Edmund Wittenmyer
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Edmund Wittenmyer (April 25, 1862 − July 5, 1937) was a career officer in the
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
. A veteran of the
Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...
and
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, in addition to several other conflicts, he attained the rank of major general and was most notable for his service as commander of 153rd Infantry Brigade, 77th Division and the 7th Division during World War I.


Early life

Edmund Wittenmyer was born in
Buford, Ohio Buford is an Unincorporated area#United States, unincorporated community and census-designated place in central Clay Township, Highland County, Ohio, Clay Township, Highland County, Ohio, Highland County, Ohio, United States. The population was 3 ...
on April 25, 1862, a son of Daniel G. Wittenmyer and Rebecca Ann (Murphy) Wittenmyer. He was educated in the schools of
Highland County, Ohio Highland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 43,317. Its county seat is Hillsboro. The county is named for the topography which is hilly and divides the watersheds of the Little M ...
and at age 15 he began teaching school in West Union, Ohio. In 1883 he was accepted to the
United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...
. He graduated in 1887, ranked 55th in a class of 64. Among his classmates were several future
general officer A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
s, including Charles Gerhardt, Charles S. Farnsworth, Nathaniel Fish McClure, Michael Joseph Lenihan, Herman Hall, William Weigel,
Ernest Hinds Ernest Hinds (August 18, 1864 – June 17, 1941) was a career officer in the United States Army. A veteran of the Spanish–American War, Philippine–American War, and World War I, he attained the rank of major general and was notable for his s ...
, Mark L. Hersey, James Theodore Dean, Frank Herman Albright, Marcus Daniel Cronin,
George Owen Squier George Owen Squier (March 21, 1865 – March 24, 1934) was an American general, scientist, and inventor best known for inventing and popularizing what today is called Muzak. Life and military career Squier was born in Dryden, Michigan. He g ...
, Thomas Grafton Hanson, George Washington Gatchell, Alexander Lucian Dade,
Ulysses G. McAlexander Major General Ulysses Grant McAlexander (30 August 1864 – 18 September 1936) was an American officer who served in the United States Army. He was heavily decorated for valor, and is one of the iconic fighting men of the American Expeditionary F ...
, William C. Rivers,
George Owen Squier George Owen Squier (March 21, 1865 – March 24, 1934) was an American general, scientist, and inventor best known for inventing and popularizing what today is called Muzak. Life and military career Squier was born in Dryden, Michigan. He g ...
, and Charles Brewster Wheeler.


Start of career

Witenmyer was commissioned a second lieutenant of
Infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...
and assigned to the 9th Infantry Regiment. He was posted to
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Barracks,
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, where he remained until 1891. In 1892, he was posted to
Fort Wingate Fort Wingate was a military installation near Gallup, New Mexico, United States. There were two other locations in New Mexico called Fort Wingate: Seboyeta, New Mexico, Seboyeta (1849–1862) and San Rafael, New Mexico, San Rafael (1862–1868 ...
,
New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...
. In 1893, he was on duty at the
World's Columbian Exposition The World's Columbian Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair, was a world's fair held in Chicago from May 5 to October 31, 1893, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. The ...
in
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. Wittenmyer was a student at the Infantry and Cavalry School from 1893 to 1895, and was promoted to
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 se ...
in 1894. He then served with the 15th Infantry at Fort Sheridan, Illinois and
Fort Bayard, New Mexico Fort Bayard is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated community, in Grant County, New Mexico, Grant County, New Mexico, United States. History In 1888, Kentuckian chaplain Allen Allensworth moved with his regiment to Fort Bayard, becoming a mi ...
. While at Fort Bayard he served first as regimental
quartermaster Quartermaster is a military term, the meaning of which depends on the country and service. In land army, armies, a quartermaster is an officer who supervises military logistics, logistics and requisitions, manages stores or barracks, and distri ...
, and then as regimental
adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an Officer (armed forces), officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of “human resources” in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed ...
. During the
Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...
, he was first posted to
Fort Huachuca Fort Huachuca is a United States Army military base, installation, in Cochise County, Arizona, Cochise County in southeast Arizona, approximately north of the Mexico–United States border, border with Mexico and at the northern end of the Huac ...
,
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, where his regiment conducted security patrols on the
Mexico–United States border The international border separating Mexico and the United States extends from the Pacific Ocean in the west to the Gulf of Mexico in the east. The border traverses a variety of terrains, ranging from urban areas to deserts. It is the List of ...
. In November 1898, he was in
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with his regiment awaiting transport to
Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
. In January 1899, he was assigned to duty in Puerto Principe. In March, 1899 he was promoted to
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
. In July 1899, Wittenmyer returned to the United States with the 15th Infantry. Again assigned as regimental
adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an Officer (armed forces), officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of “human resources” in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed ...
, Wittenmyer was with the 15th Infantry in the autumn of 1899, when it participated in the
China Relief Expedition The China Relief Expedition was an expedition in China undertaken by the United States Armed Forces to rescue United States citizens, European nationals, and other foreign nationals during the latter years of the Boxer Rebellion, which lasted ...
. When the Army organized forces in China into brigades, Wittenmyer was appointed adjutant of the Second Brigade. He was then appointed to command of
Company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...
D, 15th Infantry, which was assigned to
Legaspi, Cagdianao Cagdianao, officially the Municipality of Cagdianao ( Surigaonon: ''Lungsod nan Cagdianao''; ; ), is a municipality in the province of Dinagat Islands, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 18,350 people. Etymology ...
during the
Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War, known alternatively as the Philippine Insurrection, Filipino–American War, or Tagalog Insurgency, emerged following the conclusion of the Spanish–American War in December 1898 when the United States annexed th ...
. He participated in several expeditions against Filipino insurgents until February 1902, when he was assigned to temporary paymaster duty in
Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
. He returned to the United States in April 1903 and performed paymaster duties in the
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
office of the
Paymaster General His Majesty's Paymaster General or HM Paymaster General is a ministerial position in the Cabinet Office of the United Kingdom. The position is currently held by Nick Thomas-Symonds of the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party. History The post was ...
.


Continued career

In March 1906, Wittenmyer was assigned to the 5th Infantry at Plattsburgh Barracks,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
. In October 1906, his regiment deployed as part of the Army of Cuban Pacification during the Second Occupation of Cuba, and he served there until 1908. Upon returning to the United States, Wittenmyer was assigned as the 5th Infantry's adjutant, a post he held until January 1910. Wittenmyer served on the Army General Staff from January 1910 to March 1911. In February 1911, he was promoted to
major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...
. In April 1911, he was a member of an Army board that considered locations for Army and National Guard training sites. After serving on the War College staff, Wittenmyer was assigned to the 27th Infantry at Fort Sheridan, Illinois. In February 1913, he was with the 27th Infantry when it was posted to
Texas City, Texas Texas City is a city in Galveston County, Texas, United States, on the southwest shoreline of Galveston Bay. Texas City is a deepwater port on Texas's Gulf Coast, as well as a petroleum-refining and petrochemical-manufacturing center. The popu ...
for border security during the
Mexican Revolution The Mexican Revolution () was an extended sequence of armed regional conflicts in Mexico from 20 November 1910 to 1 December 1920. It has been called "the defining event of modern Mexican history". It saw the destruction of the Federal Army, its ...
. In July 1913, Wittenmyer was assigned as U.S. military
attaché In diplomacy, an attaché () is a person who is assigned ("to be attached") to the diplomatic or administrative staff of a higher placed person or another service or agency. Although a loanword from French, in English the word is not modified ac ...
in
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. He remained in this post until the summer of 1917, and was promoted to lieutenant colonel in July 1916 and
colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
in May 1917, a month after the
American entry into World War I The United States entered into World War I on 6 April 1917, more than two and a half years after the war began in Europe. Apart from an Anglophile element urging early support for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, British and an a ...
.


World War I

In August 1917, Wittenmyer was promoted to temporary brigadier general for
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
and assigned to command of the 153rd Infantry Brigade, a unit of the 77th Division. The brigade served in France beginning in April 1918, including completing its training in the
Calais Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a French port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Calais is the largest city in Pas-de-Calais. The population of the city proper is 67,544; that of the urban area is 144,6 ...
Sector before relieving the 42nd Division on the front lines of the
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Sector in June 1918. On August 3, 1918, Wittenmyer's brigade transferred to the
Vesle The Vesle () is the river on which the city of Reims stands. It is a fourth order river of France and a left-bank tributary of the Aisne. It is long, and rises in the ''département'' of Marne through which it flows for most of its course. Geog ...
Sector with the 77th Division, where it remained until August 13, when it took part in offensive operations to cross the Vesle River and advance to the Aisne River. The 77th Division then marched to the Argonne Sector, where it occupied defensive positions until September 25, when it took part in the
Meuse–Argonne offensive The Meuse–Argonne offensive (also known as the Meuse River–Argonne Forest offensive, the Battles of the Meuse–Argonne, and the Meuse–Argonne campaign) was a major part of the final Allies of World War I, Allied Offensive (military), offe ...
. Wittenmyer was promoted to major general with an effective date of October 1, 1918. The 153rd Brigade remained on the offensive until October 15, including the capture of Saint-Juvin from the
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. On October 24, Wittenmyer assumed command of the 7th Division, which took part in the final offensive of the war as part of
Second United States Army Second Army was most recently located at Fort Belvoir, Virginia as a Direct Reporting Unit to Headquarters U.S. Army, Chief Information Officer (CIO)/G-6. Under the CIO/G-6, Second Army served as the single point of contact for Army missions an ...
. After the armistice ended the war, Wittenmyer remained in command of the 7th Division as it occupied positions near
Toul Toul () is a Communes of France, commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle Departments of France, department in north-eastern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the department. Geography Toul is between Commercy and Nancy, Fra ...
,
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. For his World War I service, Wittenmyer received the
Army Distinguished Service Medal The Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a military decoration of the United States Army that is presented to soldiers who have distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious service to the government in a duty of great responsibility. ...
. In addition, he was awarded France's
Legion of Honor The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and civil. Currently consisting of five classes, it was ...
(Commander) and
Croix de Guerre The (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awarded during World ...
with Palm.


Army Distinguished Service Medal citation


Post-World War I

Wittenmyer took part in the post-war
occupation of Germany The entirety of Germany was occupied and administered by the Allies of World War II, from the Berlin Declaration on 5 June 1945 to the establishment of West Germany on 23 May 1949. Unlike occupied Japan, Nazi Germany was stripped of its sove ...
. He remained in command of the 7th Division, except for brief periods of leave, until it returned to the United States. The 7th Division was demobilized on June 20, 1919. After the war, Wittenmyer was reduced to his permanent rank of colonel and assigned as chief of staff for the Ninth Corps Area. In 1922, he was promoted to the permanent rank of brigadier general and assigned as commander of Fort D. A. Russell,
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. He remained in command until he retired in August 1923.


Retirement and death

Wittenmyer never married, and had no children. In retirement, he lived with a sister in law and her family near
Peebles, Ohio Peebles is a village in Adams County, Ohio, United States. It is east of Cincinnati. The population was 1,774 at the 2020 census. History Peebles was founded in 1881 with the building of the railroad through that territory. It was named for Jo ...
and operated a farm in nearby Lawshe, Meigs Township. In 1930, Congress enacted legislation allowing World War I general officers to retire at the highest rank they had held, and Wittenmyer was promoted to major general on the retired list. In 1936, Wittenmyer became ill after an automobile accident, and sought treatment at the
military hospital A military hospital is a hospital owned or operated by a military. They are often reserved for the use of military personnel and their dependents, but in some countries are made available to civilians as well. They may or may not be located on a m ...
in
Hot Springs, Arkansas Hot Springs is a resort city in the state of Arkansas and the county seat of Garland County, Arkansas, Garland County. The city is located in the Ouachita Mountains among the U.S. Interior Highlands, and is set among several natural hot springs ...
. He was diagnosed with cancer, and his left arm was amputated in an effort to halt the cancer's spread. Despite this, Wittenmyer's health did not improve, and he died at Walter Reed Hospital on July 5, 1937, at the age of seventy-five. He was buried at
Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia. ...
.


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External links


Arlington National Cemetery
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wittenmyer, Edmund 1862 births 1937 deaths United States Army Infantry Branch personnel People from Highland County, Ohio People from Adams County, Ohio United States Military Academy alumni United States Army generals of World War I Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) Commanders of the Legion of Honour American recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France) Burials at Arlington National Cemetery 19th-century United States Army personnel United States Army generals United States Army War College faculty Military personnel from Ohio United States military attachés American military personnel of the Boxer Rebellion American amputees American military personnel of the Spanish–American War American military personnel of the Philippine–American War United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni