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 ...

Stuart Heintzelman (19 November 1876 – 6 July 1935) was an American

soldier A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...

. He was a grandson of Civil War general Samuel P. Heintzelman.

Military career

He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant of Cavalry 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 ...

in 1899. For the first five years of his career, he served with the 6th Cavalry in

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...

and

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyomi ...

, the 4th Cavalry 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 ...

, and as part of the international force putting down the Boxer uprising in China. In 1904, Heintzelman began what would become a long and distinguished association with

Fort Leavenworth Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., and the oldest perma ...

when he was selected as the Infantry and Cavalry School honor graduate. After service in the Philippines, Heintzelman returned to

as an instructor followed by another academic assignment as the Professor of Military Art and Science at

Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...

111-SC-28466 - NARA - 55216386 (cropped) (cropped)

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 ...

, as a general staff officer with the American Expeditionary Force, Heintzelman was responsible for planning the

St. Mihiel Offensive The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a major World War I battle fought from 12–15 September 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) and 110,000 French troops under the command of General John J. Pershing of the United States against ...

. He also served with the French in the Chemin des Dames offensive in October 1917, and in winter operations in northern

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

with the French Tenth Army. He concluded his tour in France as Chief of Staff for both IV Corps and later Second Army. From 1921 to 1929, he held numerous command and staff positions including command of the 22nd Infantry Brigade, commander of the Eastern Defenses of New York, and Assistant Chief of Staff for War Plans. In 1929, he again returned to Fort Leavenworth to serve as the Commandant of 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 ...

and was promoted to Major General in 1931. As Commandant, Heintzelman was influential in updating the curriculum and actively participated in the classroom.

Death

Following a

gall bladder In vertebrates, the gallbladder, also known as the cholecyst, is a small hollow organ where bile is stored and concentrated before it is released into the small intestine. In humans, the pear-shaped gallbladder lies beneath the liver, although ...

operation at the Army-Navy Hospital,

Hot Springs National Park Hot Springs National Park is an American national park in central Garland County, Arkansas, adjacent to the city of Hot Springs, the county seat. Hot Springs Reservation was initially created by an act of the United States Congress on April 20, 1 ...

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...

, Heintzelman died in 1935. At the time, he was in command of the Seventh Corps Area,

Fort Omaha Fort Omaha, originally known as Sherman Barracks and then Omaha Barracks, is an Indian War-era United States Army supply installation. Located at 5730 North 30th Street, with the entrance at North 30th and Fort Streets in modern-day North Omaha, ...

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...

. He is buried in the

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 ...

with his wife, who had died a few months before.

Awards

Heintzelman's awards include the Commander of the Legion of Honor and the Croix de Guerre with palm from France, the Commander of the Order of the Crown by the Italian Government, and 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 ...

. He was also holder of the Philippine, China, Mexican border and Victory campaign badges.

Legacy

The , named in his honor, was launched in April 1945.

References

External links

Army.mil: Heintzelman

at ArlingtonCemetery.net, an unofficial website {{DEFAULTSORT:Heintzelman, Stuart United States Military Academy alumni Burials at Arlington National Cemetery United States Army generals of World War I United States Army generals 1876 births 1935 deaths United States Army Cavalry Branch personnel Commandants of the United States Army Command and General Staff College American expatriates in the Philippines Princeton University faculty