  From that class, twenty-five reached into the stars – 32% – headlined by John J. Pershing.  Fourteen reached the two-star level with most commanding divisions – AEF divisions were the size of corps in other armies at over 28,000 men.  Pershing got his own special Congressional rank (four plus stars) devised at the end of the war.  Mason Patrick and Charles Menoher both commanded the Air Service at different times.  Bertram Clayton was the one class member killed in action during an air attack on May 30,1918, just a couple of weeks after being promoted to colonel.

Other ‘starry’ West Point Classes in the Great War

But other West Point classes were as invaluable as the class of 1886 during the Great War.  There were more generals from the 1886 class – it was, after all, the largest class until 1903 – but several other classes saw a higher percentage of men gaining stars:  1884 – 15 of 37, 41%; 1887 – 24 pf 64, 38%; 1890 – 23 of 54, 43% and 1888 – 22 of 44, 50%. 

The class of 1887 saw eight gaining two stars – one after the war’s end.  George Squier became the Chief of the Signal Corps going on to invent Muzak in the 1920’s. Ernest Hinds was the Chief of Artillery for the AEF.  Two other men from the class had Oregon ties:  Charles Martin – became Oregon governor in 1934 – and Ulysses Grant McAlexander – was the so-called “Rock of the Marne” for his defensive effort in mid-July 1918 during the last German offensive.  Another of the ‘87ers was James McAndrew, went from commandant of the AEF training schools to Pershing’s Chief of Staff from May 1, 1918 until the end of May 1919.

Seven men of the class of 1888 reached two stars with one – Peyton March – eventually reaching four stars, full General.  He started out as a commander of a field artillery brigade – June 17,1917.  Two months later, he was elevated to Chief of Artillery for the AEF before being sent back to Washington, D.C. as Army Chief of Staff at the end of September.

Other Classes – pre 1886

From West Point classes before 1886 also providing leadership during the Great War:  General Tasker Bliss (1875) and Major General Hugh Scott (1876) both served as Army Chief of Staff early in the war.

Lieutenant General Hunter Liggett (1879) led a division and a corps, ending the war as an army commander.

Brigadier General Benjamin Alvord, Jr. (1880) was the Adjutant General for the AEF.  He was the son of Brigadier General Benjamin Alvord who had commanded the District of Oregon during the American Civil War.

Lieutenant General Robert Lee Bullard (1885) rose from division command to army command, too.

Other Classes – 1891-1898

From the classes post-1888 came a cohort of other prominent officers:  1891 included Major General John Hines – who served as a division commander during the war and would become Army Chief of Staff during the mid-1920’s – and Brigadier General James McIndoe – he was Chief of Engineers for the AEF and, earlier, was one of the officers responsible for the development of the Dalles-Celilo Canal on the Columbia River before the war.  McIndoe died of complications from the Spanish Flu February 5,1919 and is buried in the Aisne-Marne ABMC cemetery, the highest-ranking soldier in all the ABMC World War I cemeteries. 

Other Classes – 1898-1906

From the West Point classes of the early 20th Century, many would gain invalubale lessons during the Great War for their roles in the next. Major General Fox Conner (1898) was an Assistant Chief of Operations for the AEF with George Marshall as one of his subordinates.  The Mississippian is best known for taking young Eisenhower under his wing in Panama after the war.  Eisenhower said this of his teacher, “In sheer ability and character, he was the outstanding soldier of my time.”  Pershing’s choice for Chief of Staff in 1930, he was passed over in favor of MacArthur.

Lieutenant General Stanley Embich (1899) served on the staff of the Supreme War Council as a colonel in the National Army (major Regular Army) during World War I. He would make up ground in the promotion field gaining a third star in World War II.

General of the Army (five-star) Douglas MacArthur (1903) worked his way up to command the 42^nd Division by the end of the war.  He returned to West Point as Superintendent in 1919 bringing a host of major changes to his alma mater – not all of which were well received by the conservative staff. MacArthur is a story unto himself, polarizing to many.

General (four star) Joseph Stilwell (1904) as a corps level intelligence officer helped to plan the St Mihiel offensive. He became America’s commander-in-chief in China-Burma-India during World War II. In France, he put his aptitude for the French language to good use

Lieutenant General Frank Andrews (1906) was an airfield administrator during World War I. He became the European Theater commander in 1943 with Eisenhower off in North Africa.  Andrews died in a plane crash in Iceland easing the way for Ike to return for D-Day.

General Jonathan Wainwright (born in Walla Walla, Washington) served as Chief of Staff for the 82^nd Division during both the St Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne offensives. Wainwright served as the fall guy when MacArthur was ordered out of the Philippines in 1942.

Other Classes – 1906-1910

General of the Army Henry “Hap” Arnold (1907) became the second man in the Army rated as a pilot.  He served in the Aviation Section at Army headquarters in Washington, D.C. during World War I. He led the Army Air Force in World War II.

General Robert Eichelberger (1909) served in the Siberian Intervention as an assistant to the 8^th Division commander William Graves. He was a corps and army commander during World War II.

General George Patton (1909) was wounded leading a tank brigade during the opening stages of the Meuse-Argonne offensive. Patton went on to division, corps and finally army command in World War II.

Lieutenant General Oscar Griswold (1910) served as a major and lieutenant colonel with the 84^th Division during the Meuse-Argonne. He went on to corps level command during World War II and army level afterwards.

Other Classes – 1911-1914

Lieutenant General Stephen Chamberlin (1912) served mostly with the New York Port of Embarkation during World War I. He served under MacArthur in New Guinea and the Philippines becoming an army commander post-World War II.

General Walton Walker (1912) was a company and a battalion commander in the 5^th Division during the First War. He commanded as a corps commander under Patton in World War II. Serving as commander in Korea where he died in a traffic accident in 1950 similar to his former patron.

General Carl Spaatz (1914) was a flight instructor and pilot during World War I. He wass crediteded with three “kills” while in France. During the next war, he was an air force commander. Spaatz became the first Chief of Staff for the U.S. Air Force in 1947.

West Pointers with Oregon Connections

There were other West Point classes with Oregon connections during the Great War besides Martin and McAlexander. Harold Fiske (1897) came from Salem and served as a brigadier general as Chief of Training for the AEF during the WW1. He gained a second star just before retiring to San Diego in 1935. Adrian Fleming (1895) was wounded and awarded two Silver Stars for service in the Philippines with the 6^th Artillery before the war.  During World War I, he commanded a Field Artillery Brigade.  He retired in 1920 on disability from his wounds. Moved into the civilian sector as a vice president for different paper mill companies in Portland.