Samuel D. Sturgis III

Samuel Davis Sturgis III (July 16, 1897 – July 5, 1964), also known as Samuel D. Sturgis Jr., was a senior officer of the United States Army who served as Chief of Engineers during the Cold War.

Samuel D. Sturgis III
Sturgis ca. 1953
Birth name	Samuel Davis Sturgis III
Born	July 16, 1897 St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
Died	July 5, 1964 (aged 66) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Buried	Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	Army
Years of service	1918–1956
Rank	Lieutenant General
Commands held	6th Armored Division Corps of Engineers
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Distinguished Service Medal (2) Silver Star Legion of Merit
Relations	Samuel D. Sturgis (grandfather) Samuel D. Sturgis Jr. (father)

Early life

Samuel Davis Sturgis III was born in St. Paul, Minnesota and came from a military family. Both his father, Samuel D. Sturgis Jr.,[1] 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.[2] 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

He died July 5, 1964, in Washington, D.C. and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia, with his wife Frances Jewett.[3]

Personal life

In 1921, Sturgis married Frances Jewett Murray (1897–1975), the daughter of Brigadier General Peter Murray (1867–1940) and Harriet Tingley Jewett (1871–1932).[1]

Awards

His military decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Silver Star, and the Legion of Merit.[4]

•   Army Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
•   Silver Star
•   Legion of Merit
• World War I Victory Medal
• American Defense Service Medal
• American Campaign Medal
• Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
• World War II Victory Medal
• Army of Occupation Medal
• National Defense Service Medal
• Philippine Liberation Medal

References

1. Davis, Henry Blaine Jr. (1998). Generals in Khaki. Pentland Press. p. 351. ISBN 1571970886.
2. "Samuel D. Sturgis Jr. Jun 1918". West Point Association of Graduates.
3. "Burial Detail: Sturgis, Samuel D. (Section 7, Grave 10093-A-10)". ANC Explorer. Arlington National Cemetery. (Official website).
4. "Valor awards for Samuel Davis Sturgis". The Hall of Valor. Sightline Media Group. 2021.

This article contains public domain text from the U.S. Army.

Further reading

• "Lieutenant General Samuel D. Sturgis Jr". Portraits and Profiles of Chief Engineers. U.S. Army. Archived from the original on June 19, 2005. Retrieved August 22, 2005.