Roscoe Cartwright

Roscoe Conklin "Rock" Cartwright, was the first black field artilleryman promoted to brigadier general.

For the American football running back, see Rock Cartwright.
Brigadier General Roscoe "Rock" Cartwright
1971 Alpha Phi Alpha Award of Honor in Sphinx magazine

Cartwright was born in Kansas City, Kansas on May 27, 1919, and grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in 1936, and attended Kansas State Teachers College at Emporia, Kansas. He was then drafted into the United States Army in 1941.[1]

He served in Italy in World War II, and later served in Japan and Korea, in the all-black brigade of the 92nd Infantry Division, also known as the Buffalo Soldiers, and commanded by all-white officers. At the end of WWII, he was promoted to first lieutenant.

In 1954, he was the first officer to successfully transfer from a segregated unit into the "regular" integrated army, and was promoted to major. In 1960, he returned to college, graduating with a bachelor of arts degree from San Francisco State College in 1960. He served in Vietnam until 1971, when he became the third black man after General Benjamin O. Davis Sr, and General Benjamin O. Davis Jr to be promoted to brigadier general.

He retired in from a post at the Pentagon in 1974, and was killed along with his wife Gloria on TWA Flight 514 a few months later December 1, 1974.[2] Cartwright and his wife Gloria were buried at Arlington National Cemetery.[3]

General Cartwright's legacy lives on in many venues. He was a co-founder of The Rocks, Inc., the largest professional military officers organization with a majority African-American membership.[4][5] The organization has been essential in the development of black military officers including member Colin Powell, as discussed in his autobiography.[6]

The Roscoe C. Cartwright Prince Hall Masonic Lodge #129 is another namesake that lives on today in the form of his former lodge in Oxen Hill, Maryland. He was a 33rd degree mason.

He joined Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., a traditionally African-American college fraternity, where he was recognized as member of the year in 1974.

Career highlights

[7]

Major Assignments

November 1963-August 1966: Comptroller, U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Leavenworth, KS.

August 1966-July 1968: Management Analyst, later Chief, Management Planning Division, later Chief, Research and Development Division, Office of the Director of Management, Office, Comptroller of the Army, Washington, DC.

August 1968-June 1969: Student, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, DC.

August 1969-January 1970: Commanding Officer, 108th Artillery Group, U.S. Army Pacific – Vietnam.

February-July 1970: Deputy Commanding Officer, U.S. Army Support Command, Cam Ranh Bay U.S. Army, Pacific – Vietnam.

August 1970-July 1971: Chief, Budget and Five Year Defense Program, Coordination Division, Manpower and Forces Directorate, Officer of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Force Development, U.S. Army, Washington, DC.

July-November 1971: Special Assistant to the Assistant Chief of Staff for Force Development, U.S. Army, Washington, DC.

November 1971-February 1972: Director of Management, Review and Analysis, Officer, Comptroller of the Army, Washington, DC.

February 1972-July 1973: Assistant Division Command, 3rd Infantry Division, U.S. Army, Europe.

August 1973-August 1974: Deputy Chief of Staff, Comptroller, U.S. Army, Europe and Seventh Army

Military Schools

Roscoe C. Cartwright Prince Hall Lodge No. 129 paying respects to namesake on Memorial Day 2015

The Artillery School, School, Advanced Course United States Army Command and General Staff College Industrial College of the Armed Forces

College Degrees

San Francisco State College – BA Degree – Social Science University of Missouri – MBA Degree – Business Administration

Medals and Awards

Legion of Merit (2 Awards) Bronze Star Medal (3 Awards) Meritorious Service Medal Air Medal (3 Awards) Army Commendation Medal (3 Awards)

References
  1. "Brigadier General Roscoe C. Cartwright". Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  2. "The Crash of TWA Flight 514". Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  3. Burial Details: Cartwright, Roscoe C – ANC Explorer
  4. MOAA Magazine "Reaching Up, Reaching Out".
  5. Roscoe Rock Cartwright Biography from RCC 129 by Dorian Cartwright http://www.rcc129.org/bg-cartwright.html
  6. Steins, R. (2003). Colin Powell: a biography. United Kingdom: Greenwood Press
  7. https://militaryhallofhonor.com/honoree-record.php?id=2318
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