Middleton, Troy Houston.

Middleton, Troy Houston, born 12-10-1889, the same year as Adolf Hitler (did you know), near Georgetown, Copiah County, Mississippi, the son of John Houston Middleton (12-05-1856 – 27-08- 1935) and Laura Catherine “Kate”, bornThompson (25-12-1860 – 20-09-1925). His paternal grandfather, Benjamin Parks Middleton (1825–1891) served as a private in Company G, 6^th Regiment, Mississippi Infantry for the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War , and his maternal grandfather, Riden M. Thompson, was also a Confederate soldier who died 27-05-1862 at the hospital in Hazlehurst, Mississippi. His great great grandfather, Captain Holland Middleton (c.1715-1795/96) served from Georgia in the American Revolutionary War. On 03-03-1910 Troy Middleton enlisted into the 29^th Infantry Regiment at Fort Porter in Buffalo, New York. Troy was put to work as a company clerk, and as a private earned $15 a month, which was paid in gold until it became scarce, and was then paid in silver. Private Middleton tired of this desk work quickly and asked to become a soldier. Believing that the 4th Division was still at Camp Greene, Middleton wired there to find out that the unit was already on its way overseas. He caught a train for New York, and when he arrived on 28-04-1918 he found his division at Camp Mills on Long Island, living in tents and awaiting transport. Middleton was given command of the First Battalion, 47^th Infantry Regiment, nicknamed “Raiders”  and departed New York with his regiment aboard the Princess Matokia on 11 May in a convoy of fourteen ships. Three days out of France a fleet of destroyers met the convoy and escorted it to the port city of Brest where they arrived on 23-05-1918. There the division unloaded and organized for several days, subsequently loading onto a troop train to arrive at Calais on 30-05-1918. During World War II, he was Commanding General of the 45^th  Division, nickname “Thunderbird” , in Sicily, Italy and Commanding General of the VIII Corps, North-West, Europe.

During World War II, the 45^th  Division fought in 511 days of combat. Eight soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor during their service with the 45^th  Infantry Division: Van Thomas.Barfoot,  ,  he died old age 92, on 02-03-2012, Ernest Childers, died old age 87, on 17-03-2005, Almond E. Fisher, died age 68, on 07-01-1982, William James Johnston, died age 71, on 29-05-1971 and  Jack Cleveland Montgomery,

 died age 84 on 11-06-2002,  James D. Slaton,

 died age 50, on 25-02-1961, Jack Treadwell,

 and Edward G. Wilkin.   was killed in action age 27, on 18-04-1945. Soldiers of the division also received 61 Distinguished Service Crosses, three Distinguished Service Medals, 1.848  Silver Star Medals, 38, Legion of Merit medals, 59 Soldier’s Medals, 5.744 Bronze Star Medals, and 52 Air Medals. The division received seven distinguished unit citations and eight campaign streamers during the conflict. The division suffered 3.650 killed in action, 13.729 wounded in action, 3.615 missing in action, 266 captured, and 41.647 non-battle casualties for a total of 62.907 casualties during the war. After the war, Troy retired and was appointed president Louisiana State University in 1950.

Death and burial ground of Middleton, Troy Houston.

      Troy Middleton died at the old age of 86, on 09-10-1976 and is buried with his wife Jerusha, born Collins, who died old age 89, on 16-03-1980, on the Baton Rouge National Cemetery, Louisiana.

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