| Stafford LeRoy Irwin | |
|---|---|
 Major General Stafford LeRoy Irwin in 1946 | |
| Nickname | "Red" |
| Born | March 23, 1893 |
| Died | November 23, 1955 (aged 62) |
| Place of birth | Ft. Monroe, Virginia |
| Place of death | Asheville, North Carolina |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America |
| Service/branch |
 United States Army |
| Years of service | 1915–1952 |
| Rank |
 Lieutenant General |
| Commands held | |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | |
| Relations |
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Stafford LeRoy Irwin(March 23, 1893 – November 23, 1955) was a lieutenant general of the United States Army. He came from the family with long military tradition. He was the son of Army Major General of the Artillery, George LeRoy Irwin and his grandfather was also a Major General of the United States Army Medical Corps, Bernard J. D. Irwin, who was recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Education and First Assignment[]
He was born at Fort Monroe, Virginia. First, he attended the Military Academy at West Point, after which, was commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant in the Cavalry Branch of the Army on the June 12, 1915. His class had many famous members, many of whom went on to high rank. Because of the achievements of many of its members, the USMA class of 1915 is known as "the class the stars fell on".
He served with the cavalry under command of General John Pershing during Pancho Villa Expedition as a member of the 11th Cavalry in 1916 and the following year, he was transferred to the Field Artillery School at Fort Sill, where he attended an artillery training and then was promoted to a gunnery instructor.
Peacetime[]
Between World War I and World War II, Stafford Irwin held a variety of positions. He was a professor of Military Science and Tactics, Yale University, from 1919 to 1920. He served as an instructor to the Oklahoma National Guard from 1920 to 1924. He spent the period of 1929 to 1933 as an instructor at the Field Artillery School. Irwin was assigned to the Organized Reserves from 1933 to 1936.
World War II[]
Stafford Irwin was the commander of artillery for the 9th Infantry Division in North Africa. He was noted for performing well during the Battle of Kasserine Pass. Following the North Africa Campaign he was given command of the 5th Infantry Division during Patton's drive across Europe.
General Stafford would finish the war as the commander of the XII Corps and serve in that position until September 1945.
Postwar and retirement[]
After the war, Irwin returned to the United States and became commander of V Corps in 1946 and director of the Military Intelligence Division in 1948. He finished his military career as the commander of U.S. Army forces in Austria from 1950 to 1952. He retired in 1952 due to medical problems.
Lt. Gen. Irwin died in 1955 of a coronary occlusion in Asheville, North Carolina.
Military education[]
In addition to attending West Point, Irwin attended the Field Artillery School in 1926, Command and General Staff School 1926–1927, and the Army War College in 1937.
Personal life[]
Irwin was married in 1921 to Helen (Hall) Irwin and together they had one son, Francis LeRoy. After Helen died in 1937, Irwin remarried in 1941 to Clare (Moran) Irwin. His second marriage also produced a son.
Decorations[]
Lieutenant General Irwin's ribbon bar:
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| 1st Row | Army Distinguished Service Medal | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd Row | Silver Star | Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster | Bronze Star Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster | Army Commendation Medal | ||||||||
| 3rd Row | Mexican Service Medal | World War I Victory Medal | American Defense Service Medal | American Campaign Medal | ||||||||
| 4th Row | European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with eight service stars | World War II Victory Medal | Army of Occupation Medal | National Defense Service Medal | ||||||||
| 5th Row | Order of the British Empire | Officer of the Legion of Honour | French Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 with Palm | Officer of the Belgian Order of Leopold II | ||||||||
| 5th Row | Belgian Croix de Guerre 1940–1945 with Palm | Luxembourg War Cross | Military Order of the White Lion | Czechoslovak War Cross 1939-1945 | ||||||||
References[]
- BIGGEST WEST POINT CLASS JOINS ARMY New York Times, June 13, 1915
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Stafford LeRoy Irwin. |
- Arlington Cemetery Web Site retrieved 5/12/09
- Time Magazine December 1955 retrieved 5/12/09
- Field Artillery Magazine Jan/Feb 1949 retrieved 5/12/09
- Unithistories.com U.S. Army Officers of WWII retrieved 5/12/09
The original article can be found at Stafford LeRoy Irwin and the edit history here.