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Thomas Cruse

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Years of service
  
1879–1918

Awards
  
Medal of Honor

Name
  
Thomas Cruse

Rank
  
Brigadier General


Thomas Cruse httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediacommonsthu

Born
  
December 29, 1857 Owensboro, Kentucky (
1857-12-29
)

Allegiance
  
United States of America

Battles/wars
  
Indian Wars *Apache Wars *Battle of Big Dry Wash Philippine-American War World War I

Died
  
June 8, 1943, Longport, New Jersey, United States

Place of burial
  
Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia, United States

Education
  
United States Military Academy, Centre College, United States Army War College

Battles and wars
  
American Indian Wars, Philippine–American War, World War I

Service/branch
  
United States Army

Short interview with sifu thomas cruse of pfs


Thomas Cruse (December 29, 1857 – June 8, 1943) was a United States Army Brigadier General who was a recipient of the Medal of Honor for valor in action on July 17, 1882, at the Battle of Big Dry Wash, Arizona. An 1879 graduate of West Point, he served in numerous campaigns on the Western Frontier and later in the Philippines. He retired as a brigadier general in 1918.

Contents

Thomas Cruse Thomas Cruse Wikipedia

Jeet kune do seminar with sifu thomas cruse


Education and army career

Cruse was born in Owensboro, Kentucky on December 29, 1857. Before attending West Point, he attended Centre College in Kentucky, 1874–1875. He graduated from West Point in 1879. Cruse was commissioned second lieutenant, in the 6th United States Cavalry upon graduation. Cruse was later an honor graduate of the Infantry-Cavalry School in 1891. He received the Medal of Honor "for distinguished gallantry in action with hostile Indians" at Big Dry Fork, Arizona on July 17, 1882. He received the medal on July 12, 1892. Three other men also received the Medal of Honor at Big Dry Fork, Arizona: Frank West, George H. Morgan, and Charles Taylor.

Cruse later served in the Philippine-American War. Later in his career, he graduated from the Army War College in April 1916 and was promoted to brigadier general in December 1916. He retired from active duty in January 1918.

Fraud allegations

Shortly after his retirement, Cruse was accused of involvement in a scandal involving quartermaster-acquisition procedures with Chicago manufacturing agent Henry H. Lippert. Lippert and his son Ralph were arrested; they argued that they had not committed fraud, and that Cruse had not been employed by them until after his retirement from the military. They also argued, as did Cruse, that Cruse had obtained an opinion from the Army's Judge Advocate General which indicated that becoming an agent of the Lippert company did not violate any laws. The case against Ralph Lippert was not pursued because he was drafted into the military. In April, Cruse followed the Inspector General of the Army's advice to return to the Lipperts the money they had paid him (about $1,000), which ended his involvement in the matter. The case was resolved when authorities in Chicago reviewed the evidence against the Lipperts and declined to prosecute.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, 6th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Big Dry Fork, Ariz., July 17, 1882. Entered service at: Owensboro, Ky. Birth: Owensboro, Ky. Date of issue: July 12, 1892.

Citation

Gallantly charged hostile Indians, and with his carbine compelled a party of them to keep under cover of their breastworks, thus being enabled to recover a severely wounded soldier.

Personal life

Cruse retired to Longport, New Jersey, where he wrote Apache Days and After. He died on June 8, 1943, and is buried in Section 3, Lot 1763, of Arlington National Cemetery. He married Ms. Beatrice Cottrell (1862–1936), who is buried with him. They had two sons, Fred Taylor Cruse and United States Naval Academy Midshipman James Thomas Cruse. James was killed in an explosion aboard the USS Georgia in 1907. He is buried next to his parents.

References

Thomas Cruse Wikipedia