Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

James Garesche Ord (October 18, 1886 – April 17, 1960) was a

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

officer who briefly commanded the 28th Infantry Division and was Chairman of the Joint Brazil–U.S. Defense Commission during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

Early life

J. Garesche Ord, nicknamed "Sunny" and "Garry," was born at Fort Lewis near Durango, Colorado, on April 18, 1886. He was the son of Major Edward Otho Cresap Ord II (1858–1923) and Mary Frances (Norton) Ord. His grandfather was

Edward Otho Cresap Ord (1818–1883), and his great-grandfather was

First Lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a ...

James Ord (1789–1872). His uncle, Jules Garesche "Garry" Ord (1866–1898) was also an Army officer, and has been credited by historians with sparking the charge up

San Juan Hill San Juan Hill is a series of hills to the east of Santiago, Cuba, running north to south. The area is known as the San Juan Heights or in Spanish ''Alturas de San Juan'' before Spanish–American War of 1898, and are now part of Lomas de San Ju ...

during the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (cloc ...

, at which Jules Ord was killed. Another uncle, James Thompson Ord (1863–1905), was a captain in the Army, and his son, Lieutenant Colonel James Basevi Ord (1892–1938) was the cousin of James Garesche Ord.

Start of military career

James Garesche Ord (1886–1960) at West Point in 1909

James Garesche Ord graduated from the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

(USMA) at

West Point, New York West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States. Located on the Hudson River in New York, West Point was identified by General George Washington as the most important strategic position in America during the Ame ...

, in 1909 and received his commission as a second lieutenant of

Infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

. His classmates included

George S. Patton George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in France ...

, Robert L. Eichelberger,

William Hood Simpson General William Hood Simpson (May 18, 1888 – August 15, 1980) was a senior United States Army Officer (armed forces), officer who served with distinction in both World War I and World War II. He is best known for being the Commanding officer, ...

Jacob L. Devers Jacob Loucks Devers (; 8 September 1887 – 15 October 1979) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the 6th Army Group in the European Theater during World War II. He was involved in the development and adoption of numerous w ...

, John C. H. Lee, Horace H. Fuller, Edwin F. Harding and Edwin "Pa" Watson. Initially assigned to the 30th Infantry Regiment, his early postings included Fort Davis and

Fort Gibbon Fort Gibbon was a U.S. Army base near Tanana, Alaska. It was active from 1899 to 1923. History In response to reports of lawlessness in Alaska during the Klondike Gold Rush, six forts were built in the territory at the end of the 19th century. Th ...

in Alaska, the Presidio of San Francisco, and

Plattsburg Barracks The "Old Stone Barracks" is the last remaining structure of a proposed quadrangle of early U.S. Army barracks built at Plattsburgh, New York in 1838. Of the four main buildings initially planned for the Plattsburgh post, only two were ever co ...

in New York.George Washington Cullum, Edward Singleton Holden
''Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the United States Military Academy''
Volume 6, Part 2, 1920, page 1436 Ord served at Eagle Pass and

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

, Texas during the

Pancho Villa Expedition The Pancho Villa Expedition—now known officially in the United States as the Mexican Expedition, but originally referred to as the "Punitive Expedition, U.S. Army"—was a military operation conducted by the United States Army against the p ...

, and was then assigned as Professor of Military Science at

Culver Military Academy Culver Academies is a college preparatory boarding school located in Culver, Indiana, which is composed of three entities: Culver Military Academy (CMA) for boys, Culver Girls Academy (CGA), and the Culver Summer Schools and Camps (CSSC). Culver ...

World War I

In 1917 Ord was assigned as aide-de-camp to

Hunter Liggett Lieutenant General Hunter Liggett (March 21, 1857 − December 30, 1935) was a senior United States Army officer. His 42 years of military service spanned the period from the Indian campaigns to the trench warfare of World War I. Additionally, h ...

. He served on the staff of the

American Expeditionary Forces The American Expeditionary Forces (A. E. F.) was a formation of the United States Army on the Western Front of World War I. The A. E. F. was established on July 5, 1917, in France under the command of General John J. Pershing. It fought along ...

Headquarters and the 41st Division, and was assigned as provost marshal for

I Corps I Corps, 1st Corps, or First Corps may refer to: France * 1st Army Corps (France) * I Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * I Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French A ...

before serving again as Liggett's Aide at the end of the war and during the post-war occupation of

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Post-war

After the war Ord's assignments included Assistant Plans, Operations and Training Officer (G3) for Third Army. He graduated from the

Command and General Staff College The United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC or, obsolete, USACGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military ...

in 1924 and remained as an instructor. He graduated from the Army War College in 1929. From 1930 to 1934 Ord served on the Supply and Logistics staff (G4) at the

War Department War Department may refer to: * War Department (United Kingdom) * United States Department of War (1789–1947) See also * War Office, a former department of the British Government * Ministry of defence * Ministry of War * Ministry of Defence * D ...

, and he commanded the 12th Infantry Regiment from 1934 to 1936. Ord was Director of the Infantry Board at Fort Benning from 1936 to 1938. (The Infantry Board was one of several panels the Army used to consider modernization of training, tactics, weapons and vehicles in the years before

.) From 1938 to 1940 Ord commanded the 57th Infantry Regiment in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

World War II

In 1940 Ord was assigned as a Regular Army observer and advisor for the

Pennsylvania National Guard The Pennsylvania National Guard is one of the oldest and largest National Guards in the United States Department of Defense. It traces its roots to 1747 when Benjamin Franklin established the Associators in Philadelphia. With more than 18,000 pe ...

, responsible for taking steps to improve individual and collective readiness for the 28th Infantry Division during the train-up in advance of

. From 1940 to 1942 he was Deputy Commander of the 1st Infantry Division, receiving promotion to

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

. From February to June, 1942 Ord commanded the 28th Infantry Division, capitalizing on the relationships he had developed while advising the

in 1940. Ord commanded the division until being succeeded by

Omar Bradley Omar Nelson Bradley (February 12, 1893April 8, 1981) was a senior officer of the United States Army during and after World War II, rising to the rank of General of the Army. Bradley was the first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and over ...

. Ord served as a member and later Chairman of the Joint Brazil-US. Defense Commission from 1943 to 1945. The commission worked to strengthen military ties between the two countries during the war, reducing the likelihood of

Axis powers The Axis powers, ; it, Potenze dell'Asse ; ja, 枢軸国 ''Sūjikukoku'', group=nb originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis, was a military coalition that initiated World War II and fought against the Allies. Its principal members were ...

attacks on US shipping as soldiers traveled across the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

and

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

, and minimizing the influence of the Axis in

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...

Awards

Ord's Army awards and decorations included the Legion of Merit. His foreign awards included

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ' ...

Order of Abdon Calderón The Order of Abdón Calderón is an Ecuadorian decoration instituted in 1904 and awarded for extraordinary military service. It is named after Abdón Calderón, the revolutionary hero who died from injuries sustained on May 24, 1822 during the B ...

, First Class, and Brazil's Order of Military Merit (Grand Officer) and War Medal.

Retirement, death and burial

Ord retired in 1946 and resided in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, until his death from a heart attack at

Walter Reed Army Medical Center The Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC)known as Walter Reed General Hospital (WRGH) until 1951was the United States Army, U.S. Army's flagship medical center from 1909 to 2011. Located on in the Washington, D.C., District of Columbia, it se ...

on April 17, 1960. He was buried at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

, Section 2, Site 979 LH.

Family

In April 1927 Ord married Irene Helen Walsh of

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

(1900–1993). They were the parents of three children: James G. Ord, Jr. (1928–1994); Marian E. Ord (born 1930); and Edward O. C. Ord (born 1936).John McGill
''The Beverley family of Virginia: descendants of Major Robert Beverley, 1641-1687, and allied families''
1956, page 692 Irene Walsh Ord was a graduate of West Tennessee College and the University of Tennessee Law School, and practiced law before her marriage to Ord. In 1979 she married Brigadier General (Retired) Philip S. Gage (1885–1982), one of Ord's West Point classmates.

References

External links

ANC Explorer
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ord, James Garesche 1886 births 1960 deaths People from Durango, Colorado People from Washington, D.C. United States Army personnel of World War I United States Army generals United States Military Academy alumni United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni United States Army War College alumni Recipients of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Order of Military Merit (Brazil) Burials at Arlington National Cemetery United States Army generals of World War II United States Army Command and General Staff College faculty Military personnel from Colorado