Abrams Jr., Creighton Williams.

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Abrams Jr., Creighton Williams, born 15-09-1914, in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, to Creighton Williams  Abrams Sr (1889–1966) a railroad worker.  the son of Nellie Louise, born Randall.

Creighton Jr. had one sister and three brother, Elizabeth Louise Abrams James (1916–2015) and Abbie Morris Abrams (1919–1972) and Robert Bruce Abrams “Abe”. born 1960.  Brams Jr. was married three times, Julia Berthe Harvey Abrams (1915-2003) married in 1936, She founded the army group of Arlington Ladies and devoted time to humanitarian causes. Mary Lethea, born Paley Clarke (1885–1949) and Florence E, born Tyson Greer (1907–1992) . Creighton had two sons , Richard D Slocum (1930–2017) and General John Nelson Abrams (1946–2018) , commander of the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command from 1998 to 2002, John died at Walter Reed Army Medical Center at the age of 71..

Abrams graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in the Class of 1936, ranking 185th of 276 in the class. His classmates included Benjamin O. Davis Jr.

and William Westmoreland. Creighton  served with the 1st Cavalry Division from 1936 to 1940, being promoted to first lieutenant in 1939 and temporary captain in 1940.

Abrams became an armor officer early in the development of that branch and served as a tank company commander in the 1st Armored Division  in 1940.

During World War II, Abrams served in the 4th Armored Division, , under command of MG Henry Welles Baird, initially as regimental adjutant (June 1941 – June 1942), battalion commander (July 1942 – March 1943), and regiment executive officer (March–September 1943) with the 37th Armor Regiment.  In September 1943, a reorganization of the division redesignated the 37th Armor Regiment to the 37th Tank Battalion, which Abrams commanded. He commanded Combat Command B of the division during the Battle of the Bulge, and entitled to wear the French Fourragère as a member of the 4th Armored Division.

During this time Abrams was promoted to the temporary ranks of major (February 1942), lieutenant colonel (September 1942), and colonel (April 1945). Abrams was promoted to lieutenant colonel at age 27 years, 11 months.

During much of this time, the 4th Armored Division, led by the 37th Tank Battalion, was the spearhead for General George Smith Patton’s Third Army.   Abrams was well known as an aggressive armor commander. By using his qualities as a leader and by consistently exploiting the relatively small advantages of speed and reliability of his vehicles, he managed to defeat German forces that had the advantage of superior armor and superior guns. He was twice decorated with the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism, on 20 September and 26-12-1944. General George Patton said of him: “I’m supposed to be the best tank commander in the Army, but I have one peer—Abe Abrams. He’s the world champion.”

Frequently the spearhead of the Third Army during World War II, Abrams was one of the leaders in the relief effort that broke up the German entrenchments surrounding Bastogne and the 101st Airborne Division under command of Major General Maxwell Davenport Taylor, during the Battle of the Bulge. In April 1945, he was promoted to temporary colonel but reverted to lieutenant colonel during the post-war demobilization.

Following the war, Abrams served on the Army General Staff (1945–1946), as head of the department of tactics at the Armored School, Fort Knox (1946–1948), and graduated from the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth (1949).

Abrams commanded the 63rd Tank Battalion, part of the 1st Infantry Division, in Europe (1949–1951). He was again promoted to colonel and commanded the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment (1951–1952). These units were important assignments due to the Cold War concern for potential invasion of western Europe by the Soviet Union. He then attended and graduated from the Army War College in 1953.

Because of Abrams’s service in Europe and his War College tour, he joined the Korean War late. In South Korea (1953–1954), he successively served as chief of staff of the I, IX, and X Corps.

Abrams was promoted to General in 1964 and appointed Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army. He was seriously considered as a candidate for chief of staff. Due to concerns about the conduct of the Vietnam War, he was appointed as deputy to his West Point classmate, General William Westmoreland, commander of the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV), in May 1967.

Death and burial ground of Abrams Jr., Creighton Williams.

Abrams converted to Catholicism during his time in Vietnam. He was raised as Methodist Protestant.

A heavy cigar smoker, Abrams died at age 59, eleven days before his 60th birthday at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., from complications of surgery to remove a cancerous lung. Creighton is buried with his wife Julia in Arlington National Cemetery. Section 21, Site S-33.

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