Years of service 1918 – 1956 Commands held 6th Ard Division | Name Samuel Sturgis, Rank Lieutenant General | |
Born July 16, 1897
St. Paul, Minnesota ( 1897-07-16 ) Buried at Arlington National Cemetery Allegiance United States of America Battles/wars World War I
World War II
Cold War Awards Distinguished Service Medal (2)
Silver Star
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Died July 5, 1964, Washington, D.C., United States Education United States Military Academy Place of burial Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia, United States Battles and wars World War I, World War II, Cold War | ||
Service/branch United States Army | ||
Samuel Davis Sturgis Jr. (July 16, 1897 – July 5, 1964) was an American Army officer. From 1953 to 1956, he served as the United States Army Chief of Engineers.
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Early life and education
He was born in St. Paul, Minnesota and came from a military family. Both his father, Samuel D. Sturgis Jr., and grandfather, also named Samuel D. Sturgis, were West Point graduates and major generals.
Career
Sturgis graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1918. As a junior engineer officer, he taught mathematics at the academy for four years.
In 1926, he was ordered to the Philippines, where he served as Adjutant of the 14th Engineers. His strategical studies of the islands over a three-year period developed knowledge he used later when he returned to the Philippines in 1944 as Chief Engineer of General Walter Krueger's Sixth U.S. Army.
Sturgis commanded a mounted engineer company at Fort Riley, Kansas, in 1929-1933 and encouraged the adoption of heavy mechanical equipment. He was district engineer in 1939-1942 for Vicksburg, Mississippi, where he worked on flood control and a large military construction program. He served as chief engineer of the Sixth Army in 1943-1946.
During World War II, Sturgis' engineer troops built roads, airfields, ports, and bases from New Guinea to the Philippines.
After the war, Sturgis was senior engineer for the army air forces in 1946-1948 and was Missouri River Division Engineer in 1949-51. In 1951, he became the Commanding General of the 6th Armored Division and Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.
In 1952, he was appointed Commanding General of the Communications Zone supporting the United States Army in Europe. He became Chief of Engineers on March 17, 1953.
Death and legacy
He died July 5, 1964, in Washington, D.C..
Awards
His military decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Silver Star, and the Legion of Merit.