Stanley Dunbar Embick (January 22, 1877 – October 23, 1957) was a

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

in the

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 ...

Military career

Embick was born in Greencastle, Franklin County, Pennsylvania on January 22, 1877. He attended Dickinson College before enrolling at 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 ...

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 ...

, from which he graduated in 1899. Commissioned a second lieutenant of

Artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

, he served in the occupation of Cuba following 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 ...

. After his service in Cuba, he served in a variety of assignments, including the staff of the Coast Artillery School at

Fort Monroe Fort Monroe, managed by partnership between the Fort Monroe Authority for the Commonwealth of Virginia, the National Park Service as the Fort Monroe National Monument, and the City of Hampton, is a former military installation in Hampton, Virgi ...

, Virginia and Assistant to the Chief of Artillery in Washington, D.C. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Embick served on the staff of the Supreme War Council, and then the Commission to Negotiate Peace, for which he received the

Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a high award of a nation. Examples include: *Distinguished Service Medal (Australia) (established 1991), awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force for distinguished leadership in action * Distinguishe ...

. In December 1919 Embick was assigned to the staff of the War Department's War Plans Division, where he served until attending the Army War College. After serving as a War College instructor, Embick served in the Philippines, afterwards returning to Washington to serve as Executive Officer of the War Plans Division. In 1930 he became commandant of the Coast Artillery School. Corps area commanding generals

In 1932 Embick was appointed commander of harbor defenses in the Philippines as a

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 ...

, where he was responsible for constructing Corregidor's Malinta Tunnel, which was used as a bomb-proof storage and personnel bunker and hospital 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 ...

, and is now the venue for a historical audio-visual presentation about the war. Embick became Director of the War Plans Division as a

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 ...

in 1936, and later that year was named the Army's Deputy Chief of Staff. He was appointed IV Corps commander in 1938, and later the same year took command of the Third Army as a lieutenant general, where he served until his 1941 retirement. Embick was recalled for World War II, serving as Chief of the Joint Strategic Survey Committee, Chairman of the

Inter-American Defense Board The Inter-American Defense Board (IADB) is an international committee of nationally appointed defense officials who develop collaborative approaches on common defense and security issues facing countries in North, Central, and South America. The ...

, and a delegate to the

Dumbarton Oaks Conference The Dumbarton Oaks Conference, or, more formally, the Washington Conversations on International Peace and Security Organization, was an international conference at which proposals for the establishment of a "general international organization", w ...

that created the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...

. He retired again in 1946, receiving a second Distinguished Service Medal.

Later life

In the late 1940s Embick served on the commission that proposed reforms to America's military and intelligence agencies, including creation of the Department of Defense by merging the War and Navy Departments. Embick died at Washington, D.C.'s

Walter Reed Army Hospital The Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC)known as Walter Reed General Hospital (WRGH) until 1951was the U.S. Army's flagship medical center from 1909 to 2011. Located on in the District of Columbia, it served more than 150,000 active and ret ...

on October 23, 1957, and 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 ...

. He was the father in law of General

Albert Coady Wedemeyer General Albert Coady Wedemeyer (July 9, 1896 – December 17, 1989) was a United States Army commander who served in Asia during World War II from October 1943 to the end of the war. Previously, he was an important member of the War Planning Board ...

Awards

* Army Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster *

Army of Cuban Occupation Medal The Army of Cuban Occupation Medal was a military award created by the United States War Department in June 1915. The medal recognizes those service members who performed garrison occupation duty in the United States Protectorate over Cuba, follo ...

* World War I Victory Medal *

American Defense Service Medal The American Defense Service Medal was a military award of the United States Armed Forces, established by , by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, on June 28, 1941. The medal was intended to recognize those military service members who had served ...

American Campaign Medal The American Campaign Medal is a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was first created on November 6, 1942, by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was intended to recognize those military members who had perfo ...

World War II Victory Medal The World War II Victory Medal is a service medal of the United States military which was established by an Act of Congress on 6 July 1945 (Public Law 135, 79th Congress) and promulgated by Section V, War Department Bulletin 12, 1945. The Wo ...

Citation of first Distinguished Service Medal:

Dates of rank

References

Bibliography

* ''Biographical Annals of Cumberland County'', Pennsylvania, Chicago: The Genealogical Publishing Co., 1905, pages 141–143 * ''General Stanley D. Embick: Military Dissenter'', Society for Military History, by Ronald Schaffer, 1973 * ''Men of West Point: The First 150 Years of the United States Military Academy'', by Richard Ernest Dupuy, 1951 * ''Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York Since its Establishment in 1802'', by George Washington Cullum, 1920, Supplemental Volume VI-A, page 873 * ''Corregidor in Peace and War'', by Charles M. Hubbard and Collis H. Davis, 2007 * ''Dominion or Decline: Anglo-American Naval Relations on the Pacific, 1937–1941'', by Ian Cowman, 1996 * ''Dumbarton Oaks: The Origins of the United Nations and the Search for Postwar Security'', by Robert C. Hilderbrand, 1990 * ''The National Cyclopaedia of American biography'', by James Terry White, 1967, Volume 43, page 102

External links

* ''Military Times'', Awards and Citations, http://valor.militarytimes.com/recipient.php?recipientid=17508 * ''United States Army in World War II'', by Mark Skinner Watson, Published by US War Department, 1950, Chapter 3, http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/csppp/ch03.htm * HistoryNet.com. "Louisiana Maneuvers, (1940–41)," by Mark Perry, http://www.historynet.com/louisiana-maneuvers-1940-41.htm * "China, The New Army," ''Time'', Monday, June 4, 1945

{{DEFAULTSORT:Embick, Stanley Dunbar 1877 births 1957 deaths Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) Burials at Arlington National Cemetery United States Army personnel of World War I United States Army generals of World War II United States Army generals American military personnel of the Spanish–American War United States Military Academy alumni United States Army War College alumni People from Franklin County, Pennsylvania Military personnel from Pennsylvania