Frank William Milburn | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Nickname | "Shrimp"[1] |
| Born | (1892-01-11)January 11, 1892 Jasper, Indiana, U.S. |
| Died | October 25, 1962(1962-10-25) (aged 70) Missoula, Montana, U.S. |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1914–1952 |
| Rank |  Lieutenant general |
| Service number | 0-3738 |
| Unit |  Infantry Branch |
| Commands | 11th Infantry Regiment 83rd Infantry Division XXI Corps XXIII Corps V Corps 1st Infantry Division Seventh Army IX Corps I Corps |
| Battles / wars | World War I |
| Awards | Army Distinguished Service Medal (2) Silver Star (2) Legion of Merit Bronze Star Medal Order of Suvorov Second Class[2] (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) |
| Signature | .png) |
Frank William Milburn (January 11, 1892 – October 25, 1962) was a seniorUnited States Army officer who served duringWorld War II and theKorean War. From December 1943, through the end of World War II, Milburn commanded theXXI Corps.
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Milburn attended theUnited States Military Academy and after graduating 99th in a class of 107 cadets was commissioned as asecond lieutenant in June 1914. Among his fellow graduates included men such asWilliam H. Holcombe,James B. Cress,Charles P. Gross,Brehon B. Somervell,Robert W. Crawford, Dabney O. Elliott,Arthur R. Harris,LaRhett L. Stuart,John B. Anderson,Harry C. Ingles,James L. Bradley,John H. Woodberry,Harold F. Loomis,Carl Spaatz,Harold R. Bull,Charles M. Milliken, Joseph W. Byron, Paul C. Paschal,Francis R. Kerr,Vicente Lim, Sylvester D. Downs Jr.,Orlando Ward, Benjamin G. Weir,Ralph Royce,William O. Ryan,John B. Thompson andJens A. Doe. All of them would later rise to the rank ofbrigadier general or higher in their later military careers
DuringWorld War I, Milburn served in thePanama Canal Zone. Subsequently, Milburn served in a variety ofinfantry assignments, among them the 5th, 33rd, 15th, and 28th Infantry Regiments.[1]
A 1933 graduate of the Command and General Staff School (the school for higher command in U.S. Army), Milburn was promoted tobrigadier general in early 1942 and selected to command theU.S. 83rd Infantry Division in August 1942. He was again promoted in September 1942 to the rank ofmajor general. Milburn commanded the 83rd Division until December 1943, when he took over the newly formedU.S. XXI Corps.[1]
Milburn commanded the XXI Corps for the remainder ofWorld War II in Europe as part of theU.S. Seventh Army under GeneralAlexander Patch. Milburn's XXI Corps played a decisive role in collapsing theColmar Pocket in February 1945.[1]
In hisThe History of the French First Army, GeneralJean de Lattre de Tassigny described General Milburn in this manner:
When I saw Maj.-Gen. Frank W. Milburn arrive at Rothau at 10.00 on the 25th January, lean and muscular and straight of eye, with the energetic features of a fighter, it did not take me long to know that I would find in him the most careful and loyal of subordinates. The steadfastness of his character, his clear view of realities and his leader-like authority, were apparent to me at once, and I felt that I could have complete confidence in him to bring to a successful conclusion the rough task which was going to fall to his U.S. 21st Army Corps.
Postwar, Milburn's tour of command of the XXI Corps ended in July 1945. Subsequently, Milburn served briefly as the acting commander for the Seventh Army and then the XXIII Corps. Milburn commanded theU.S. V Corps from November 1945 until June 1946. From June 1946 until May 1949, Milburn commanded theU.S. 1st Infantry Division. Promoted tolieutenant general in 1949, Milburn served as the deputy commander of U.S. Army Europe until 1950.[3]
During the Korean War, Milburn temporarily commanded theU.S. IX Corps in August 1950. From September 1950 until June 1951, Milburn commanded theU.S. I Corps, supervising the invasion of North Korea in October and November 1950. For two days in December 1950, following the Chinese intervention into the conflict, Milburn was the acting commander of theU.S. Eighth Army until the arrival of GeneralMatthew Ridgway, who was given command of the army after the death of GeneralWalton Walker.
Milburn's career is remarkable for having commanded fivecorps of the U.S. Army. He retired from military service in April 1952.[3]
Milburn served as head football coach of the Montana Grizzlies from 1926 to 1930 and finished with an overall record of 18–22–3. He also served as head coach of the Montana Grizzlies baseball team in 1927, 1928 and again in 1953.
In 1953, Milburn also served as the athletic director at theUniversity of Montana.[3]
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montana Grizzlies(Pacific Coast Conference)(1926–1930) | |||||||||
| 1926 | Montana | 3–5 | 0–4 | 8th | |||||
| 1927 | Montana | 3–4–1 | 0–4 | 9th | |||||
| 1928 | Montana | 4–5–1 | 0–5 | 10th | |||||
| 1929 | Montana | 3–5–1 | 0–4–1 | 9th | |||||
| 1930 | Montana | 5–3 | 1–3 | 7th | |||||
| Montana: | 18–22–3 | 1–20–1 | |||||||
| Total: | 18–22–3 | ||||||||
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Newly activated organization | Commanding General 83rd Infantry Division 1942–1943 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Newly activated organization | Commanding General XXI Corps 1943–1945 | Succeeded by Post deactivated |
| Preceded by | Commanding General V Corps 1945−1946 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commanding General 1st Infantry Division 1946–1949 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commanding General IX Corps August−September 1950 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commanding General I Corps 1950–1951 | Succeeded by |
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| National | |
| Other | |
