George S. Simonds

He was born in Cresco, Iowa on March 12, 1874, the son of son of William O. Simonds and Ellen Sherwin Simonds .{{cite book|last1=Davis|first1=Henry Blaine Jr.|title=Generals in Khaki|date=1998|publisher=Pentland Press, Inc.|location=Raleigh, NC|isbn=1571970886|page=336}}

File:George Sherwin Simonds (1874–1938) at West Point in 1899.png

He graduated (26th out of a class of 72) from the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, New York in 1899. Many of his classmates became general officers later in their military careers: Samuel T. Ansell, Charles M. Bundel, Clifton C. Carter, Stanley D. Embick, Robert C. Foy, Stuart Heintzelman, Charles D. Herron, Evan H. Humphrey, Frederick B. Kerr, Leon Kromer, Duncan K. Major Jr., Edward M. Markham, George Van Horn Moseley, Ephraim G. Peyton, Clement A. Trott and James A. Woodruff.

After graduation, he was assigned to the 22d Infantry. He served in the Philippines and China. He returned to West Point in 1904 as an instructor in the Department of Law. In addition from 1915 to 1917, he also taught in the Department of Tactics.

After the American entry into World War I in April 1917, he was sent to France as an observer. After returning to America, he was assigned to the General Staff of the General Headquarters of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) and returned to France again later in 1917. Simonds, promoted in August 1917 to lieutenant colonel, was Chief of Staff of the 2nd Corps, AEF, commanded by Major General George Windle Read. He received a temporary promotion to colonel in June 1918 and to brigadier general that October.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CO0cAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA587 |title=Official Army Register |date=January 1, 1930 |page=587 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |access-date=2022-09-06}}{{cite web | url=https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/America/United_States/Army/USMA/Cullums_Register/3893*.html | title=George S. Simonds • Cullum's Register • 3893 }} Simonds received the Army Distinguished Service Medal for service in the war. The medal's citation reads:

{{Quote|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 George Sherwin Simonds, 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. General Simonds served with marked distinction as Chief of Staff of the 2d Army Corps during the important operations along the Hindenburg line in the region of the Sambre Canal. His great administrative ability was shown in the excellent manner in which he handled a large force of American soldiers serving with the British.{{cite web|url=https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/18169|title=Valor awards for George Sherwin Simonds|publisher=Military Times}}{{cite web | url=https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/America/United_States/Army/USMA/Cullums_Register/3893*.html | title=George S. Simonds • Cullum's Register • 3893 }}}}

After the war, Simonds graduated from the Army War College in 1920 and was promoted to colonel in July 1921. He was promoted to brigadier general in November 1924. Simonds commanded the tank center until 1925,{{cite web | url=https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/America/United_States/Army/USMA/Cullums_Register/3893*.html | title=George S. Simonds • Cullum's Register • 3893 }} and was succeeded by James K. Parsons.

Brigadier General Simonds served as Chief of the War Plans Division of the War Department from September 1, 1927 to September 1, 1931.{{cite web | url=https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/America/United_States/Army/USMA/Cullums_Register/3893*.html | title=George S. Simonds • Cullum's Register • 3893 }}

In 1932, he was assigned to run the Army War College. Previously he was Douglas MacArthur's chief war planner, and his appointment was made to improve the planning ability in the Army War College.

Simonds was promoted to major general in 1933.

Simonds served as Deputy Chief of Staff in the War Department from February 2, 1935 to May 28, 1936.

In June 1936, Simonds took command of the Fourth United States Army and Ninth Corps; the headquarters was at the Presidio of San Francisco.

Simonds retired from the Army at San Francisco in 1938.

He died on November 1, 1938 and was buried in the West Point Cemetery.{{cite web|url=https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/America/United_States/Army/USMA/Cullums_Register/3893*.html|title=George S. Simonds • Cullum's Register • 3893|publisher=}} The ship USAT General George S. Simonds was named for him.

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{{Commons category|George Sherwin Simonds}}

• {{cite book |title=Seventieth Annual Report of the Association of Graduates of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, June 10, 1939 |last=Association of Graduates |year=1939 |publisher=The Moore Printing Company |location= Newburgh, New York|pages=278–281 }}

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Category:1874 births

Category:1938 deaths

Category:People from Cresco, Iowa

Category:United States Military Academy alumni

Category:Military personnel from Iowa

Category:American military personnel of the Philippine–American War

Category:United States Military Academy faculty

Category:United States Army generals of World War I

Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army)

Category:United States Army War College alumni

Category:United States Army generals

Category:Military personnel from San Francisco

Category:Burials at West Point Cemetery

Category:19th-century United States Army personnel