Briant Harris Wells | |
|---|---|
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| Born | (1871-12-05)December 5, 1871 Salt Lake City,Utah Territory, United States |
| Died | June 10, 1949(1949-06-10) (aged 77) Long Beach, California, United States |
| Buried | Arlington National Cemetery,Virginia, United States |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| Service years | 1894–1935 |
| Rank |  Major general |
| Unit |  Infantry Branch |
| Commands | Hawaiian Department Hawaiian Division 1st Division United States Army Infantry School 318th Regiment |
| Conflicts | Spanish–American War |
| Awards | Army Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star Purple Heart Legion of Honour |
| Relations | Daniel H. Wells (father) Heber M. Wells (brother) |
Major GeneralBriant Harris Wells (December 5, 1871 – June 10, 1949) was a highly decorated officer in theUnited States Army. A veteran of theSpanish–American andPhilippine–American Wars, he later distinguished himself as chief of staff of theIV Corps during the final days ofWorld War I, for which he received theArmy Distinguished Service Medal.[1]
He later served in various important assignments, including asDeputy Chief of Staff of the United States Army and commanding general of the1st Infantry Division and theHawaiian Department.[2]
Wells was born on December 5, 1871, inSalt Lake City,Utah Territory, as the son ofDaniel H. Wells and Martha Givens Harris. His father was amayor ofSalt Lake City and anapostle ofthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). Briant had a total of thirty-seven siblings due to his father's LDS religion, which allowedPolygamy. Some of his siblings had also distinguished careers later:Heber M. Wells,first Governor of the State of Utah;Elizabeth Wells Cannon, a prominentwomen's suffragist orRulon S. Wells, aUtah politician. His father was also head of theNauvoo Legion (the name given to the predecessor of theUtah National Guard during the early period of Utah Territory).[3][1][2]
In May 1890, Wells received an appointment to theUnited States Military Academy atWest Point, New York, where he graduated four years later withBachelor of Science degree. Many of his classmates became general officers later including:Butler Ames,George H. Estes,Hamilton S. Hawkins III,Samuel Hof,Ora E. Hunt,John W. Joyes,Francis L. Parker,Frank Parker,Paul B. Malone,George Vidmer,Pegram Whitworth orClarence C. Williams.
Following his graduation, Wells was commissioned second lieutenant in theInfantry Branch on June 12, 1894, and ordered toFort Omaha,Nebraska, where he joined2nd Infantry Regiment. He served with the regiment inDepartment of the Platte until June 1896, before his unit was transferred to theDepartment of Dakota.[1][2]
He then served as an instructor with theUtah Army National Guard from August 1897 until the beginning ofSpanish–American War, when he was promoted to first lieutenant and appointed a quartermaster, commissary, and mustering officer of the Utah Volunteers. Wells was then transferred to the18th Infantry Regiment and embarked forCuba in June that year. He participated in theBattle of San Juan Hill on July 1, 1898, and was wounded while leading a charge. Wells spent a month in the hospital and receivedSilver Star for gallantry and efficiency under fire.[4][1][2]
Upon his full recovery, Wells served light duty withUtah Army National Guard and rejoined the 18th Infantry Regiment atCavite,Philippines as company commander in November 1898. He subsequently participated in the combats against Filipino insurgents on the Island ofPanay duringPhilippine–American War. Wells took part in thecaptures of Jaro andIloilo and served in the field until December 1899. He was meanwhile appointed Regimental Commissary in May that year.[1][2]
While in the Philippines, Wells participated in theMoro Rebellion and was promoted to captain in February 1901. He left for the United States in June that year and following a leave at home, he was assigned to the29th Infantry Regiment atFort Sheridan,Illinois. His regiment served within theDepartment of the Lakes until February 1902, when it was ordered for occupation duty to the Philippines.[1][2]
During his second tour in that country, Wells was stationed in the Southern Philippines and in the Islands ofVisayas until May 1904, when he was ordered back to the United States. He then served a tour of duty with theDepartment of the Colorado, before he rejoined his regiment inLuzon, Philippines in August 1907.[1][2]
In August 1909, Wells returned stateside and joined the headquarters of theDepartment of the East atFort Jay,Governors Island,New York City. He consecutively served as quartermaster under Majod GeneralsLeonard Wood,Frederick D. Grant andTasker H. Bliss until December 1912, when he rejoined his old outfit, the 29th Infantry Regiment, as constructing and regimental quartermaster. Wells sailed with the regiment to thePanama Canal Zone in March 1915 and served as company and battalion commander and as adjutant and again as quartermaster of the regiment.[1][2]
Following his return stateside in May 1916, Wells was requested by his former superior officer, Major General Wood, for duty as an instructor at theCitizens' Military Training Camp, the first businessmen's training camp atPlattsburgh, New York. While in this capacity, he was promoted to major in July 1916 and left forWashington, D.C. one month later. Wells then served briefly with theOffice of the Chief of the General Staff of the United States Army, before he was ordered to the Mexican border, where he assumed duty aschief of staff, 16th Provisional Division andNogales District during thePancho Villa Expedition.[1][2]
He was ordered toDouglas, Arizona, in April 1917, the same month of theAmerican entry into World War I, and served as chief of staff, 3rd Provisional Division, before returning to Washington, D.C. a month later. Wells then served as a member of the War Department General Staff under another former superior, Major GeneralTasker H. Bliss, until August that year, when he was promoted to the temporary rank of colonel.[1][2]
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Wells was subsequently ordered toCamp Lee,Virginia, where he was tasked with the formation and training of the 318th Infantry Regiment, part of the159th Brigade of the80th Division. He commanded the regiment until December, when he was attached to the Office of the Chief of the General Staff of the United States Army, and again serving with Bliss, now a full general.[1][2]
Bliss also served as an American Permanent Military Representative at theSupreme War Council inVersailles,France and Wells followed him there in January 1918. Wells served as representative of General Bliss at Headquarters, General-in-Chief, Allied Armies until the end of July 1918, when he was appointed chief of staff of the newly activatedVI Corps under Major GeneralOmar Bundy.[1][2]
Wells was promoted to the temporary rank of brigadier general on August 8, 1918, and participated in theBattle of Saint-Mihiel in mid-September. He was transferred in the same capacity withIV Corps under Major GeneralCharles H. Muir in October 1918 and participated in theMeuse–Argonne offensive. TheArmistice with Germany brought an end to hostilities soon afterwards.
For his service during World War I, Wells was decorated with theArmy Distinguished Service Medal as well as theLegion of Honour, rank Officer by theGovernment of France.[1][2] The citation for his Army DSM reads as follows:
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Army Distinguished Service Medal to Brigadier General Briant Harris Wells, United States Army, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services to the Government of the United States, in a duty of great responsibility during World War I. As Chief of Staff of the 4th Army Corps while it was in the front line in the Woevre, General Wells displayed military attainments of a high order in the planning of operations. Both then and subsequently, during the march to the Rhine and the occupation of German territory, his service was marked by tireless zeal, excellent judgment, and whole-hearted devotion to the performance of important tasks.[4]
Following the Armistice, Wells remained with IV Corps, now under Major GeneralCharles P. Summerall and took part in theoccupation of the Rhineland. He was stationed in the area west ofCoblenz until mid-May 1919, when the Corps was demobilized and its unit ordered back to the United States.[1]
Wells reverted to the peacetime rank of lieutenant colonel in July 1919 and assumed duty with the War Plans and Defense Projects Section, War Plans Division,War Department General Staff. While in this capacity, he was promoted to colonel on July 1, 1920, and was appointed Chief of War Plans and Defense Projects Section. Upon the appointment of GeneralJohn J. Pershing as Chief of Staff of the Army in July 1921, Wells was promoted to the capacity of assistant chief of staff, War Plans Division, within the War Department General Staff and reached again the rank of brigadier general on December 4, 1922.[1][2]
In November 1923, Wells was ordered toFort Benning,Georgia, for duty as commandant of theArmy Infantry School. He served in this capacity until March 1926, when he was recalled to the War Department General Staff and assumed duty as assistant chief of staff for logistics (G-4). Wells served in this capacity under Major GeneralJohn L. Hines and upon the arrival of new chief of staff, GeneralCharles P. Summerall, who served as Wells' superior officer during the occupation duty in Germany, he was appointed deputy chief of staff in May 1927. He was promoted to major general on April 19, 1928.[1]
Wells servedde facto as the second man of the War Department General Staff until March 1930, when he was ordered toFort Hamilton,New York City, and assumed duty as commanding general,1st Infantry Division. This assignment was brief and Wells sailed forHawaii in September that year, where he assumed duty as commanding general,Hawaiian Division.[1][2]
In September 1931, Wells assumed command of theHawaiian Department and was responsible for the complete defense of Hawaii. His command consisted of Hawaiian Division, which he recently commanded; Separate Coast Artillery Brigade and18th Composite Wing. Wells also completely revised the war plans for the defense of the Islands, opened up many miles of military trails and roads in the mountains, greatly improved housing and tightened up in many ways on officer requirements, both professionally and physically. He held that command until the end of September 1934, when he was ordered stateside for pending retirement.[1][2][5][6]
Wells retired from active service on January 31, 1935, and returned toHawaii, where he found a new home. He settled inHonolulu and became the first president of theHonolulu Community Theatre. He then served as executive vice president and secretary,Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association until June 1944. In addition to his job, he was a member of Honolulu Chapter of theRed Cross; of the Hawaiian Historical Society, of the Social Science Club, the Oahu Country Club and the Pacific Club.[1]
As the official of the Hawaiian Islands Protective association, General Wells was also a proponent that Hawaii's 148,000 residents of Japanese origin will remain loyal to the United States in case of a war in the Pacific area.[7]
In June 1949, while en route to hisUSMA class reunion, Wells died on June 10, 1949, inLong Beach, California. He was buried with full military honors atArlington National Cemetery,Virginia and honorary pallbearers were West Point classmates and men with whom Wells served for more than forty years in the Army. They included GeneralGeorge C. Marshall, former secretary of State and World War II Chief of Staff; GeneralOmar Bradley, then-Army Chief of Staff; GeneralCharles Pelot Summerall, former chief of staff, under whom Wells served as his deputy in 1927–1930, and R. G. Bell of Honolulu, president of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters Association.[1][8]
His wife, Mary Jane Jennings (1877–1959) is buried beside him. They had together three children: sons Briant Jr. and Thomas J., both decorated Army Colonels and USMA graduates and daughter Mary Jane.
Here is Major General Wells' ribbon bar:[4]
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| Military offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Commanding General Hawaiian Department 1931−1934 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commanding General Hawaiian Division 1930−1931 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commanding General 1st Division March−September 1930 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commandant of the United States Army Infantry School 1923−1926 | Succeeded by |
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| National | |
| Other | |
