Cummins, Joseph Michael.

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Cummins, Joseph Michael, born in St. Louis, Missouri, on 21-07-1881.B.A. from St. Louis University in 1901. Commissioned in the Infantry in 1903. Graduated from Command and General Staff School in 1923. Instructor at General Service Schools 1923-1926. Graduated from Army War College in 1927. Duty with the War Department General Staff 1930-1934. Director of the Infantry Board 1934-1936. Director of the War Plans Division at the Army War College 1936-1938. Brigadier General in February 1938.He was assigned Commanding General of 18th Brigade 1938-1939. Commanding General of the Atlantic Sector in the Panama Canal Department in 1939. Then appointed as Commanding General of 5th Division, nicknamed,  “Red Diamond” or “Red Devils”File:US 5th Infantry Division.svgin 1940 until 23-07-1941 and succeeded by Major General Charles Hartwell Bonesteel. The 5th ID crossed the Rhine River on the night of 22-03-1945. After capturing some 19.000 German soldiers, the division continued to Frankfurt-am-Main, clearing and policing the town and its environs, 27–29 March. In April the division, under Major General, Albert Eger Brown
  took part in clearing the Ruhr Pocket and then drove across the Czechoslovak border, 1 May, reaching Volary and Vimperk as the war in Europe ended. Brown’s son Albert Eger Brown, Jr. 2nd Lieutenant, United States Army. United States Military Academy Class of1940. Appointed to the Infantry, died in an automobile accident in Charlotte, North Carolina, 21-11-1940, age 23. The division spent 270 days in combat and sustained 2.083 soldiers killed, 9.278 wounded, 1.073 missing, with 101 soldiers captured. Promoted to Major General in October 1940. Commanding General of XI Corps Area 1941-1942.
Cummins son Lieutenant /Col. Joseph M. Cummins Jr.was KIA on 01-03-1945, age 34.  Joseph M. Cummins Jr. was born at Fort McKenzie, Sheridan, Wyoming, in 1911, the son of (later Major General) Joseph M. Cummins and Eileen Davis Cummins, the oldest of four children. After graduation from West Point, Joe Cummins, like his father and grandfather before him, joined the Infantry. His early service at Fort Banning then with the 3d “Foot’’ at Fort Snelling, Minnesota, and in Panama. While at Fort Benning he married Jane Crea, also an “Army brat,” and they had two children. He was assigned to the 104th “Timberwolf” Division when it was activated early in World War II, trained with it in Oregon, and accompanied it to Europe where he commanded the 3d Battalion, 414th Infantry. In this capacity he was awarded the Bronze Star, Silver Star, and the Purple Heart for his performance in combat. Hr met his death from enemy artillery fire in his command post in Sindorf, near Cologne, Germany. Joe’s brother Tom (USNA ’35) died in the crash of a Navy plane in 1940.

Death and burial ground of Cummins, Joseph Michael.

 

Joseph Cummins retired in December 1942 and he died on 16-10-1959, age 60. Joseph Cummins is buried on the Arlington National Cemetery in Section 2. Close by in Section 2, the graves of the General, Commander 92nd “ Negro Division” , Edward “Ned” AlmondMajor General, Commander 8th Bomber Command Europe, Frederick AndersonRear 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, Lieutenant General, Commander 4th Corps, Italy Campaign, Willis Crittenberger, Brigadier General, First African-American General, Benjamin Davis, Quartermaster Lieutenant General, Johm 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.
 

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