Stafford LeRoy Irwin

Stafford LeRoy Irwin
Nickname(s)	"Red"
Born	(1893-03-23)March 23, 1893 Fort Monroe, Virginia, United States
Died	November 23, 1955(1955-11-23) (aged 62) Asheville, North Carolina, United States
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1915–1952
Rank	Lieutenant General
Unit	Cavalry Branch Field Artillery Branch
Commands held	5th Infantry Division XII Corps V Corps
Battles/wars	Mexican Punitive Expedition World War I World War II
Awards	Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit (2) Silver Star Bronze Star (2)
Relations	Bernard J. D. Irwin (Grandfather) George LeRoy Irwin (Father)

Lieutenant General Stafford LeRoy Irwin (March 23, 1893 – November 23, 1955) was a senior United States Army officer. He came from a family with a strong military tradition; he was the son of Major General George LeRoy Irwin, and his grandfather, Brigadier General Bernard J. D. Irwin, was a recipient of the Medal of Honor.

Education and start of career

Irwin was born March 23, 1893, at Fort Monroe, Virginia as a son of Major General George LeRoy Irwin and his wife Marla Elizabeth. He attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. He graduated in June 1915 as a part of "the class the stars fell on". Many of his classmates became general officers during World War II, including Dwight D. Eisenhower, Omar Bradley, Henry Aurand, James Van Fleet among others.^[1]

He was commissioned as second lieutenant in the Cavalry Branch of the United States Army on June 12, 1915. Irwin subsequently served with the cavalry under command of Brigadier General John J. Pershing during Pancho Villa Expedition as a member of the 11th Cavalry Regiment in 1916 and the following year.

During World War I he served initially with the 80th Field Artillery Regiment, and then at the U.S. Army Field Artillery School, Fort Sill, where he was an instructor and received promotion to the temporary rank of major but saw no service overseas.

Peacetime

Between World War I and World War II, Stafford Irwin held a variety of positions. He was a professor of Military Science and Tactics, Yale University, from 1919 to 1920. He served as an instructor to the Oklahoma National Guard from 1920 to 1924. He spent the period of 1929 to 1933 as an instructor at the Field Artillery School. Irwin was assigned to the Organized Reserves from 1933 to 1936.

World War II

Stafford Irwin was the commander of artillery for the 9th Infantry Division in North Africa. He was noted for performing well during the Battle of Kasserine Pass. Following the North Africa Campaign he was given command of the 5th Infantry Division during Patton's drive across Europe.

General Stafford would finish the war as the commander of the XII Corps and serve in that position until September 1945.

Postwar and retirement

After the war, Irwin returned to the United States and became commander of V Corps in 1946 and director of the Military Intelligence Division in 1948. He finished his military career as the commander of U.S. Army forces in Austria from 1950 to 1952 when he retired due to medical problems.

Lt. Gen. Irwin died in 1955 of a coronary occlusion in Asheville, North Carolina.

Military education

In addition to attending West Point, Irwin attended the Field Artillery School in 1926, Command and General Staff School 1926-1927, and the Army War College in 1937.

Personal life

Irwin married in 1921 to Helen (Hall) Irwin and together they had one son, Francis LeRoy. After Helen died in 1937, Irwin remarried in 1941 to Clare (Moran) Irwin. His second marriage also produced a son.

Decorations

Lieutenant General Irwin´s ribbon bar:

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Stafford LeRoy Irwin.

• Arlington Cemetery Web Site retrieved 5/12/09
• Time Magazine December 1955 retrieved 5/12/09
• Field Artillery Magazine Jan/Feb 1949 retrieved 5/12/09
• Unithistories.com U.S. Army Officers of WWII retrieved 5/12/09