Lieutenant General Thomas Bernard Larkin (December 15, 1890 – October 17, 1968) was a military officer who served as the 32nd Quartermaster General of 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 ...

Early life

Larkin was born in

Louisburg, Wisconsin Louisburg is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated community in Grant County, Wisconsin, Grant County, Wisconsin, within the town of Jamestown, Wisconsin, Jamestown. The zipcode is 53807. Louisburg Creek flows through the area. Louisburg is loca ...

and attended the

Gonzaga University Gonzaga University (GU) ( ) is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit university in Spokane, Washington, United States. It is Higher education accreditation in the United States, accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges ...

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. In 1915 he graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point (" the class the stars fell on") and was sent to

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in 1916 with the 2nd Engineers. After returning to the US he graduated in 1917 from the Engineer School at Washington Barracks, Washington, D.C. and in December was sent to France. He was awarded the Silver Star for his reconnaissance efforts during the Second Battle of the Marne during July 1918. From 1921 to 1923 he served as the Assistant Military Attache for the American Embassy in

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. In 1927 he graduated from the Army Industrial College; in 1929 from the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; and in 1938 from the Army War College.

Marriage and children

Larkin married Mary Irwin. She was the daughter of William, a

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

, and Elizabeth Irwin. One of their sons, Harrison S. Larkin, was a

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 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 ...

and was killed when his plane crashed on April 28, 1950. The Larkin Conference Center at Fort Lee was named for Lieutenant Larkin. Another son, Thomas B. Larkin Jr., was a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

in the United States Navy. All four Larkins, as well as the Irwins, are 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. ...

. Through the Irwins, Larkin was also a relative of Rear Admiral Harold Percival Norton, also buried at Arlington.

Military career

Larkin served a tour of duty in the

Panama Canal Zone The Panama Canal Zone (), also known as just the Canal Zone, was a International zone#Concessions, concession of the United States located in the Isthmus of Panama that existed from 1903 to 1979. It consisted of the Panama Canal and an area gene ...

as Supervisory Engineer in charge of Third Locks Project, and as Special Assistant to the Governor of the Canal Zone in charge of special

civil defense Civil defense or civil protection is an effort to protect the citizens of a state (generally non-combatants) from human-made and natural disasters. It uses the principles of emergency management: Risk management, prevention, mitigation, prepara ...

. After the

Attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Empire of Japan on the United States Pacific Fleet at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, its naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Territory of ...

, he was personally selected by Major General John C. H. Lee in May 1942 to serve as Chief of Staff, Headquarters, Services of Supply, United States Army Forces in the British Isles. He served under Lee in the opening months of the Operation Bolero buildup in Britain, until (USMA classmate) Lt. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower requested he be detached for

Operation Torch Operation Torch (8–16 November 1942) was an Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of French North Africa during the Second World War. Torch was a compromise operation that met the British objective of securing victory in North Africa whil ...

, the invasion of North Africa, beginning on 8 November 1942. In February 1943 he became Commanding General, Services of Supply, North African Theater of Operations, United States Army, and later Commander for the Communications Zone in

North Africa North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...

, and continued in this role through the invasions of Sicily, Italy, and then southern France in August 1944. For his efforts in supplying the combat troops during the Tunisian campaign he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal in June 1943. He was also awarded an Oak Leaf Cluster to the Distinguished Service Medal in November 1944 for his support of the 5th Army in Italy, and his role in planning the invasion of southern France. He remained in this capacity for the Operation Dragoon France invasion, and served under Lt. Gen. Jacob L. Devers, who took over in January 1944, in the now-larger Mediterranean Theater of Operations until the fall of Nazi Germany. On February 1, 1946, he became Quartermaster General of the US Army, serving in this position until March 20, 1949. He retired with grade of

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank 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 battlefield, who was norma ...

in 1952. Larkin died at Walter Reed Army Hospital on October 17, 1968, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Awards and decorations

Larkin was the recipient of numerous awards including the Distinguished Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Mexican Campaign Medal, World War I Victory Medal, World War I Occupation Medal, American Defense Medal, American Campaign Medal; European, African, Middle East Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and World War II Occupation Medal. Foreign decorations: French Croix de Guerre with Palm, the

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ian Order of Military Merit, the

Order of the Crown of Italy The Order of the Crown of Italy ( or OCI) was founded as a national order in 1868 by King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate Italian unification, the unification of Italy in 1861. It was awarded in five degrees for ...

(Grand Order), the British

Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by King George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. Recipients of the Order are usually senior British Armed Forces, military officers or senior Civil Service ...

Companion, and the Polish Gold Cross with Sword.

References

External links

Papers of Thomas B. Larkin, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library

{{DEFAULTSORT:Larkin, Thomas B. 1890 births 1968 deaths United States Military Academy alumni Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) Recipients of the Silver Star Recipients of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Croix de Guerre (France) Recipients of the Order of Military Merit (Brazil) Honorary companions of the Order of the Bath Recipients of the Cross of Merit with Swords (Poland) People from Jamestown, Wisconsin United States Army personnel of World War I United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni Quartermasters General of the United States Army Military personnel from Wisconsin Burials at Arlington National Cemetery Graduates of the United States Military Academy Class of 1915 United States Army generals of World War II United States Army generals