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 t ...

Michael Joseph Lenihan (May 2, 1865 – August 13, 1958) was a senior

officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," ...

of 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 ...

. He was involved in conflicts in the American Western Frontier, 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

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, where he commanded the 83rd Infantry Brigade during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive while serving on the Western Front.

Military career

Born the son of James Lenihan and Catherine Grainger, Michael Lenihan entered and later graduated from the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

in June 1887. Among his fellow classmates included several general officers of the future, such as Charles Gerhardt,

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 ...

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 ...

Nathaniel Fish McClure Nathaniel Fish McClure (July 21, 1865 – June 26, 1942) was a United States Army officer in the early 20th century who became a brigadier general. He served in several conflicts, including World War I. Early life and education Nathaniel Fish ...

William Weigel Major General William Weigel (August 25, 1863 – March 4, 1936) was a United States Army officer who, throughout his long military career, served in numerous conflicts and wars, most notably towards the end of World War I, commanding the 56th Bri ...

Charles S. Farnsworth Charles Stewart Farnsworth (October 29, 1862 – December 19, 1955) was a United States Army officer and civic leader. Early life Farnsworth was born in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania and attended local public schools. He worked for Western Union ...

James Theodore Dean James Theodore Dean (May 12, 1865 – June 15, 1939) was a United States Army officer in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Biography Dean was born on May 12, 1865, in Ironton, Ohio. He graduated from the United States Military Academy i ...

, Mark L. Hersey,

Herman Hall Herman Hall (June 6, 1864 – September 6, 1928) was a United States Army officer in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He served in several conflicts, including World War I. Biography Hall was born on June 6, 1864, in Carthage, Illinois ...

Frank Herman Albright Frank Herman Albright (August 2, 1865 – July 21, 1940) was a career officer in the United States Army. A veteran of the Spanish–American War, Philippine–American War, World War I, he attained the rank of brigadier general, and was most nota ...

Marcus Daniel Cronin Marcus Daniel Cronin (9 January 1865 – 12 August 1936) was a United States military officer. He served in a number of conflicts, including the Spanish–American War, Philippine–American War and World War I. Early life and education Cronin ...

George Owen Squier Major General George Owen Squier (March 21, 1865 – March 24, 1934) was born in Dryden, Michigan, United States. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in the Class of 1887 and received a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University in 18 ...

Thomas Grafton Hanson Brigadier General Thomas Grafton Hanson (May 1, 1865 – May 23, 1945) was a United States Army officer in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He served in several conflicts, including World War I, during which he commanded the 89th Infantry ...

George Washington Gatchell Brigadier General George Washington Gatchell (February 22, 1865 – February 4, 1939) was a United States Army officer in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He served in several conflicts, including the Sioux Wars, Spanish–American War, an ...

, Alexander Lucian Dade and Edmund Wittenmyer. He was appointed first lieutenant in 1894. He was made captain in 1899 and major in 1911. While stationed on the Hawaiian Islands, he was promoted to Lieutenant‑Colonel.

World War I

After the

American entry into World War I American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

, in April 1917, Lenihan received a temporary 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 t ...

(August 1917). He commanded the 83rd Infantry Brigade of the 42nd Division during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. The 42nd division was commanded by Major General Charles T. Menoher. When Lenihan’s 83rd Brigade and Douglas MacArthur’s neighboring 84th brigade failed to make progress against heavy German defences, Corps commander

Charles P. Summerall General Charles Pelot Summerall (March 4, 1867 – May 14, 1955) was a senior United States Army officer. He commanded the 1st Infantry Division in World War I, was Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1926 to 1930, and was Presiden ...

threatened to relieve both generals. General

William M. Wright William Mason Wright (September 24, 1863 – August 16, 1943) was a career officer in the United States Army. He attained the rank of Lieutenant general (United States), lieutenant general and was most notable for his service as a division and cor ...

describes in his memoirs that McArthur’s troops could approach Hill 288 and Châtillon-sous-les-Côtes using the forest as cover and took the objective, while Lenihan’s brigade was stopped by enemy resistance before they could take the objectives in the Landres-et-Saint-Georges area, sustaining heavy casualties. Summerall ordered General Menoher to relieve Lenihan, which he did on 17 October 1918. Lenihan protested and insisted on a hearing. The appointed inspector found no wrongdoing of Lenihan and Major General

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, he ...

overrode Summerall’s decision and made Lenihan commander of the 153rd brigade of the

77th Infantry Division 77th Division or 75th Infantry Division may refer to: * 77th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht), Germany * 77th Infantry Division of Khurasan, Iran *77th Division (Imperial Japanese Army) * 77th Division (People's Republic of China) * 77th Division (S ...

Post War

Lenihan returned to the rank of colonel after World War 1 in 1919. He was an instructor at the

Naval War College The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associ ...

, before he became Chief of Staff of the XII Army Corps in 1924. Lenihan was again promoted to brigadier general in 1925. He was awarded an

LL.D. Legum Doctor (Latin: “teacher of the laws”) (LL.D.) or, in English, Doctor of Laws, is a doctorate-level academic degree in law or an honorary degree, depending on the jurisdiction. The double “L” in the abbreviation refers to the earl ...

title by the

College of the Holy Cross The College of the Holy Cross is a private, Jesuit liberal arts college in Worcester, Massachusetts, about 40 miles (64 km) west of Boston. Founded in 1843, Holy Cross is the oldest Catholic college in New England and one of the olde ...

in 1925. In the last year of his active army service, he commanded the 3rd Infantry Division from March 1928 to March 1929. Michael Lenihan died on August 13, 1958 at the age of 93 in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. He was interred at Mount Olivet Cemetery 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, ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lenihan, Michael Joseph 1865 births 1958 deaths United States Army Infantry Branch personnel United States Army generals of World War I United States Military Academy alumni United States Army generals Naval War College alumni People from Hopkinton, Massachusetts Recipients of the Croix de Guerre (France) Recipients of the Legion of Honour United States Army War College alumni Burials at Mount Olivet Cemetery (Washington, D.C.) Naval War College faculty Military personnel from Massachusetts