Guy S. Meloy Jr.

General Guy Stanley Meloy Jr. (September 4, 1903 – December 14, 1968) was a U.S. Army general, World War II and Korean War veteran, and served as commander of all U.S. forces in Korea during the Cold War.

Guy S. Meloy Jr.
General Guy S. Meloy Jr.
Born(1903-09-04)September 4, 1903
Lanham, Maryland, U.S.
DiedDecember 14, 1968(1968-12-14) (aged 65)
San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
Buried
Allegiance United States of America
Service/branch United States Army
Years of service1927–1963
Rank General
Commands heldUnited Nations Command, Korea
U.S. Forces Korea
Eighth Army
Fifth Army
VII Corps
1st Infantry Division
Infantry School
Battles/warsWorld War II
Korean War
Cold War
AwardsDistinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star
Purple Heart
Army Commendation Medal
Combat Infantryman Badge

Early life and education

Meloy was born in Lanham, Maryland on September 4, 1903. After graduating from McKinley Technology High School in Washington D.C., he was appointed to the United States Military Academy. He graduated from West Point in 1927 with a Bachelor of Science degree and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the infantry.

Career

One of his early assignments was with the first tank destroyer battalion to be organized in the United States Army. He followed this assignment by attending the British Army's anti-tank school, and upon his return to the U.S. was assigned to Camp Hood (later Fort Hood) as one of the first five officers at the now defunct Tank Destroyer Center. During World War II he served in Europe as chief of staff of the 103rd Infantry Division, and was chief of staff of the Airborne Center at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The CIB (combat infantryman badge) displayed on his uniform in the photo on this page was earned during the Korean War. To earn a CIB, a soldier must have an infantry MOS (military occupational specialty), have been exposed to hostile fire in a combat zone, and cannot have rank higher than colonel. Gen. Meloy satisfied these requirements while serving as a Colonel, which is documented in the citation for the Distinguished Service Cross earned in 1950.[1]

1940s

From 1946 to 1948 he was professor of military science and tactics at Texas A&M University. He next served as commander of the 19th Infantry Regiment(United States) of the 24th Infantry Division at Camp Chickamauga in Beppu, Kyushu, Japan.

1950s

He deployed to the Korean War, where he was seriously wounded in action while serving as the Commanding Officer, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division on July 16, 1950. This occurred during the action that resulted in him receiving the Distinguished Service Cross.[2] Later he commanded the United States Army Infantry School at Fort Benning, and the 1st Infantry Division in Europe, where he oversaw the unit's redeployment to Fort Riley. He was the Chief of Public Information at the Department of the Army and later commanded Fifth United States Army at Fort Sam Houston in 1958 and then served as the commander of VII Corps in Europe.

1960s

He received his fourth star in 1961 and became the commander-in-chief of the United Nations Command, Korea, commander United States Forces Korea, commanding general of Eighth United States Army and commanding general of the Seventh United States Army, headquartered at Stuttgart in West Germany.

Personal life

On November 12, 1960 he married Therese Susan, widowed Maverick Grave, (nee Fischer) from San Antonio, Texas.

Later life and death

He retired at the age of 60 in 1963, and died on December 14, 1968.[3] He is buried with his first wife Catherine, who preceded him in death in 1959.

In retirement, he served as mayor of Terrell Hills, Texas, and was active in the San Antonio chapter of the Association of the United States Army, which established a scholarship in his name in 1970. His son, Guy S. Meloy III, retired from the U.S. Army as a major general.[4]

Notes

  1. https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/7409
  2. https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/7409
  3. "Retired Army General Guy S. Meloy Jr Dies in San Antonio". The Kilgore News Herals. December 15, 1968. p. 9. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  4. "Austin Chapter of The Military Officers Association of America". Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved July 13, 2007.

References

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