Lt. General Geoffrey Keyes

Lt. General Geoffrey Keyes

Find A Grave Memorial ID # 8346

Geoffrey Keyes (October 30, 1888 – September 17, 1967) was a highly decorated officer of the U.S. Army with the rank of Lieutenant General, who commanded the II Corps during World War II.

Early life

Geoffrey Keyes was born on October 30, 1888 in Fort Bayard, New Mexico as a son of U.S. Army officer, Captain Alexander S. B. Keyes and his wife, Virginia Maxwell Keyes. Like his father, Geoffrey Keyes enrolled as a Cadet at the United States Military Academy at West Point on March 2, 1908 and graduated on June 12, 1913 with the rank of Second Lieutenant. His first assignment was with the 6th Cavalry Regiment, where he served until October, 1916 and participated in the Pancho Villa Expedition.

His next assignment was at United States Military Academy at West Point, where he served as an instructor of French language. He was also head football coach for one season in 1917. compiling a record of 7–1.

His interwar service included duty with Panama Canal Division as an Assistant Chief of Staff (G-3), instructor at United States Military Academy at West Point and at Cavalry School at Fort Riley, Kansas and Chief of Supply of Supply Division within War Department. He also graduated from the Command and General Staff School in 1926 and the Army War College in 1937.

World War II

In 1940, he was Chief of Staff of the 2nd Armored Division. Keyes became Commanding General of the 3d Armored Division in 1942. From June to September 1942, he commanded the 9th Armored Division before going to North Africa as Deputy Commanding General of the I Armored Corps. From 1943 to 1945, he was Commanding General of II Corps. He commanded the Seventh United States Army from 1945 to 1946 and the Third United States Army from 1946 to 1947. In 1947, Keyes was appointed U.S. High Commissioner on the Allied Council for Austria. He served as Director, Weapons Systems Evaluation Group (WSEG) from 1951 to 1954. Keyes retired in 1954 and died on September 17, 1967 at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C.. He is interred at West Point.

Decorations

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Keyes#Decorations

Head coaching record

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Keyes#Head_coaching_record

http://ww2gravestone.com/people/keyes-geoffrey/

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=8346

Lt. General Geoffrey Keyes

US Army General. A highly decorated officer, he commanded the Army II Corps during World War II. Born in Fort Bayard, New Mexico, his father was a US Army officer. In March 1908 he enrolled in the US Military Academy at West Point, New York, graduating in June 1913 with a commission as a 2nd lieutenant. He was assigned to the 6th Cavalry Regiment where he participated in the Pancho Villa Expedition under General John Pershing.

In October 1916 he returned to the US Military Academy where he served as a French language instructor and the head football coach in 1917. From 1918 until 1926 he performed duty with the Panama Canal Division as an Assistant Chief of Staff, Cavalry School at Fort Riley, Kansas, and a student at the Command and General Staff School, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, graduating in 1926. In 1933 he graduated from the Ecole Superieure de Guerre military school in Paris, France and in 1937 he graduated from the Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania.

In 1939, as a lieutenant colonel, he was assigned as Chief, Supply & Transportation Branch (G-4) at the War Department in Washington DC and was promoted to the rank of colonel. In July 1940 he became the Chief of Staff of the 2nd Armored Division at Fort Benning, Georgia and was promoted to the rank of brigadier general until January 1942, with a follow-on assignment as the Commanding General of the 3rd Armored Division at Camp Polk, Louisiana. He was promoted to the rank of major general in June 1942 and until September 1942, he commanded the 9th Armored Division at Fort Riley, Kansas before going to North Africa as Deputy Commanding General of the I Armored Corps participating in Operation Torch, the Allied counterattack against German General Erwin Rommel.

From 1943 to 1945, he was Commanding General of II Corps where he led his forces in the landing at Anzio, Italy and up the Italian peninsula. During this time, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general. He commanded the 7th US Army from 1945 to 1946, and the 3rd US Army from 1946 to 1947.

In 1947 he was appointed US High Commissioner on the Allied Council for Austria, after which he returned to the US and served as Director, Weapons Systems Evaluation Group from 1951 to 1954. He retired from the US Army in 1954 with 37 years of continued military service.

Among his military decorations and awards include the Army Distinguished Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Silver Star with oak leaf cluster, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Mexican Service Medal, the World War I Victory Medal, the American Defense Service Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with one silver and two bronze service stars, the World War II Victory Medal, the Army of Occupation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Honorary Companion of the Order of the Bath (United Kingdom), the Commandeur of the Legion of Honour (France), the French Croix de guerre 1939-1945 with palm, the Grand Officer of the Order of Ouissam Alaouite (Italy), the Grand Officer of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (Italy), the Silver Medal of Military Valor (Italy), the Grand Officer of the Military Order of the White Lion (Czechoslovakia), the Czechoslovak War Cross 1939-1945, the Military Order of Savoy (Italy), the Papal Lateran Cross (Vatican), and the Officer of the Legion of Honour (France).

He died in Washington DC at the age of 78.