Almond, Edward “Ned” Mallory, born 12-12-1892 in Luray, Virginia, the first son of Walter, a farm equipment salesman, and Grace Popham Almond. Another boy, Malcolm, joined the family in 1895, as did a sister, Judy, in 1897. Young Almond, nicknamed “Ned” by his family, grew up being told stories by his paternal grandmother about the American Civil War. Almond’s maternal grandfather, Thomas Popham, along with his great-uncle, William Barton Mallory, had both served in the Confederate Army during the war. In Almond’s youth there were still many veterans of the Civil War all over Virginia although Almond himself stated in later life that neither his grandparents nor the older people who had been involved spoke much about the conflict. He did note, however, that there seemed to be an undertone of bitterness for having lost the war. Edward was Army Chief of Staff during World War II. Commander of the 92nd Infantry Division, nickname “Buffalo Soldiers”
, made of almost exclusively African-American soldiers, a position he held from its formation in October 1942 until August 1945. Chosen by George Marshall for this assignment, because Chief of Staff, George Catlett Marshall
believed Almond would excel at this difficult assignment, Almond performed poorly and went on to blame his poor performance on the fact that the division was made up of largely African-American troops as the source of his failure and went on to advise the Army against ever again using African-Americans as combat troops. He led the division in combat in the Italion campaign.
Almond told confidants that the division’s poor combat record had cheated him of higher command. By the time of the German surrender on 02-05-1945, the 92nd held the coast North to Genoa. Almond’s decorations include the Distinguished Service Cross with oak leaf cluster, the Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Silver Star with oak leaf cluster and the Purple Heart. Between August 1944 and May 1945 the 92nd Division suffered 3.200 casualties, and the factoring in of losses from the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, nicknamed “Purple Heart Battalion.”
and other units attached to the division brings the total up to 5.000 casualties. The 442nd Regimental Combat Team was the most decorated unit for its size and length of service in the history of American warfare. The 4.000 men who initially came in April 1943 had to be replaced nearly 2.5 times. In total, about 14.000 men served, ultimately earning 9.486 Purple Hearts. The unit was awarded an unprecedented eight Presidential Unit Citations. Twenty-one of its members were awarded Medals of Honor. Members of the 442nd received 18.143 awards. Edward Mallory Almond, Jr
., the only son of Major General and Mrs. Edward M. Almond, was born at Marion, Alabama on December 07-12-1921 and as Company Commander a route of advance through the Seigfried Line near Wattweiler, Germany, he was mortally wounded by a sniper’s bullet on 19-03-1945, age 23. Thus ended prematurely the career of a modest, generous, and intrepid officer. He is buried at St. Avoid U.S. Military Cemetery near Metz, France.
Death and burial ground of Almond, Edward “Ned” Mallory.
He retired in 1953 and worked in insurance until his death on 11-06-1979 at the old age of 86
.
Edward Almond is buried with his wife Magerete, born Crook, who died old age 92 on 29-06-1990, on Arlington Cemetery, Virginia, Section 2 Close by the graves of, General, Commander 92nd “ Negro Division”, Edward “Ned” Almond , Major General, Commander 8th Bomber Command Europe, Fredrick Anderson, Rear Admiral, Commander Destroyer Greyson, Frederic Bell, Navy Admiral, “Operation Crossroads”, William Blandy, General, Commander 32nd Infantry Division, Clovis Byers, Navy Admiral. Battle of the Leyte Gulf, Robert Carney, Air Force General Lieutenant, Claire Chennault, Brigade General, Assistant Commanding General 45th Division. John Huston Church, Lieutenant General, Commander 4th Corps, Italy Campaign, Willis Crittenberger Major General and commander of the 5th Infantry Division, Joseph Michaerl Cummins, Brigadier General, First African-American General, Benjamin Davis, Quartermaster Lieutenant General, John Lesesne De Witt, Major General and Head OSS, William “Wild Bill” Donovan,
Brigadier General, Speck Easley, Marine Corps Major General, Commander 1st Raider Battalion , Merrit “Red Mike” Edson, Lieutenant General, VIII Army, Robert Eichelberger, Navy Admiral, Commander Nord Pacific Fleet, Frank Fletscher and Navy Admiral, Commander VII Forces, William Fechteler, Lieutenant General, Commander 86th Infantry Division, Ridgeley Gaither, Major General, Commander 29th Infantry Division, D-Day, Charles Gerhardt
and Admiral, U.S. Chief of Naval Material, John Gingrich, U.S. Brigadier General, “ Merrill’s Marauders “ in Burma, Frank Down Merril, U.S. 4* Navy Vice Admiral. Commander U.S.S. Hornet, Doolittle Raid, Marc Mitscher, Brigade General Courtney Whitney,

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