Frederic B. Butler

Brigadier General Frederic Bates Butler was the US Army officer who led the American Task Force in the encirclement action of Operation Dragoon at the Battle of Montelimar, France in August 1944.

Born San Francisco, California Oct 5, 1896 as the son of Vincent Butler and Mary Flynn. Died San Francisco June 20, 1987. Married November 12, 1924 in Tientain, China to Philippi Harriette Harding (US citizen born Chicago, Illinois died Apr 12, 1984 San Francisco, California), two daughters Phillipa "Popsy" Butler (born 1935) Patricia M Butler (born 1927) and one son Bill Butler (born August 28, 1928).

Educated at St Ignatius College Preparatory School (San Francisco's Jesuit School since 1855). Cadet at the Military Academy, West Point, June 15, 1916 to Nov 1, 1918, when he graduated and was promoted in the Army to Second Lieutenant, Corps of Engineers. Served at Camp A Humphreys, VA, as Student officer at Engineer School Dec 2 1918 to June 1919. Was sent to France with American Expeditionary Forces, on tour of observation, to September 1919. Graduated at Camp A A Humphrys, VA, from the U.S. Army Engineer School in 1921. Served in China and Outer Mongolia with the Army Corps of Engineers and taught at West Point before returning to San Francisco in 1927. Still in service, he worked on the Treasure Island for the 1939–40 Golden Gate International Exposition and supervised roadwork on Yerba Buena. After the fair ended, Treasure Island was sold to the U.S. Navy to become the base of operations for the war in the Pacific Theatre.

In World War II, he was involved in both the African campaign as G-3 in the Advance Headquarters, II Corps, in Tunisia 1943, in Italy being promoted Colonel commander 168th Infantry Regiment and the invasion of Southern France, where as Brigadier General in VI Corps he led Task Force Butler into the Battle of Montelimar. (His commander, General Truscott, erroneously referred to “Frederick W Butler” in his memoirs, but later quotes one of Butler’s letters to him signed “FBB” which reveals his error. The mistaken middle initial is repeated in many other histories.)

After the war he served as manager of the San Francisco International Airport and as a commissioner for the San Francisco Fire Dept. He served as commander of Camp McCoy May 24, 1951 through Feb. 6, 1952. He retired from the Army in 1953.

Awards and Medals
 * Distinguished Service Cross
 * Legion of Merit, the Oak Leaf Cluster
 * Bronze Star
 * Purple Heart
 * France honored him with the Croix de Guerre and the Legion of Honor
 * Italy awarded him the Cross of Valor
 * Knight of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, 1962.

Promotions
 * Second Lieutenant November 1, 1918
 * First Lieutenant May 7, 1919
 * Captain November 1, 1934
 * Major July 1, 1940
 * Lieutenant Colonel September 15, 1941, accepted September 22, 1941
 * Colonel February 1, 1942
 * Brigadier General January 17, 1944