Alvan Cullom Gillem, Jr.

Alvan Cullom Gillem, Jr.
Alvan C. Gillem Jr.
Born	August 8, 1888 Nashville, Tennessee
Died	February 13, 1973 (aged 84) Atlanta, Georgia
Place of burial	Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1910–1950
Rank	Lieutenant General
Commands held	3rd Armored Division XIII Corps Third United States Army
Battles/wars	Mexican Border Campaign World War I World War II
Awards	Army Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster Legion of Merit Bronze Star Medal
Relations	LTG Alvan Cullem Gillem II (son)

Alvan Cullom Gillem Jr. (August 8, 1888 – February 13, 1973) was a Lieutenant General in the United States Army, who came from the family with long military tradition.

Early career

Gillem enlisted in the Regular Army in 1910 and served both as a Private and a Corporal with the 17th Infantry at Fort McPherson. On February 11, 1911, while still at Fort McPherson, he was appointed a Second Lieutenant of Infantry. He served in the Philippines and later served under General John J. Pershing on the Mexican Border in 1916.

World War I

During World War I, Alvan C. Gillem served with the American Expeditionary Forces in Siberia for eight months from 1918 to 1919.

Interwar Years

In 1923, Captain Gillem attended the U.S. Army Command and General Staff School. Following this, he was promoted to Major.

Gillem was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and commanded an infantry battalion for 2 years. Then he commanded the 66th Infantry Regiment (Light Tanks) for 10 months, the only armored regiment in the US Army at the time. He was promoted to Brigadier General in January, 1941 and then given command of the 2nd Armored Brigade. He became the first commanding general of the 3rd Armored Division from April 1941 to January 1942, dubbing it the "Spearhead" division. He received promotion to Major General in December, 1941.

World War II

Early during the Second World War, General Gillem was mostly stationed stateside. He was given command of the II Armored Corps (later redesignated XVIII Corps) and later the Armored Command at Fort Knox, Kentucky.

Major-General Gillem commanded the XIII Corps, 9th US Army in the European Theater of Operations from September 1944 to September 1945. In June 1945 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General. His corps came within 50 miles of Berlin, the closest of all US troops. He was selected to command the Armored Task Force that was scheduled to invade Japan, but Japan surrendered before the invasion plan was carried out.

World War II Decorations

• Dutch Grand Officer in the Order of Oranje Nassau (ON.2)
• Army Distinguished Service Medal with Bronze Oakleaf Cluster
• Legion of Merit
• Bronze Star Medal

Postwar Positions

Board for Utilization of Negro Manpower (1945-1946)

From October 1945 to April 1946, Gillem chaired the "Board for Utilization of Negro Manpower" (or Gillem Board). Its report, "Utilization of Negro Manpower in the Postwar Army Policy", was presented in April 1946. It is noted for its recommendations to retain segregation, as that was a policy external to the military, but introduce equal opportunity, as that would be the best use of military manpower.

Recommendations by the Board

• The number of black enlisted men should meet a quota of at least 10% of the Army's size. This would be proportional to the national population.
• Black troops would serve in all-black platoons or companies that would be integrated into all-white battalions. This would be done to share experience and knowledge, which would improve unit quality.
• Black enlisted men who were qualified should attend specialty and technical schools.
• Black commissioned officers would be promoted by the same standards as their white counterparts.

On March 17, 1949, General Gillem and John J. McCloy (former Assistant Secretary of War during World War II) testified before the President’s Committee on Equality of Treatment and Opportunity in the Armed Services (1948-1952?). Gillem served on it from 1949 to 1950.

Command of the 3rd Army (1947-1950)

Gillem assumed command of the Third U.S. Army in June, 1947. When the Third Army headquarters was moved from Atlanta, Georgia to Fort McPherson in 1947, Gillem also assumed command of the post.^[1]

In 1947 Gillem served as an assistant to General George C. Marshall on his Presidential mission to China. He then served as special assistant to the commander of the United States forces in Nanking, commander of the China Service Command in Shanghai, and later American Commissioner in Peking.

General Gillem retired from the army in August, 1950 with the rank of Lieutenant General.

Charity Work

Upon the end of his military career, Gillen served for four years as executive director of the National Foundation for the March of Dimes in the 1960s.

Death

Gillem died on February 13, 1973 in an Atlanta Hospital at the age of 85. Both he and his wife Virginia (Harrison) Gillem (December 18, 1895 - October 25, 1964) are buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Genealogy

Grandparents

Gillem's grandfather, Alvan Cullem Gillem (born July 29, 1830 - died December 2, 1875) graduated from West Point in 1851.^[2] He served in the Civil War with the Union Army, finishing the war as a brevet Major General of US Volunteers. He is buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Nashville, Tennessee.

Parents

Gillem's parents were Colonel Alvan Cullom Gillem Sr., a cavalry officer in the US Army (birth 1865 - died November 29, 1935) and Bessie Coykendall (birth ? - died April 12, 1926). Both were buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Children

Gillem's first son, Alvan Cullem Gillem II, was born in Nogales, Arizona, in 1917.^[3] He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1940,^[4] later becoming a Lieutenant General in the US Air Force.

Gillem's second son Richard D. Gillem was born ?. He later became an Army Lieutenant-Colonel.

His daughter, Mary Gillem was born ?. She married ? Daley and became Mrs. Mary Gillem Daley on ?.

See also

• Fort Gillem

References

1. Arlington National Cemetery Website
2. Journal of the Military Service Institution of the United States, Vol.37; "The Loyalty of West Point" pp.556-558
3. http://tankdestroyer.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=183:gillem-alvan-c-jr&catid=29:officers&Itemid=58 tankdestroyer.net Gillem, Alvan C. Jr. - Maj. Gen. (XIII Corps)
4. United States Military Academy. The Register of Graduates and Former Cadets of the United States Military Academy at West Point: 2004. Connecticut. Elm Press. 2004. pg. 2:48

External links

• Alvan Cullom Gillem, Jr., Lieutenant General, United States Army
• Alvan Cullom Gillem Jr. Collection of Documents Regarding Gillem Board and Negroes in the Armed Forces, 1945–1951, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library
• Call Me Spearhead -The Official Newsletter of the Association of 3rd Armored Division Veterans. Vol 4, Issue 3 (July 1, 2004)