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James McRae (United States Army officer)

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For the Australian rower, see James McRae. For the engineer, see James W. McRae.
James Henry McRae
James McRae in Chatel-Chéhéry, France, October 25, 1918.
Born(1863-12-24)December 24, 1863
Lumber City, Georgia, United States
DiedMay 1, 1940(1940-05-01) (aged 76)
Berkeley, California, United States
Buried
Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, United States
Allegiance United States
Service / branch United States Army
Years of service1886−1927
Rank Major General
Service number0-52
Unit Infantry Branch
Commands158th Depot Brigade
9th Brigade
78th Division
5th Corps Area
Philippine Department
9th Corps Area
2nd Corps Area
Battles / warsSpanish–American War
Philippine–American War
World War I
AwardsArmy Distinguished Service Medal[1]
Silver Star (2)
Companion of the Order of the Bath (United Kingdom)
Commander of the Legion of Honor (France)
Croix de Guerre (France)

Major General James Henry McRae (December 24, 1863 – May 1, 1940) was a United States Army officer who served in numerous conflicts during his military career.

Early life

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James Henry McRae was born December 24, 1863,[2][3] to Daniel F. McRae and Marion McRae in Lumber City, Georgia. He graduated from the United States Military Academy number forty-eight of seventy-seven in the class of 1886.[4] Several of his classmates included men who would, like McRae himself, eventually rise to general officer rank, such as John J. Pershing, Charles T. Menoher, Walter Henry Gordon, Edward Mann Lewis, Mason Patrick, Julius Penn, Avery D. Andrews, John E. McMahon, Ernest Hinds, William H. Hay, George B. Duncan, Lucien Grant Berry and Jesse McI. Carter.

Military career

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Major General James McRae, commanding the 78th Division, pictured here in conversation with the division's chief of staff, Colonel Charles D. Herron, at Chatel Chehery, Ardennes, France, October 25, 1918.

McRae was commissioned in the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) and performed frontier duty from 1886 to 1888. During the Spanish–American War, he was in the Battle of El Caney in Cuba, and he also served in the Sanitary Corps, for which he received his first Silver Star Commendation.[4][5] He received his second Silver Star during the Philippine Insurrection and was recommended for a brevet promotion. From 1905 to 1908, he served on the General Staff, and in 1911, he graduated from the United States Army War College. McRae served in the Adjutant General's Department from 1913 to 1917, and on August 5, 1917, he was promoted to brigadier general and commanded the 158th Depot Brigade at Camp Sherman, Ohio.[6] In addition, he commanded the 9th Brigade of the 5th Division. He was promoted to major general on April 12, 1918, and commanded the 78th Division (AEF) throughout its period of active service on the Western Front until June 1919, when it was inactivated after returning to the United States.[4] For this, he earned the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the citation for which reads:

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Army Distinguished Service Medal to Major General James Henry McRae, United States Army, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services to the Government of the United States, in a duty of great responsibility during World War I. General McRae Commanded with great credit the 78th Division in the Meuse-Argonne offensive and had an important part in that operation which forced the enemy to abandon Grandpre. In this and other campaigns his personal influence on the result obtained showed a rich quality of military leadership.[5]

During 1921 and 1922, he was assistant chief, G-1 (personnel). From 1922 to 1924, he commanded the 5th Corps Area and, in 1924, he briefly commanded the Philippine Division,[7] and from 1924 to 1926 he served in the Philippine Department.[4] He commanded the 9th Corps Area from May 1926 to January 1927 before commanding the 2nd Corps Area from January to December 1927. He retired on December 24, 1927, having reached the mandatory retirement age of 64.[7]

Personal life

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On December 14, 1887, McRae married Florence Stouch, daughter of Lt. Col. R. H. Stouch, a Civil War veteran. Together they had three children: Donald M. McRae, Dorothy McRae, and Mildred McRae.[6] He remarried to Helen "Nellie" Burgar Stouch, a former sister-in-law, on February 24, 1926.[3]

After his retirement, he made his home in Berkeley, California. He died on May 1, 1940.[4] McRae is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.[8]

References

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  1. ^ "James McRae" valor.militarytimes.com
  2. ^ "General M'Rae Dies; 'Fighting General': Ex-Head of 2d Corps Area Led the Lightning Division in Meuse-Argonne Offensive" (PDF). The New York Times. May 2, 1940. p. 30. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
  3. ^ a b "James Henry McRae". Seventy-Second Annual Report of the Association of Graduates of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. Newburgh, New York: The Moore Printing Company, Inc. June 10, 1941. pp. 148–150. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
  4. ^ a b c d e Davis, Henry Blaine Jr. (1998). Generals in Khaki. Pentland Press, Inc. p. 267. ISBN 1571970886. OCLC 40298151.
  5. ^ a b "Valor awards for James Henry McRae". valor.militarytimes.com.
  6. ^ a b Who Was Who in American History – the Military. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 1975. p. 380. ISBN 0837932017.
  7. ^ a b Biographical register of the officers and graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York since its establishment in 1802: Supplement, 1920–1930. Vol. VII. R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company, The Lakeside Press. March 1931. p. 242. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
  8. ^ "McRae, James H". ANCExplorer. U.S. Army. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
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Military offices
Preceded by Commanding General 78th Division
1918–1919 		Succeeded by
Post deactivated
Preceded by Commanding General Philippine Department
1924–1925 		Succeeded by
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