Paul Bernard Malone | |
|---|---|
 Brigadier General Paul B. Malone, pictured here when he was commanding the 10th Brigade, 5th Division,Longuyon, France, November 1918. | |
| Nickname(s) | "Follow Me!" |
| Born | (1872-05-08)May 8, 1872 Middletown, New York, United States |
| Died | October 16, 1960(1960-10-16) (aged 88) Sarasota, Florida, United States |
| Buried | Arlington National Cemetery,Virginia, United States |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1894–1936 |
| Rank |  Major general |
| Service number | 0-442 |
| Unit |  Infantry Branch |
| Commands | Fourth Army Ninth Corps Area Third Corps Area Sixth Corps Area Philippine Division 2nd Division 10th Brigade 23rd Regiment |
| Battles / wars | Spanish–American War |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Cross Army Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star Croix de Guerre Legion of Honour |
| Other work | writer |
Paul Bernard Malone (May 8, 1872 – October 16, 1960) was a highly decorated officer in theUnited States Army with the rank ofmajor general. Following his graduation from theUnited States Military Academy (USMA), he participated in theSpanish–American andPhilippine–American Wars and commanded an infantry brigade in the last year of theWorld War I. Malone reached the rank of brigadier general during that conflict and distinguished himself during theBattle of Soissons.[1]
He received theDistinguished Service Cross and theDistinguished Service Medal and several foreign decorations. Malone remained in the Army following the war and completed his service as commanding general,Fourth United States Army in 1936.[2][3]
Paul B. Malone was born inMiddletown, New York on May 8, 1872, the son of Irish immigrants, John and Hannah Malone. His parents ran a dairy and young Paul received his early education at Saint James Parochial School and theDe La Salle Institute. He received an appointment to theUnited States Military Academy atWest Point, New York, on June 17, 1890, and graduated in 1894.[1][4]
Among his classmates who also became general officers wereButler Ames,John W. Barker,Oliver Edwards,George H. Estes,Hamilton S. Hawkins III,Samuel Hof,Ora E. Hunt,Frank Parker,Briant H. Wells, andClarence C. Williams.[1]
He was commissioned second lieutenant in the Infantry branch on June 12, 1894, and was ordered toFort Jay onGovernors Island, New York, where he joined13th Infantry Regiment. Malone was promoted to first lieutenant on April 26, 1898, and sailed with his regiment toCuba in June that year. He distinguished himself during theBattle of San Juan Hill withinSpanish–American War and receivedSilver Star citation for bravery.[3][5]
With the outbreak ofPhilippine–American War, Malone was transferred to the newly established27th Infantry Regiment in thePhilippines in mid-1901 and took part in the chasing of rebel leaderEmilio Aguinaldo to the swamps and morasses of theLuzon. He was ordered back to the United States, and following his promotion to captain on November 2, 1901, he was appointed an instructor of chemistry at theUnited States Military Academy atWest Point, New York. While in this capacity, Malone taught a futureGeneral of the Army andMedal of Honor recipient,Douglas MacArthur.[6]
Malone remained in this capacity for five years and sailed back toCuba foroccupation duty as a member of his old27th Infantry Regiment in late 1906. He was later appointed a judge advocate and provost marshal general of the Army of Cuban Pacification and remained in that capacity for two years, before he was sent back to the United States.[1]
Upon his return stateside, Malone attended theArmy School of the Line atFort Leavenworth,Kansas, and graduated with honors in May 1909. He then completed theArmy Staff College inWashington, D.C., and was assigned to theWar Department General Staff. While in this capacity, Malone and two other captains (John McAuley Palmer andGeorge Van Horn Moseley) were ordered toGermany in September 1912 and observedGerman Imperial Army maneuvers northeast ofDresden.[7]
In mid-1913, Malone was transferred toHonolulu,Hawaiian Islands and served with2nd Infantry Regiment until June 1916. He was promoted to major on July 12, 1916, and appointed chief of staff,Eagle Pass District,Texas. Malone served in this capacity on the Mexican Border during thePancho Villa Expedition until January 1917, when he was appointed Officer-in-charge of Training Camps in the Central Department. He also served for brief period at theCitizens' Military Training Camp, the first businessmen's training camp atPlattsburgh, New York, and also as chief instructor at thePresidio training camp.[8][3]
Following theAmerican entry into World War I in April 1917, Malone was promoted to the temporary rank of lieutenant colonel on June 26, 1917, and embarked forFrance. He was attached to the General Headquarters,American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) under GeneralJohn J. Pershing and assumed duty as Assistant Chief of Staff for Plans and Training (G-5) with the headquarters atChaumont. Shortly thereafter, Malone was promoted to the temporary rank of colonel and ordered to the front in February 1918. While in this capacity, he was responsible for implementing the general staff training plan of all AEF forces.[1]
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Transferring from staff duties to the command of troops, he assumed command of the23rd Infantry Regiment, then part of the 3rd Brigade of the2nd Infantry Division, then commanded by Major GeneralOmar Bundy. After a period of training, Malone led his regiment to combat in theSommedieue sector. During theBattle of Belleau Wood at the beginning of June, Malone and his regiment were originally placed in the reserve, but promptly received orders to plug the gap in the lines.[9]
Malone then led the 23rd Infantry in theBattle of Soissons and particularly distinguished himself on July 19. During the two days which his regiment was engaged with the enemy, Malone frequently visited the advanced troops. On the evening of July 18, after the regiment had suffered severe losses, he assisted in the reorganization of a battalion for the attack onVierzy. On the morning of July 19 he made a personal reconnaissance of the front lines, under heavy fire, in order to ascertain the enemy position, which was of vital importance. Malone then directed his regiment in attack and defeated theGerman forces. For his service during the Soissons operation, Malone was decorated with theDistinguished Service Cross (DSC), the second highest decoration of theUnited States Armed Forces.[5][1]
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He continued to command his regiment until August when he was promoted and appointed commander of the 10th Brigade, part of the5th Division under Major GeneralJohn E. McMahon. Malone's first experience as a brigade commander arrived in mid-September in theBattle of Saint-Mihiel, where his brigade made its drive of nearly eight kilometers. He was promoted to the temporary rank of brigadier general on October 1, 1918.[1]
The battle lasted only a few days but, for Malone and his brigade, there was little rest as it soon found itself engaged in theMeuse–Argonne offensive, where it gloriously captured the Bois des Rappes, forced the difficult crossing of the river Meuse, and rapidly cleared the eastern heights, taking the villages of Brieulles, Liny-devant-Dun, Fontaines, Vilosnes, Brandeville, Jametz, Remoiville and Louppy and penetrating eighteen kilometers beyond the Meuse before theArmistice with Germany caused hostilities to cease on November 11.[3]
For his service as commander of the 10th Brigade, Malone received theArmy Distinguished Service Medal and was cited in Orders of the Tenth French Corps and of the French Army of the North and Northeast as well as theLegion of Honour, rank Officer and theCroix de Guerre 1914–1918 with Palm by theGovernment of France.[3][5][1]
Upon his return to the United States, Malone reverted to the peacetime rank of lieutenant colonel and returned to theWar Department General Staff. He was then sent to the newly bornArmy Infantry School atFort Benning and served consecutively as assistant commandant under GeneralsCharles S. Farnsworth andWalter H. Gordon. During his tenure at the Army Infantry School, Malone reached the rank of colonel and is also credited with the design of School Crest "Follow Me!".[1]
In April 1925, Malone was promoted again to the rank of brigadier general and ordered toFort Sam Houston,Texas, where he assumed command of2nd Infantry Division. While in this capacity, he supported American Legion War orphans’ fund, when first time in radio history broadcast conducted a talk from an airplane 3000 feet in the air. A fleet of three planes maneuvered over the city ofSan Antonio, directed by radio during the broadcasting.[10]
He then briefly commanded the 12th Infantry Brigade atFort Sheridan,Illinois, between March–June 1928, when he was promoted to major general and assumed command ofSixth Corps Area with headquarters inChicago. Malone left United States in April 1929 and embarked for thePhilippines, where he assumed command ofPhilippine Division atFort William McKinley. While in this capacity, Malone served under Major GeneralDouglas MacArthur, who commandedPhilippine Department and GovernorHenry L. Stimson.[1]
Malone returned stateside in June 1931 and assumed duty as commanding general,Third Corps Area inBaltimore,Maryland.[11] He was transferred toSan Francisco in March 1935 and assumed command ofNinth Corps Area. During his tenure there, Malone's units participated in theCalifornia Pacific International Exposition.[12]
In May 1935, he was given additional duty as commanding general,Fourth United States Army in San Francisco. The Fourth Army mission was to develop defense and operational plans for contingencies in the vicinity of the Pacific Coast and the western United States, review the mobilization plans of the Seventh and Ninth Corps Areas, and oversee the training of units in the army area. Malone served in that capacities until April 30, 1936, when he retired from active duty following a 42 years of service.[13][14][1]
After his retirement from the Army, Malone settled inSan Francisco,California, and accepted the position as administrator for the State Brewers’ Institute and was active in theAmerican Legion, awarveterans' organization.[15][16]
Following the United States entry into World War II, Malone's skills were requested again. Due to his military background, he was nominated to the capacity of defense coordinator of theMarin County, California, at the end of February 1942. However power struggle inside the Civil Defense office of Marin County did not allow his nomination and Malone was not appointed.[17][18]
Malone then served as head of the statewide organization of theMadera CountyMinute Men of '42, which served to train and organize a force of hunters and others who are owners of firearms and ammunition suitable for armed resistance in case of invasion or sabotage. Statewide plans specify that the organization must be on a military basis, with in charge of each unit, and must be drilled and trained in simple military drills.[19]
He later served on theState Guard committee with generalCharles S. Farnsworth and proposed an increase in the guards' strength. He also broadcast a tribute as an encouragement to his former pupil, GeneralDouglas MacArthur, who was struggling in the combat against the Japanese in the Philippines in January 1942.[6] Malone also gained reputation as prominent military analyst and regularly attended the Marin junior chamber of commerce's meetings as guest speaker.[20]
Malone retired toSarasota, Florida, following World War II and died there on October 16, 1960, at the age of 88. He was buried with full military honors atArlington National Cemetery,Virginia, together with his wife, Gertrude Kerwin (1872–1954). They had together four children: two daughters, Gertrude and Mildred and two sons, Paul Jr. and Andrew, both United States Military Academy alumni and Army Colonels.[1]
He wrote novels about theUnited States Military Academy at West Point.[21]
Here is Major general Malone's ribbon bar:[5]
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In the late 1970s, a series of several weapons qualification ranges, at the United States Army Infantry Center atFort Benning, Georgia, were named after him.
| Military offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Commanding General,Fourth United States Army May 21, 1935 – April 30, 1936 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commanding General,Ninth Corps Area March 9, 1935 – April 30, 1936 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commanding General,Third Corps Area August 3, 1931 – February 18, 1935 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commanding General,Philippine Division June 22, 1929 – June 24, 1931 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commanding General,2nd Infantry Division April 7, 1925 – June 13, 1926 | Succeeded by |
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain: K. Stevenson'sThe official history of the Fifth division, U. S. A.: during the period of its organization and of its operations in the European world war, 1917-1919. The Red diamond (Meuse) division (1919)
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