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William T. Sexton

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William T. Sexton
Sexton in 1952
Birth nameWilliam Thaddeus Sexton
Born(1901-09-03)September 3, 1901
Leavenworth, Kansas, U.S.
DiedJune 22, 1983(1983-06-22) (aged 81)
San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
Buried
Arlington National Cemetery
AllegianceUnited States of America
Service / branchUnited States Army
Years of service1924–1956
Rank Major General
Commands5th Infantry Division
82nd Airborne Division Artillery
3rd Infantry Division (Acting)
3rd Infantry Division Artillery
AwardsLegion of Merit
Bronze Star with three Oak Leaf Clusters
Legion of Honor
Croix de Guerre
Order of Bogdan Khmelnitskiy Second Class (USSR)[1]
Order of Liaquat (Iran)
Spouse(s)
Mary Forester Lewis
​
​
(m. 1950; died 1980)​

Mary Weber Willey
​
(m. 1982)​

William Thaddeus Sexton (September 3, 1901 – June 22, 1983) was a major general of the United States Army who participated in World War II.

Biography

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William Thaddeus Sexton was born on September 3, 1901, to James William Sexton and his wife Fannie (Davis) Sexton.[2]

At West Point in 1924

From 1918 until 1919, Sexton attended the University of Kansas. From July 1, 1920, until June 12, 1924, Sexton was a cadet at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and subsequently promoted to second lieutenant of field artillery.[2] His ensuing military education involved Field Artillery School, which he graduated in 1930 with a promotion to first lieutenant of field artillery on October 20, 1929[2] and Signal School in 1934.[3]

From 1936 to 1939, he taught history at West Point.[3] In 1939, Sexton, who had reached the rank of captain in the meantime, published Soldiers in the sun: An adventure in imperialism. The book provides a military history of operations in the Philippines form 1898 to 1902, discussing the Philippine Insurrection based on published official documents, supported by maps and illustrations.[4]

(Left to right): Major General Milton B. Halsey, Secretary of Army Frank Pace, Lieutenant General Joseph M. Swing, and Brigadier General William T. Sexton stand in front of the Sixth Army Headquarters on September 16, 1952.

In 1940, Sexton attended Command and General Staff School and was made Assistant Secretary in the Office of the Chief of Staff. Later in the war, Sexton became Secretary in the Office of the Chief of Staff from 1943 until 1944. He then became commanding general of the 3rd Infantry Division Artillery, earning four Bronze Star Medals in Europe.[5]

On September 17, 1945, Sexton who was Brigadier General and acting commanding general of the 3rd Infantry Division at the time, signed the Wanfried Agreement in his capacity as representative of the American High Command. The treaty enforced boundary changes between the U.S. and Soviet zone of occupation in Germany.[6][7]

After World War II, Sexton served as a military attaché in Iran.[5] He married Mary Forester Lewis in 1950.

In 1951, Sexton attended Parachute School and then became commanding general of the 82nd Airborne Division Artillery at Fort Bragg. After serving as chief of staff of the Sixth Army at the Presidio of San Francisco, he became the first chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group, Pakistan in 1954.[8]

This was followed by his final promotion to major general in 1955. Sexton served as commanding general of the 5th Infantry Division in West Germany from July 1955 to February 1956. After serving as Deputy Inspector General of the U.S. Army, he retired from active duty on August 31, 1956.[8][9]

After his first wife's death in 1980, Sexton married Mary Weber Willey on October 15, 1982.[8]

He died in San Antonio on June 22, 1983, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.[10]

References

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  • "George C. Marshall Research Foundation Collection Summary Sheet. Sexton (William Thaddeus) Collection" (PDF). George C. Marshall Foundation. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  • Sexton, William T., Soldiers in the Sun: An Adventure in Imperialism, Military Service Publishing Co., Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 1939.
  1. ^ Empric, Bruce E. (2024), Uncommon Allies: U.S. Army Recipients of Soviet Military Decorations in World War II, Teufelsberg Press, p. 82, ISBN 979-8-3444-6807-5
  2. ^ a b c Biographical register of the officers and graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. : from its establishment, March 16, 1802, to the army re-organization of 1866-67. Vol. 7. 1930. p. 1891. Retrieved December 28, 2022 – via Internet Archive.
  3. ^ 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, 1930–1940. Vol. VIII. R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company, The Lakeside Press. April 1941. p. 608. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  4. ^ Harrington, Fred Harvey (September 1, 1940). "Soldiers in the Sun: An Adventure in Imperialism. By William T. Sexton. (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Military Service Publishing Co., 1939. 297 pp. Maps, illustrations, and bibliography.)". Journal of American History. 27 (2): 333. doi:10.2307/1896874. hdl:2027/wu.89082423336. JSTOR 1896874. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  5. ^ 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, 1940–1950. Vol. IX. The Association of Graduates, U.S. Military Academy. December 1955. p. 463. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  6. ^ "United Nations Treaty Series Treaties and international agreements registered or filed and recorded with the Secretariat of the United Nations. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS. Agreement (with annexed map) relating to boundary changes between the United States and the Soviet zones of occupation in Germany. Signed at Wanfried, on 17 September 1945" (PDF). United Nations Treaty Collection. 1956. pp. 357–363. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 9, 2020. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  7. ^ Mohr, G. William. "Third Infantry Division. Volume One" (PDF). p. 74. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  8. ^ a b c "William Thaddeus Sexton". Assembly. Vol. 43, no. 3. December 1984. p. 128. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  9. ^ U.S. Army Register: United States Army Active and Retired Lists. Vol. I. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. January 1, 1957. p. 1068. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  10. ^ Assembly. Vol. 42. United States Military Academy Association of Graduates. 1983. p. 49. Retrieved December 28, 2022 – via Google Books.
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