Fred Thaddeus Austin (December 28, 1866 – February 26, 1938) was an American military officer who attained the rank of major general as 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 ...

's Chief of Field Artillery.Marquis Who's Who, Inc. ''Who Was Who in American History, the Military''. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who, 1975. p. 20

Early life

Austin was born in

Hancock, Vermont Hancock is a New England town, town in Addison County, Vermont, United States. The town was named for John Hancock. The population was 359 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Hancock is home to the Middlebury College Snow Bowl and conta ...

, the son of Julius Tilden Austin and Manora (Keith) Austin. He graduated from high school in

Rochester, Vermont Rochester is a New England town, town in Windsor County, Vermont, Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,099 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. The central village is delineated as the Rochester (CDP), Vermont, ...

, and then attended

Norwich University Norwich University is a private university in Northfield, Vermont, United States. The university was founded in 1819 as the "American Literary, Scientific and Military Academy". It is the oldest of six senior military college, senior militar ...

. He graduated with a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...

degree in 1888, and a

Master of Science A Master of Science (; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree. In contrast to the Master of Arts degree, the Master of Science degree is typically granted for studies in sciences, engineering and medici ...

in 1894. In 1896, Austin received his qualification as a civil engineer.Davis, Henry Blaine Jr. ''Generals in Khaki''. Raleigh, NC: Pentland Press, 1998. P. 16

Early career

Austin served in the 1st Regiment of the

Vermont National Guard The Vermont National Guard is composed of the Vermont Army National Guard and the Vermont Air National Guard. Together, they are collectively known as the Green Mountain Boys. Both units use the original Revolutionary War-era Flag of the Green Mo ...

from 1888 to 1894; a musician, he advanced from private to sergeant to drum major before moving to

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

. Austin practiced architecture in Brockton and

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, from 1889 to 1898. From 1894 to 1898 he served in the 5th Regiment of the

Massachusetts National Guard The Massachusetts National Guard is the United States National Guard, National Guard component for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Founded as the Massachusetts militia, Massachusetts Bay Colonial Militia on December 13, 1636, it contains the ...

, first as a drum major, and later as the regimental sergeant major.

Spanish–American War

He volunteered to serve in the

for 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 ...

. When the 5th Massachusetts was activated for federal service, Austin was commissioned as a first lieutenant and appointed as regimental adjutant. He joined the regular Army after the war; appointed a first lieutenant in the 46th United States Volunteer Infantry on August 17, 1899, he transferred to the Artillery Corps on August 22, 1901. He served in the Artillery Corps for the rest of his career.

Continued career

Austin served primarily in the 3rd Field Artillery, and commanded Battery C from 1909 to 1910, and Battery E from 1910 to 1911.

World War I

During

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 ...

, Austin commanded the 346th Field Artillery Regiment, 350th Field Artillery Regiment, 156th Field Artillery Brigade, 167th Field Artillery Brigade, and the Field Artillery Replacement Depot at

Camp Zachary Taylor Camp Zachary Taylor was a military training camp in Louisville, Kentucky. It opened in 1917, to train soldiers for U.S. involvement in World War I, and was closed three years later. It was initially commanded by Guy Carleton and after the war it ...

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

. On April 18, 1918, he was promoted to temporary brigadier general, and he 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. ...

to recognize his superior wartime service. The citation for the medal reads: After World War I, Austin became the director of the

Field Artillery School The United States Army Field Artillery School (USAFAS) trains Field Artillery Soldiers and Marines in tactics, techniques, and procedures for the employment of fire support systems in support of the maneuver commander. The school further develo ...

Fort Sill Fort Sill is a United States Army post north of Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles (137 km) southwest of Oklahoma City. It covers almost . The fort was first built during the Indian Wars. It is designated as a National Historic Landmark a ...

, in Oklahoma, after which he served in the Inspector General's Department. Austin became a major general in 1927, and succeeded

William J. Snow William Josiah Snow (December 16, 1868 – February 27, 1947) was a career officer in the United States Army. He attained the rank of major general, and served as the Chief of Field Artillery for seven years in the 1920s. A native of Brooklyn, ...

as Chief of Field Artillery. He served as Chief from December 20, 1927, to February 15, 1930.

Death and burial

Austin died in

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 ...

, on February 26, 1938, and was buried in

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. ...

Family

In 1909, Austin married Lenore Harrison of

San Antonio San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...

. They were the parents of a son, Gordon Harrison Austin (1913–2010), a career officer in the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

who was a veteran of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and attained the rank of major general.

References

Sources

* * Davis, Henry Blaine Jr. ''Generals in Khaki''. Raleigh, NC: Pentland Press, 1998. * Marquis Who's Who, Inc. ''Who Was Who in American History, the Military''. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who, 1975. {{DEFAULTSORT:Austin, Fred 1866 births 1938 deaths People from Hancock, Vermont Norwich University alumni United States Army generals Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) Burials at Arlington National Cemetery United States Army generals of World War I Military personnel from Vermont 19th-century United States Army personnel Vermont National Guard personnel